The shadow of the Fukushima nuclear accident has not dissipated, and very few people have returned to their hometowns in the "lifting the ban" zone

The shadow of the Fukushima nuclear accident has not dissipated Very few people have returned to their hometowns in the "lifting the ban" area

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the Japanese government issued evacuation instructions to about 81000,<> residents near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Twelve years later, on the 12st of last month and April 31, the Japanese government lifted evacuation instructions in parts of Fukushima Prefecture. However, 4 years have passed since the Fukushima accident, the impact of the accident is far from over, and few people have returned home.

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was located between the towns of Nanie and Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture, the area around the nuclear power plant, including these two places, was instructed to evacuate. The area where Namie has lifted evacuation instructions this time accounts for about 3% of the total area of Namie Town's evacuation instruction area.

On the 31st of last month, a small ceremony was held in Nanie Town to welcome the returning residents, but fewer than 10 returnees, most of them elderly, attended the ceremony. Their feelings for their hometown are one of the driving forces that drive them to return home.

Resident of Nanie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan: This is where I was born and raised, so naturally I think this is the best. The air and views here are different from other places. Previously lived elsewhere and couldn't settle down. Returning to Nanie Town makes me feel stable, so I have been looking forward to this day.

According to reports, as of the day the evacuation order was lifted, only 12 people from 22 households had returned to their hometowns registered in advance.

According to the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the upper limit of radiation that the average person can tolerate is 1 millisievert (1000,<> microsieverts) per year. However, there are many places in the evacuation indication area of Nanie Town that have radiation values that are several times higher than this standard. In addition to concerns about radioactive contamination from the Fukushima nuclear accident, local facilities and services are far from perfect, which makes many residents reluctant to return to the local area.

Residents of Nanie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan: After the earthquake and tsunami, some people did want to come back to rebuild their homes, but many did not want to return.

In addition to the lifting in 2017, less than 20% of the town has so far lifted evacuation instructions and allowed victims of nuclear accidents to return to their hometowns. At present, there are fewer than 2000,<> registered residents, only about one-tenth of the population living before the nuclear accident. For most Fukushima victims, returning home remains a distant event.

He Xinlei: Twelve years later, although the local government is promoting the lifting of the ban on returning difficult areas, there is still a lack of permanent population, local development still lacks momentum, and there is still a long way to go for the recovery of disaster-stricken areas.