Over 100,000 still displaced from Fukushima

January 1, 2015

100,000 still displaced 5 yrs after nuclear crisis

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html

Jan. 1, 2016 - Updated 20:20 UTC

More than 100,000 former residents of Fukushima Prefecture are still living away from their homes nearly 5 years after a nuclear accident forced them to flee.

Three municipalities are expecting the lifting of evacuation orders for their residents by the spring of this year. But whether many of them will return is unclear due to fears of radiation and unstable livelihoods.

The government's evacuation order is still in place for 9 Fukushima municipalities. 57,000 people are living elsewhere within the prefecture, while 43,000 of them are living outside the prefecture.

Minamisoma City, Kawamata Town and Katsurao Village expect the lifting of orders in some districts still designated as evacuation zones.
But convincing people to return is expected to be difficult. In the case of Naraha Town where the evacuation order was lifted in last September, only 5 percent of residents have so far returned. They cite radiation fears, insufficient medical service and other reasons.

In Fukushima prefecture, the building of the intermediate storage facilities for contaminated soil and other wastes is crucial. But only 22 of some 2,300 landowners have signed land sales contracts.