Japan: Fukushima evacuees start returning home as no-go zone reopens after 2011 nuclear disaster

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Residents of Katsurao Village started to return home on Tuesday as authorities reopened the area affected by the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, which turned the village into a no-entry zone for a decade.
After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 93 residents of 34 households in the region were forced to evacuate.
Takuya Ishida, the director of reconstruction and promotion at the Katsurao Village Office, explained that although the area was declared a “difficult-to-return zone” due to high levels of radiation, residents will now be able to resettle following safety measures.
“Here at the village hall, the residents will be asked to fill out some paperwork and take a dosimeter, which is a device to measure radiation levels. Since the area is in a difficult-to-return area, there is a concern about radiation levels, so we ask that the resident take the machine to measure radiation levels, and then stay at their home or at an accommodation facility set up by the village,” Ichida said.
Although radiation levels remain high, locals in the area are still excited about their comeback.
“I really dreamed of staying here every day. After all, even though I was taking a bath at home, I couldn’t spend time like that here, you know. I can finally have dinner at home today. Our dinner,” shared Kazuo Naito, one of the returning residents.
As of Tuesday, evacuees will be able to spend the night at home to prepare for a full return when the evacuation order is lifted for part of the district next spring 2022.

SOT, Takuya Ishida, Director, Reconstruction Promotion, Office Katsurao Village, Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture (Japanese) : “Here at the village hall, the residents will be asked to fill out some paperwork and take a dosimeter, which is a device to measure radiation levels. Since the area is in a difficult-to-return area (No-go-zone), there is a concern about radiation levels, so we ask that the resident take the machine to measure radiation levels, and then stay at their home or at an accommodation facility set up by the village.”

SOT, Mitsuko Naito, wife, returning resident (Japanese) : ” It’s been ten years and eight months now, and we’ve been through a lot in that time, but the reason we decided to live here was that our house was still intact after the earthquake, and the land here was cultivated by my parents, who worked hard to build it.”

SOT, Kazuo Naito, husband, returning resident (Japanese) : “I really dreamed of staying here every day. After all, even though I was taking a bath at home, I couldn’t spend time like that here, you know. I can finally have dinner at home today. Our dinner.”

SOT, Kazuo Naito, husband, returning resident (Japanese): “Of course, the radiation level here is still higher than in other areas, even in the same area of Katsurao, and I know that it is still higher than in Tokyo, but it would be a lie if I said that there is no concern. The Ministry of the Environment has told us that it is safe for people to live in the area as long as the level of radiation is within a certain number of sievert. In preparation for this, they decontaminated the area for us where the grass was really thick.”

SOT, Kazuo Naito, husband, returning resident (Japanese) : “We were given this dosimeter again today. I think that if we live here, we will be able to find out how much radiation we have received and so on. And if the actual figures show that there is some kind of influence, I think we need to consult with them about how to live and so on.”

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