M. Murakami et al.: Radioprotection 2025, 60( 4), 337 – 343 341
3.2 Harmful rumours
The fallout of radioactivity in areas affected by the accident had inevitable economic impacts on the industries in the affected areas, especially food industry, even when the presence of radioactivity in the food is no longer significant( Liu et al., 2025). Similarly, people living or being present in these areas at the time of the accident were stigmatized. SSH can contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms and the resolution of stigma. Furthermore, since harmful rumours on food have been partly caused by overestimating consumer anxiety( Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, 2019; Murakami and Igarashi, 2022), it is important to disseminate information to the market actors and to fill the perception gap among stakeholders at local, regional, national and international levels.
3.3 Sense of values
In the process of recovery after the accident, conflict often exists between groups with different views and values depending on their position and economic and social situation. In decision-making regarding policies and recovery processes, individuals rely on their values, including their sense of dignity, utilitarianism, and the maximin principle( Takada et al., 2025; Yokoyama et al., 2021). A better understanding of the values that people emphasize and the mechanisms of decision-making that they bring, discussed in structured dialogues, would contribute to framing the recovery process and respect people’ s points of view and expectations for the future in the affected areas.
3.4 Culture
New visions of the communities after the accident are often emerging, including recovery through the migration of new residents and tourism, but it is also necessary to inherit and maintain the culture and history of the communities that existed before the accident( Doering and Kato, 2021). In addition, the mental and physical health of individuals may depend in part on the relationship of the individual with their family and local community before the accident( Hori et al., 2024). It is necessary to take into account the cultural aspects specific to the communities when addressing health issues as well as socio-economic issues. Preserving the social network and the history of the community is useful to connect and allow a path between the past, the present and the future.
3.5 Power balance
As in the previous online meeting, the issue of power balance was discussed. In addition to the point that women’ s voices have not ben easily shared in the recovery process after the accident, the importance of involving new residents was also emphasized( Kobayashi et al., 2024). There was also the opinion that the full picture of the actual situation of power balance has not been fully grasped. There is a need to develop a methodology for understanding the actual situation of power balance in society from various human dimensions.
Comprehending the power balance and the dynamics induced by the accident and the recovery process could contribute to promoting respectful and robust governance for the future of the communities affected by the accident.
3.6 Communication
The implementation of the post-accident recovery process largely relies on the involvement and behaviour of the local citizens. Therefore, the involvement process and the development of adequate communication with the local residents are crucial. People who stay in the community and are integrated into the local community play a major role in communication. It is also necessary to clarify the mutual roles of experts who are involved from inside and outside the community as well as to rely on the development of citizen science approaches. Furthermore, it is necessary for experts involved in communication to learn about the experiences and life philosophies of the residents affected by the accident, and to pass them on to future generations and external communities( Ochi, 2021). 3.7 Education
Both natural science and SSH contribute to the accident recovery in a mutually complementary way. It is necessary to establish an educational system that fosters human resources with integrated expertise in these sciences. The methodology for improving moderator skills should be widely shared within the scientific community. Furthermore, the development of the practical radiological protection culture as a result of the implementation of the co-expertise process plays a crucial role for the success of the recovery. Better understanding the components and the development process of this culture would be beneficial for the recovery as well as for preparedness to post-accident situations.
4 Concluding remarks
The role of SSH in the recovery process after a nuclear accident and particularly following the Fukushima accident, was confirmed by identifying issues, lessons learned, and future perspectives. The participants agreed to hold further discussion, and the following points were debated: – Accumulating issues and solutions in post-accident recovery. – Clarifying the actual situation regarding the power balance for improving the individuals’ and communities’ life. – Integrating knowledge from various fields in the postaccident recovery process.
– Creating horizontal approach beyond nuclear accidents to other disasters and social issues based on comprehensive lessons and future perspectives.
– Deriving a methodology for utilizing knowledge from various fields in decision-making.
– Increasing the number of experts in SSH and related science and technology regarding the post-accident recovery and developing human resources with relevant knowledge in collaboration with the scientific community