Futaba town in Fukushima Prefecture eased entry restrictions on Tuesday in parts of its difficult-to-return zone, heavily contaminated by the 2011 nuclear accident. Residents can now access their homes without permission, marking the first such allowance in Fukushima's specified living areas. Overnight stays remain prohibited.
Futaba, one of the two host towns of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, saw the easing of restrictions in part of its specified living areas within the difficult-to-return zone. These areas underwent intensive decontamination to enable registered residents to return home.
Around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, nine barricades on roads leading to the affected areas were opened, allowing residents and police to enter by car. The changes impact 110 hectares across three administrative districts, out of a total 530 hectares.
"I hope the easing will give a push to the eventual removal of the evacuation orders and return of residents," said Takeo Fukuda, 72, head of Shimonagatsuka, one of the three districts.
Specified living areas have been designated in six Fukushima municipalities where many residents wish to return. In Futaba, state-funded decontamination began in December 2023, with 47% of the three districts completed by the end of October this year. The town aims to lift evacuation orders by the end of March 2027.