Japan TodayFUKUSHIMA — The government on Wednesday lifted its evacuation advisory for part of the town of Kawauchi which lies within 20 kilometers of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Environment Ministry officials said that radiation cleanup has concluded in the eastern part of the town, NTV reported.
Prior to the March 11, 2011 nuclear disaster, Kawauchi’s population was 3,000.
The Environment Ministry has designated 11 municipalities as no-go zones since the disaster. Nobody has been allowed to live in the zones again yet, though the government has allowed day visits to homes and businesses in some areas after initial decontamination efforts.
The decontamination work for most of the towns has fallen behind schedule due to the government’s failure to secure space for waste disposal.
The government hopes to restore lost communities in some areas around the plant, but challenges remain in ensuring food safety and job security.
So far, only about 48 people out of 274 registered residents have indicated they are planning to return to live in the village, officials said.
“Go back to your homes and get yourselves fried by radiation to help us convince the world that Fukushima poses no threat” — Reigning Nip.