UPDATE 4-Japan to allow 60-year reactor lifespan despite Fukushima

* Japan in gradual shift away from nuclear power

* Only 5 of the nation's 54 reactors remain online

* Rare protest delays process to help idled reactors restart (Adds details on meeting of experts)

By Risa Maeda

TOKYO, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Japan will allow nuclear reactors to operate for up to 60 years in revised regulations on power plant operators, the government said on Wednesday, even as it looks to shift gradually away from atomic power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

The decision marks the first time Japan has set a limit on a reactor's maximum lifespan and comes while it debates an energy strategy that is expected to give a greater role to renewables.

The government said it aims to introduce the 60-year limit a year from now as part of a revision of laws regulating nuclear plant operators after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled reactor cooling systems in the Fukushima Daiichi complex, triggering meltdowns and radiation leaks that led to mass evacuations and widespread contamination.

Public anxiety sparked by the disaster has prevented the restart of many reactors shut for routine checks, and only five of the nation's 54 reactors remain online, prompting utilities to import more fossil fuels to bridge the gap.

In a rare protest, a group of citizen observers delayed a hearing at the trade ministry in which experts were expected to approve the nuclear watchdog's review of stress test results from Fukui prefecture's Ohi reactors.