Current Reconstruction Efforts in Fukushima

About safety

Infrastructure, tourism, and exports

Creative reconstruction

About safety

Ambient dose rates in major cities of Fukushima Prefecture

Evacuation-designated Zones

The level of ambient radiation across Fukushima Prefecture is at almost the same level as major cities across the globe.

Fukushima and Tokyo: Average value for September 2023
Paris: October 15, 2017
London: January 24, 2018
New York: January 18, 2019
Beijing and Seoul: September 24, 2019
Singapore: September 26, 2019
Berlin and Hong Kong: September 27, 2019

[Source]

Fukushima: Fukushima Headquarters for Disaster Control (provisional values)
Tokyo: “Radiation Monitoring Information Sharing and Publication System”, Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan
Kerala: “UNSCEAR 2008 Report”
Others: Japan National Tourism Organization

Decontamination and infrastructure development have led to the steady lifting of evacuation orders, and the Evacuation-designated Zones have shrunk from approximately 12% to approximately 2.2% of Fukushima Prefecture's land area.

Details

*Information as of April, 2024

Infrastructure, tourism, and exports

Infrastructure development for returnees, migration, etc.

Number of international visitors to Fukushima Prefecture

Export status of Fukushima Prefectural products

As a result of increasing returnees and people migrating to areas where evacuation orders have been lifted, development will progress for roads and railroads, as well as public housing, commercial facilities, medical and nursing care facilities, and other living environments in evacuated areas for returnees, migration, and other objectives.

Roads

Reconstruction roads and reconstruction support roads

Fully reopened in December 2021

Railroads

JR Joban Line

All lines reopened in March 2020

Commercial facilities

Namie Town： MICHINOEKI-NAMIE

Opened in March 2021

Medical and nursing care facilities

Tomioka Town： Futaba Medical Center

Opened in April 2018*

Public housing

Futaba Town： Station west-side housing

Start accepting residents in October 2022*

Educational facility

Okuma Town： Manabiya Yumenomori

Reopened in April 2023

*Source:Fukushima Prefecture History of Reconstruction and Revitalization (14th Edition)

As reconstruction progresses, many tourists from abroad are visiting Fukushima Prefecture. The number of international visitors exceeds numbers before the disaster.

                  Source: Japan Tourism Agency’s Overnight Travel Statistics Survey
                   (Note) Research target was accommodation facilities with 10 or more employees
            　　   Decrease from 2020 to 2022 due to travel restrictions and other issues caused by COVID-19

Exports of Fukushima Prefectural products (alcoholic beverages, processed foods, agricultural and livestock products, and crafts) in FY2022 reached a record high of approximately 1.38 billion yen.

Source: Fukushima Prefectural Product Promotion Strategy Division

Creative reconstruction

The Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI)

The Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI) is a special legal entity established on April 1, 2023 under the Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalization of Fukushima.F-REI aimis to be a world-class 'center of excellence for creative reconstruction' that will strengthen Japan's scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness and contribute to economic growth and improving people's lives, while embodying hopes and dreams for realizing the reconstruction of Fukushima and Tohoku.

Website：https://www.f-rei.go.jp/

F-REI’s Five Research Fields

Robotics

Development of advanced remote control robots, drones, and other types of robots that serve to aid reactor decommissioning, and research on techniques and skills for performance evaluation and other matters

Drone robots that can perform in harsh environments

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Experimental study aimed to implement regional circular economy models through ultra-labor-saving production of agricultural, forestry and fishery resources and their utilization and other matters

Smart agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (robot farm machines with remote monitoring)

Energy

Technical demonstrations and experiments to make Fukushima a carbon neutrality pioneer in the world

Achievement of carbon neutrality (manufacture of chemical products and other articles through bio-chemical processes)

Radiation Science, Medicine and Drug Development, & Industrial Applications for Radiation

Basic research related to radiation science, advanced medical use of RI, development of drug discovery technology, industrial use of radiation using ultra-large X-ray CT equipment, etc.

Research and development of radiographic imaging technologies

Collection and Dissemination of Data and Knowledge on Nuclear Disasters

R&D, dissemination of information, and other means that contribute to environmental recovery from nuclear disasters, international contributions to nuclear disaster preparedness, and the elimination of harmful rumors by integrating natural and social sciences

Practice of reconstruction-and-revitalization-oriented town development and research on the verification of effectiveness