Sunflowers planted by residents who continue to evacuate
In Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, sunflowers planted by residents who continue to evacuate due to the nuclear accident to leave a beautiful landscape with their hometown are in full bloom.
In the Sawakami district of Tateno, Namie town, the evacuation order due to the nuclear accident was lifted three years ago, but many residents are still evacuating.
Residents visiting the evacuation site began cultivating sunflowers on farmlands that were no longer used after the earthquake and the nuclear accident in an attempt to leave a beautiful landscape with their hometown.
Sunflower seeds were provided by an NPO corporation in Fukushima City, and the sunflowers planted in a 12-hectare area along the prefectural road are in full bloom.
Sunflowers are large and grow up to about 2 meters in height, and have large flowers.
In addition to sunflowers, the residents have started to produce honey and cultivate buckwheat, and would like to make effective use of unused farmland.
Shigeyoshi Sato, President of NBP Sawakami Management Cultivation Union, which is made up of residents in the Tateno district, said, "I am impressed by the sunflowers in full bloom. After the nuclear accident, few farmers are returning and the situation remains severe. However, I would like to plant various crops while going and try to maintain the scenery."