THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2020Town reopens nine years on
from Fukushima meltdown
A guard opens the gate to the town in Futaba at midnight yesterday (AP)
KATE NG
Residents of a Japanese town that was subjected to evacuation orders following the Fukushima nuclear
disaster have been allowed to return as officials partially lifted the entry ban.
Futaba, located about 4km (2.4 miles) from the wrecked nuclear plant, was reopened yesterday ahead of the
Tokyo Olympics. About 7,000 residents were forced to flee their homes on 11 March 2011 after the 9.1-
magnitude Tohoku earthquake triggered the meltdown of three reactors.
The lifting of the evacuation order comes weeks before the Olympic torch is due to arrive in another town
in the Fukushima prefecture, and is expected to travel through Futaba on its relay journey.
However, unrestricted access only applies to a one-square-mile area near Futaba’s main train station, which
is due to reopen later in March, reconnecting it with the rest of the region for the first time since the