346 W. Thu Zar et al.: Radioprotection 2025, 60( 4), 344 – 353
Fig. 1. Location of Futaba in the Fukushima Prefecture.
ambient dose rates as shown on Figure 2, recent assessments indicate that some spots in the specific residential return zone of the town still record dose rates between 0.35 and 4.50 mSv / h.( Fukushima Prefecture, 2023).
Following the evacuation, many residents were initially relocated to Kawamata, which is located approximately 30 km northwest of the town. Later, they were relocated to Saitama Prefecture, which is located approximately 200 km south of Fukushima Prefecture( Governmental Report, 2012). In Spring 2012, the Japanese government reclassified evacuation zones, and Futaba— alongside six other municipalities, was designated as a“ Difficult-to-Return Zone " due to estimated annual radiation doses that could exceed 50 mSv. The town’ s status was further complicated in 2015 when public authorities selected Futaba as the site for interim storage facilities to hold radioactive waste from the decontamination efforts across Fukushima Prefecture. As a result, Futaba remained uninhabitable for over a decade. However, after 11 years of displacement, the evacuation order was partially lifted on August 30, 2022, allowing the return of residents to the Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Base Area around Futaba Station.
The reconstruction process in the town has been ongoing for several years. The Futaba Town Reconstruction Plan was formulated in June 2013, two years after the disaster. Based on this plan, the government finally adopted the implementation plan in March 2016 including the review of areas under evacuation orders, decontamination, and the recovery / reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas. In August 2022, the Futaba municipal offices were returned to the town in a new building and the town implemented the Futaba Housing Project to provide disaster public housing and rehabilitation rental housing to the Futaba evacuees. Part of this process was the restoration of infrastructure like the long-awaited reopening of the Japan Railway line between
Iwaki and Minamisoma in March 2020 which not only re-established crucial connections for the community but has also played a pivotal role in restoring economic activities and nurturing a renewed sense of community. Currently the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education, and Innovation( F-REI) is planned to be implemented in Namie town neighboring municipality of Futaba Town, which are expected to play a significant role in offering job opportunities and particularly attracting skilled professionals from areas outside the Prefecture.
It is also worth noting the opening in September 2020 of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, serving as a tribute to the community’ s resilience( Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, 2024). It is located nearby the“ TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center” which provides updates on the current status of the decommissioning work, and a few kilometers away from the Ukedo Elementary school which was severely hit by the tsunami and preserved as a memorial opened to the public in 2021( Namie Town, 2025). Through these diverse museums, visitors from both Japan and overseas can gain insights into the challenges faced during the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident in Futaba and the surrounding municipalities.
3 Methodology
3.1 The atomic bomb disease institute survey
The present article is based on data from a questionnaire distributed to Futaba residents and evacuees in 2022 by researchers of the Atomic Bomb Disease Institute of Nagasaki University, a few weeks before the partial lifting of the evacuation order of the city. Its objective was to better understand the methods and contents for providing information to residents on radiation related issues in an easy-tounderstand manner. This survey was developed based on previous researches( Orita et al., 2015),( FHMS, 2018),( Takamura et al., 2018) following discussions with officers of the town. As of May 31, 2022, the town office of Futaba town indicated that 5582 individuals( 2684 men and 2898 women) were officially registered as Futaba town residents at the time of the nuclear accident. Most of them became evacuees living either elsewhere in Fukushima Prefecture or in other parts of Japan. With the assistance of the town office, questionnaires were attached to public relations magazines sent by the Futaba government to each household in June 2022. Each household received two questionnaires, and a total of 4,358 questionnaires were distributed.
The survey consisted of 22 questions covering various topics, including the respondents’ demographic information, their current situation and concerns related to radiation, their expectations for the reconstruction and development of Futaba Town, and their self-reported health status over the past months. A final open-ended question( Question 22) worded as follow“ Please describe any concerns or questions you have about radiation or health effects” gave respondents the opportunity to freely express their concerns, difficulties or expectations( see Tab. 1).