45% of Okuma residents do not want to return

November 7, 2012

45 percent of Fukushima nuke plant host town residents say they won't return: survey

The town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, and the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant are seen on the evening of Oct. 18. (Mainichi)

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121107p2a00m0na004000c.html

Nearly half of the residents of evacuated Okuma, the host town of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, said they will not return even if the evacuation order is lifted, according to results of a survey by the Reconstruction Agency released on Nov. 6.

Okuma holds the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant and was completely evacuated following the tsunami and the outbreak of the crisis at the nuclear power station. In September, all 5,378 evacuated households were surveyed by mail, with 3,424 households, or 63.7 percent, responding. Those saying they had decided not to return were at 45.6 percent, while those saying they wanted to return were only at 11 percent. Those saying they didn't know yet were at 41.9 percent.

Of people in their teens to 30s, 54.7 percent said they would not return, of people in their 40s to 50s, 48.7 percent said they did not want to live there, and of people 60 and over, 38.9 percent said they didn't want to go back. Of the reasons for not returning, 80.8 percent of those not wanting to return said they were anxious about radiation, 70.2 percent said they were worried about the nuclear plant's safety, and 67.6 percent said their homes were damaged and not livable anymore.

Around 95 percent of residents' homes are expected to be in an area designated as unlivable for a long time, with delays in decontamination and worries about repeated problems at the nuclear power plant thought to be behind that designation.

"Considering the lack of good news, I predicted such a result," said Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe about the survey.

Furthermore, only 22.8 percent of respondents said they would live in a temporary community for the town if it was set up, while 24.2 percent said they would not, and 50.8 percent said they did not know.