14 years on: Teen from Tokyo begins fishing career in Fukushima
Teruki Hara, a 17-year-old fisherman, has set himself apart from his peers by relocating from Tokyo to Soma, a coastal city in Fukushima Prefecture, to begin on-the-job training.
Despite lingering concerns over unfounded rumors about the safety of food from the region following the March 2011 nuclear disaster, Hara remains committed to Fukushima Prefecture, where he initially discovered his love for fishing as a child.
Hara first aspired to become a fisherman after an acquaintance of his father introduced him to the joys of fishing during a visit to Fukushima Prefecture when he was in elementary school.
"Since I learned (about fishing) in Fukushima, I definitely wanted to pursue it in Fukushima," Hara recalled.
To support his son's dream, Hara's father reached out to Kazuyasu Takahashi, a 46-year-old fisherman in Soma whom he had connected with through social media. During his junior high school years, the younger Hara began joining Takahashi on his boat to gain hands-on fishing experience.
In the spring of 2023, immediately after graduating from junior high school, Hara became Takahashi's apprentice and has since been training while staying at Takahashi's home.
According to the Fukushima Prefectural Government, 26 people joined the coastal fishing industry in the prefecture in fiscal 2023, marking the highest annual figure in a decade.
The increase is believed to stem from growing expectations for the industry's revival, 14 years after the nuclear meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' (Tepco) Fukushima No. 1 plant. The region is currently in a transition phase toward full-scale operations, following the end of trial fishing in March 2021.
Takahashi noted that Hara is a rare case of someone from outside Fukushima Prefecture joining the local fishing industry.
"Honestly, I'm pleased. This is a positive development for the region, and moving forward, we should be more open (to newcomers)," he said, expressing high hopes for the future.
The prefecture's catch volume has yet to recover to levels before March 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck, leading to the nuclear disaster. In September 2023, just months after Hara began his career as a fisherman, Tepco started releasing treated radioactive water from the damaged nuclear plant into the ocean.
Hara acknowledged concerns over reputational damage caused by unfounded rumors. "I've heard that it's all right, but I can't help worrying if that's really the case," he said.
Despite his concerns, Hara remains optimistic about the future. "I was able to become a fisherman because of people like Takahashi," he said. "I know there will be challenges ahead, but I'm determined to overcome them and continue learning."
Takahashi, smiling, nodded and responded with an emphatic "Great."
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