The energy Fukushima needs I: Understanding now from the ground

It can be pretty daunting to be in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant without proper knowledge. It is no Chornobyl but can still give hesitance to visitors to the area. On the other hand, despite the radioactive disaster 11 years ago, positive progress is ongoing in the region. Returnees have resettled in various parts of the disaster-affected region, and the road to recovery is paved by interesting projects.

Conquering fear through knowing the real Fukushima

Yet, the image many hold of Fukushima is often not one of progress or recovery but of fear. It’s understandable, especially when radiation is not something everyone is familiar, and requires a certain amount of research.

Karin Taira from Real Fukushima was our guide for a visit to various affected areas along the coast of Fukushima. Originally living in Tokyo, she moved to Odaka Town in Sousou, along the coast of Fukushima, and launched Real Fukushima to help foreigners understand the actual circumstances in Fukushima. She is straight with the facts, and honest about the situation in Sousou. This allows visitors to clear misconceptions, curb misinformation, and understand what obstacles prevent progress in affected regions.

Fukushima and the “Triple Disaster”

It will help, however, to begin with some basics to better understand the scale of the radiation issue.

Fukushima residents usually refer to the prefecture in three main regions. The coastal Hamadori is the region where the nuclear disaster occurred and is most affected. The center Nakadori is where the Tohoku Shinkansen line runs through, and though a significant distance from the site of the nuclear disaster, it was affected to a certain extent. Finally, the Aizu region lies west of Nakadori, where peaceful towns rest with distant views of the surrounding mountains.

What happened in Fukushima on 11 March 2011?

Three phenomena occurred on 11 March 2011. The first was a 9.0-degree earthquake whose epicenter was east of Miyagi Prefecture, just above Fukushima Prefecture. This triggered the tsunami, the highest hitting Japan measured at 40m high. These two hit northeastern Japan, especially the coasts, especially hard. The third phenomenon was the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, caused by the tsunami. These three are often referred to as the “Triple Disaster.”

However, the nuclear radiation from the meltdown only affected the northern part of Hamadori, a collective region called Sousou. This leads us back to the radiation map we are familiar with, where the wind has spread the radiation effects northwest of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

This understanding is vital to understanding the relationship between radiation contamination and Fukushima. Fukushima is largely unaffected by the radiation today, though the trauma the whole world shared remains from the devastation of 11 March. It is also important to understand the issue from the perspectives of the people living in Sousou today to understand the true situation on the ground.

Answering a few questions about Fukushima

Is Fukushima still radioactive?

The more accurate question is if the Sousou region (and areas directly west in Nakadori) is still radioactive. Some parts of Sousou are indeed still closed because these areas still have unsafe levels of radiation. Many parts have also returned to normal levels of radiation (including environmental radiation from the ground and the sun. Sunscreen recommended.)

Is there still radiation in Fukushima?

Yes, there is, although the issues concerning radiation come in different forms other than the closed-off areas of Sousou region. For example, the most hotly-talked-about issue related to this is the discharge of radioactive water into the ocean next spring. Another is the problem of what to do with the contaminated soil from the cleanup. There are plans to distribute the radioactive soil as “reusable resources” around the country for public works. Debates continue to revolve around how to handle these radioactive substances.

Can you still live in Fukushima?

There is no concern about living or visiting outside of Sousou. Within the Sousou region, only some areas where radiation levels have returned to normal are open for resettlement. Many of these areas have been open for returnees for the past few years. For example, Odaka Town in Minamisoma, a location within 20km of the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, has opened for resettlement since the summer of 2016.

How long until Fukushima is habitable?

Fukushima has always been and continues to be habitable! The concern rests with the Sousou region. While most areas have reopened for returnees in Sousou, a few remaining areas are closed off from taking residence. It will likely take a few decades before the high radiation regions will revert to normal.

Can Fukushima be visited?

You can visit most parts of the disaster-affected areas, which are accessible and open for resettling. However, it can be confusing to navigate and to know how to maximize your time there, for example, due to the reopening of roads or new developments in the region. We recommend requesting a guided tour with Real Fukushima. You can even participate in the new Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Study Tour currently in the market testing phase.

Firsthand knowledge to understand the actual situation

Skepticism is normal when asking what the radiation levels are like in Fukushima. Unfortunately, this is often aggravated by fear and fearmongers. But remember, it is the residents of this disaster who have the biggest stake in this. They have experienced the most, and it is the voices of those who have lived and are living in the region who can give us the most accurate assessment.

“In Japan, there is a tendency to protect and not share information, which should not be the way. Only when we know what the current situation is, can we then decide what the next step should be. It’s how we can look at the whole picture and move on,” Kobayashi Tomoko shared thoughtfully. Kobayashi is the lady owner of Futabaya Inn, the only ryokan inn in Odaka Town.

Her husband, Takenori, followed, “To discover the severity of problems ourselves, citizens in the region have volunteered to conduct measurements by ourselves. Since its founding in 2012, the volunteers of the Radioactivity Measurement Center of Minamisoma (Todoketori) have been manually measuring the radiation periodically to understand firsthand the radioactivity in the affected areas.”

“The 10 Years of Approaching Radiation, and Towards the Future” is a book of report compilation released earlier this April. It gives a comprehensive and assuring understanding of the radioactivity in the region in the past decade. The map above and other maps are particularly useful for residents and potential newcomers seeking to stay in a certain location, or perhaps even for businesses interested in setting up a shop or a satellite office.

And overall, we see the return of normal radioactive levels as the result of the containment and cleanup of affected regions by the government. Flipping through the half-yearly radioactivity map updates, we can see the returning of normal levels in Minamisoma City. This is impressive volunteer work covering a wide area of the region.

Furthermore, the Radioactivity Measurement Center of Minamisoma (Todoketori) measures not only the land and atmosphere for radiation, but also food (in fact, they are willing to measure anything residents may be concerned about). In the first year, their measurements revealed radioactive contamination, which allowed them to be wary of their diets.

“[Back then,] when we measured genmai (unpolished brown rice) for radioactivity,” Takenori recalled, “we found that 80% failed the safety standards. On the other hand, we found that radioactivity levels dropped dramatically when we made repeated measurements for white rice. That allowed us to judge the safety of food [without guessing.] It added to the importance of why residents should have firsthand knowledge of the current circumstance.”

The bonds between Fukushima and Ukraine

Towards the back of the main corridor of Futabaya Inn, visitors will notice a board with iconic shades of blue and yellow, representing the beautiful sunflower fields of Ukraine. It reads, “Fukushima-Ukraine, The Way of Exchange”

The nuclear disaster affected a portion of Minamisoma City, where Odaka Town resides. The same tragedy of radioactivity created the unlikely bond between Ukraine and Fukushima.

When the nuclear disaster occurred, Ukrainians who experienced the Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster sent 150 air dosimeters to Minamisoma City. They did this so residents could measure and create a radiation level map (each dosimeter costing more than the monthly salary of the residents!)

After that, there have been many exchanges between Ukraine and Minamisoma City. The Odaka town residents, including the Kobayashi couple, visited Ukraine in 2013, participated in the 30th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in 2016, and even in 2017 aimed at strengthening the bonds between the two countries.

“When we visited the radiation-affected regions in Ukraine, we learned that it was possible to lead a life in some areas. What was most important was to first measure for radioactivity.”

In 2018 and 2019, Minamisoma City invited survivors related to the Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster to visit. They originally had a plan to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster together, but it was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Even now, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, exchanges continue between the two cities, each thinking of one another, reflecting an empathy both sides share. Tomoko has even launched the Kira Fund to support the efforts in Ukraine.

Insight from a Fukushima centenarian: We are too young to use nuclear energy

“I have lived for 97 years, and have seen changes in unbelievable speeds. There weren’t trains when I was a child, and we used bicycles. There’d be one or two cars, and that would be a rare sight. Then suddenly, there were vehicles that could fly. We have forgotten there are limits, and we’ll need to control our speed of growth.”

Seimei Sasaki currently lives in Namie Town, also within the previous 20km restriction limit of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. He is a returnee after having experienced and evacuated from the disasters that occurred on 11 March. The Fukushima Nuclear Meltdown is not the first disaster he has seen Japan go through, and it is no overstatement to call him a witness to Japan’s history for the past century.

“Japan, in its current circumstances, is unable to control nuclear power at 100%. For example, we see their difficulty in handling nuclear waste, radioactive materials from the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and the contaminated soil from the cleanup. These wastes will last for 100, 200 years. Other countries have large land spaces to bury them, but Japan doesn’t.”

Sasaki believes that there is a lack of philosophy. Some areas had grown beyond the need for the agriculture industry when it adopted TEPCO’s plan to build a nuclear plant. Lives improved economically as affluence grew around the region. “At some point, we’ve given up philosophy for convenience. Convenience is a luxury, and there will come a time when it rebounds,” he shared.

And so it did, costing trillions of yen in damages, countless lives lost, and a leftover region fighting to recover itself. These are familiar themes we’ve seen before, like placing Profit before People or the illusion of limitless growth. Instead of a proper philosophical foundation of progress, Japan has chosen affluence under “acceptable risks.”

But Japan used to have the necessary philosophy, especially to coexist with nature, with concepts like “mottainai” and “taru wo shiru” (to be acquainted with enough.) These are the same ways of thinking that created a sustainable and circular Japan, perfected during the Edo Period.

The opening of the country at the end of the Edo Period allowed Japan to be exposed to external influences. But Japan adopted these influences without careful deliberation of the effects on the country. One aspect was the acceptance of convenience, like energy, and negligence of other aspects, like traditions.

Sasaki doesn’t deny the advantages of nuclear power nor the need for energy. He believes that nuclear energy is the ultimate energy for human beings. It is consistent, and we have the technology to almost have 100% control over nuclear energy. However, it doesn’t mean he approves of its usage.

“Because of the risks [of nuclear energy], we turn to solar and wind [referring to how Fukushima is aiming for 100% renewable energy]. We also have hydropower. These energies may not be constant and depend on the mood of nature. There is no 100% in nature. But as long as we don’t know how to deal with the risks, I am against using nuclear energy. Human beings are too young to use nuclear energy. We’ve gone too far in taking risks, so we should back off and bear with it.”

“We need energy, but we need to be picky about the energy we choose to use. What are the renewables? Solar, wind, and hydropower. From there, we should live within the limits of these energies. That is the best for humanity: not to overuse, and to grow an appreciation for what we have.”

Seimei was born at a time when Japan was poor and has lived to see Japan’s growth into a rich country. Surely we should take a piece of advice or two from this centenarian who has seen the things he has seen?

The past as a motivation for the future

Very often, when the conversation comes to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the topic tends to steer towards blame and compensation. However, we saw forward thinking when speaking to the residents living in the disaster-affected region. They look to the past to identify the essential lessons, be it to learn and to know, or to ground decisions in proper philosophy. It provides them the energy to continue striving in the region, and, as we’ll see in part two of the article, to create the new value that is mending Fukushima’s Hamadori.