Japan earthquake and tsunami anniversary: Fukushima homeless struggle with exile

In the wake of the nuclear disaster the residents of Okuma have been scattered
across the country in accommodation ranging from apartments to hastily
constructing temporary housing.

For those living in such housing and without a clear answer on when they will
be allowed to return, or even if they will be able to at all, some have lost
hope.

“If it’s a normal disaster you recover from it, and you go forward a bit
every day. But this time you don’t. All that’s left is uncertainty. I just
don’t know when I can go back,” said 47-year-old Tomiko Ikinobu.

The Japanese government declared the Daiichi nuclear plant to be in a state of “cold
shutdown” last year but the Environment Ministry had said about 930
square miles (2,400 square km) of land around the plant may need to be
decontaminated, an area roughly the size of Luxembourg.

Ikinobu lives with her four children in the temporary house, but has been
unemployed since the disaster.

With over 11 months having passed since the disaster that caused so many to
leave their homes, she only wants to know what the government plans to do so
that she can finally plan her life.

“Once a year goes by, everything has a year added to it, so getting a
new job gets harder. My kids are getting bigger as well. All I am asking for
is a clear answer soon,” Ikinobu said.

The government announced a road map for decommissioning the nuclear plant last
December and said that it will take 30-40 years to fully decommission the
power station.

It seems that for Okuma’s former residents, the one-year anniversary may be
the first of many away from their homes.

Footage from Reuters

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