Fukushima is no longer a ‘dead city’, residents and tourists are welcome
Thanks to reconstruction efforts, decontamination activities including the reduction of radiation levels implemented by the Japanese government, the place is now safe to live in and is no longer a ‘dead city’.
KUALA LUMPUR: Japan’s Fukushima, one of the worst nuclear disaster sites in the world, is now recovering and many residents are returning to live in the area while tourism-related activities are also increasing.
Thanks to reconstruction efforts, decontamination activities including the reduction of radiation levels implemented by the Japanese government, the place is now safe to live in and is no longer a ‘dead city’.
The Japanese government is gradually allowing areas around the Fukushima prefecture to be inhabited, after 30,000 people were left homeless after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
“Life in the Fukushima region has returned to normal after the nuclear disaster struck the region in 2011.
“Following a massive campaign to remove contaminated land and clean buildings and roads in the area, the radiation level reading is now reported to be stable and at a safe level,” Director of Recovery from Japan’s Nuclear Disaster Division, Taishi Nakami told international media when met on the sidelines of the fourth ASEAN-Japan Smart Cities Network High-Level Meeting held in Fukushima on Dec 4-5.
The tragedy of the tsunami on March 11, 2011 caused the destruction of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northeastern Japan and is described as the second worst nuclear disaster in the world after Chernobyl, witnessing nearly 18,500 victims.
Meanwhile, more than 160,000 people had to be evacuated from the city due to fears of radiation leakage from the destroyed nuclear reactor.
Taishi said there are a large number of radiation monitoring posts in Fukushima, while data shows radiation levels in Fukushima are the same as in major cities around the world or sometimes much lower.
“Residents who want to return to Fukushima can do so because the hazardous materials from the nuclear power plant have been removed and disposed of.
“Infrastructure such as roads, railways, hospitals and supermarkets have been operating as usual and life in the region has returned to normal,” he said.
Asked about the concerns of foreign tourists including from Malaysia whether Fukushima beaches are safe to visit, Taishi assured that most of the area has been decontaminated and is safe for tourists.
Japan has lifted travel restrictions and reopened borders to all tourists from abroad (subject to vaccination and testing requirements), therefore the country hopes the tourism sector in the Fukushima region will be able to recover, he said.
Taishi also said that the reconstruction efforts in Fukushima received world attention with the reopening of J-Village, which is Japan’s first national soccer training center.
In 1997, J-Village was founded as the first National Football Training Center in the country.
After the devastating earthquake that struck eastern Japan in 2011, the place was turned into a support base after a nuclear power plant accident and no longer functions as a football center
However, in July 2018 J-Village was redeveloped to fulfill its original purpose and returned to its role as a facility center for training camps and tournaments for the women’s national soccer team (Japan’s Nadeshiko).
The delegates of the 4th ASEAN-Japan Smart Cities Network High-Level Meeting were given the opportunity to see first-hand the reconstruction in Fukushima, including a tour of the nuclear power plant, the Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum.
The delegation consisted of representatives from 10 ASEAN member countries including three media personnel from Malaysia, the Philippines and Cambodia.
