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Japan Times
03-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
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."
Japan Times
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Governor urges contaminated soil be disposed of outside Fukushima by 2045
Soil from radiation decontamination work after the 2011 nuclear reactor meltdowns in Fukushima Prefecture should be disposed of outside the prefecture by the deadline set by law, Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori said in a recent interview. A law stipulates that all such soil must be disposed of outside Fukushima by March 2045. "The final disposal must be completed within 20 years, no matter whether the soil is reused (within Fukushima) or not," the governor said. However, Shiro Izawa, the mayor of Futaba — one of the towns hosting Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant — said lasts month that soil from radiation decontamination work should be reused in Fukushima. The mayor said this was his personal opinion. Uchibori pointed out the heavy burden placed on Futaba and the neighboring town of Okuma for accepting interim storage facilities for soil from decontamination work. "We will urge the central government to clarify and accelerate the actual plan and the process toward final disposal," he said. With the second-phase of the reconstruction period following the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami coming to an end in fiscal 2025, the autumn review session for national programs last year argued for a revision of the Reconstruction Agency's subsidies for rebuilding Fukushima. "From this, I feel that people are forgetting" the earthquake and the subsequent nuclear accident, Uchibori said. The governor also said that the next five years will be important for encouraging the return of evacuated residents. "Reflecting on the current situation in Fukushima, the central government promised to secure financial resources for the prefecture," he added. The reconstruction of Fukushima has advanced at a steady pace, Uchibori said. However, he noted challenges in improving health care, nursing care and education, as well as providing enough job opportunities. "After careful consideration of the opinions of local municipalities, we will work on creating an environment to which residents can return with peace of mind," the governor said.
Japan Times
06-03-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Former Fukushima plant worker continues caring for pets left behind
When Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant went into meltdown following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, many owners left their pets behind as they evacuated the area. As the pets grew feral, one former nuclear plant worker who felt a sense of responsibility for the situation stepped in to care for them. Toru Akama, a 62-year-old living in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, turned his home and family home into an animal shelter, caring for the pets while looking for people to help foster them.
Japan Times
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
IAEA chief to visit Japan nuclear power plants this month
Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will visit nuclear power plants in Japan from Feb. 18 to 20, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Tuesday. Grossi will visit Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and an interim storage facility for soil from radiation decontamination work, both in Fukushima Prefecture, as well as the company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture. He will join researchers from China, South Korea, France and Switzerland in monitoring treated water being released into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima plant. Grossi is also scheduled to hold talks with Japanese government officials, including Iwaya.
