Japan has reopened three beaches in the regions devastated by the 2011 disaster after years of reconstruction efforts. The Haragamaobama beach in the city of Soma, for example, is just 40 kilometres north of the Daiichi nuclear plant. The local officials said that they hoped the opening of the beaches would help to change perceptions of the region as a whole.
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and the ensuing tsunami caused massive damage and the loss of lives to Japan, especially in the northeastern region of the country. At least 28,000 people died or went missing, and over 465,000 people were displaced. To make matters worse, the waves damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing deadly radioactive leaks in the region.
However, more than seven years after the disaster, Japan, especially Fukushima prefecture, is ready to welcome tourists once again, according to a report by South China Morning Post.
Japan has reopened three beaches in the regions devastated by the 2011 disaster after years of reconstruction efforts. The Haragamaobama beach in the city of Soma, for example, is just 40 kilometres north of the Daiichi nuclear plant. The local officials said that they hoped the opening of the beaches would help to change perceptions of the region as a whole.
And the local authorities would like to put worries of radioactivity to rest, too. Water quality inspections has not detected radioactive materials in the offshore seawater for years, and reopening the beach was only delayed while infrastructure for bathers were being built, according to Hiroyuki Ito, secretary general of the Soma Tourism Association. So confident are the authorities that they have been actively promoting the beaches via social media, including pictures of fireworks and sunbathers on the beach. Two other beaches affected by the disaster in Miyagi prefecture have followed suit.