Current status and issues of Fukushima nuclear disaster areas and victims after lifting of evacuation orders: a case study of Namie Town

Abstract

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 resulted in serious radiation damage in Fukushima Prefecture. Although evacuation orders were enforced in 11 municipalities, they were lifted by April 1, 2017 with the exception of “difficult-to-return zone” in 9 of them. This study aims to analyze population and household trends, restoration situation of the living environment, and living conditions of residents in the town center of Namie Town as of September 2018, that is, approximately one and a half years after evacuation orders caused by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident were lifted, based on the official judgement that the living environment had been restored since decontamination and restoration of infrastructure were completed. This study clarifies that the living environment has not been restored to the extent that most disaster victims are able to choose returning, and that returnees are still disaster victims in that they are living in the environment with hardship. This study concludes that it is necessary to shift to Fukushima revitalization policies based on the actual conditions of disaster victims and affected areas.

Keywords

• nuclear disaster
• fukushima nuclear accident
• lifting of evacuation orders
• retuning home
• revitalization