Japan's top court ruled on Friday that the state is not liable for the Fukushima disaster in March 2011, Kyodo News reported.

The decision by the Supreme Court of Japan was the first for the top court and covered four lawsuits filed in Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba and Ehime prefectures, the report said.

The ruling leaves Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, solely responsible for slightly over 1.4 billion yen ($10.5 million) in damages in the four lawsuits.