By David Asta Alares
Okuma, Japan, Mar 9 (EFE).- Fifteen years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the catastrophe’s lasting scars continue to shape Japan’s debate over nuclear energy, as the government cautiously moves to restart reactors amid rising oil prices driven by the war involving Iran.
Around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the tsunami left a trail of destruction in 2011, while radioactive leaks that contaminated land and seawater made any return to normal life unthinkable for years.
The disaster still triggers “rage, sadness, and emptiness,” said Isuke Takakura, a tsunami survivor and resident of the town of Futaba, during a meeting with journalists as part of a visit organized by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.
Anxiety over nuclear restart
A magnitude 9 earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami struck Japan on Mar.11, 2011, leaving more than 20,000 people dead or missing and triggering the meltdown of several reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The catastrophe deeply eroded public confidence in nuclear energy across the country.
Today, however, Japan is gradually moving toward restarting reactors in order to strengthen its energy security.
Last month, the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), resumed preparations to restart operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata prefecture, the world’s largest nuclear plant by generating capacity, with the aim of restoring commercial power supply in the coming months.
The plan, however, continues to face strong opposition.
“No country places nuclear power plants in such a dangerous area, where earthquakes are frequent,” Tamotsu Honma, a resident of the area and a well-known critic of the project, told EFE.
Gradual return to nuclear energy
The failures that led to the Fukushima disaster triggered a profound wave of distrust toward nuclear power and forced Japanese authorities to introduce far stricter safety regulations for nuclear facilities.
Many reactors were shut down, and the country began a lengthy process of safety reviews and decommissioning.
Whereas nuclear energy accounted for about 25 percent of Japan’s electricity mix in 2010, it now represents only around 10 percent, according to academic Masahide Takahashi in a recent analysis for the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
Data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) show that Japan has so far restarted 14 reactors, while 19 remain suspended and 27 are scheduled for dismantling.
The possible restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant suggests what Takahashi described as a “slight change” in the country’s nuclear policy.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, disrupting oil markets, has also highlighted Japan’s vulnerability as a country that imports about 90 percent of its oil from the Middle East.
“Fifteen years is a long time, and perhaps many people in Japan have forgotten the anguish of the disaster,” Takahashi said. “But those of us who live nearby cannot forget the difficulties people in Fukushima continue to face.”
Normality decades away
Life has still not fully returned to normal in areas closest to the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
In several municipalities, only a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of evacuees have returned, while millions of cubic meters of contaminated soil removed during decontamination work remain stored in the region.
Under current legislation, this soil must be moved outside Fukushima prefecture by 2045, although no region has yet agreed to host it.
“An accident that never should have happened happened,” Takakura said, reflecting on the tragedy.
Futaba was the last municipality in the prefecture to reopen to residents after authorities lifted its evacuation order in August 2022. Yet recovery has been slow.
“Before the disaster, Futaba had about 7,200 residents. Now, fifteen years later, only 190 people live here,” Takakura said. “That is the reality of our town.”
Some coastal areas are being redeveloped for commercial use, including a museum commemorating the earthquake and nuclear disaster.
A seaside hotel and memorial park are also under construction.
Nearby, the preserved Ukedo Elementary School in Namie, devastated by the tsunami, stands as a stark reminder of the disaster.
Amid the slow recovery, Takakura said the lessons of Fukushima go far beyond Japan.
“The consequences are not only Japan’s problem,” he said. “Countries with nuclear power plants must discuss how to manage and dispose of nuclear waste.” EFE
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