Jun 12, 2022 (NHK) - Residents of part of a district near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant designated as a "difficult-to-return" zone have been allowed back in for the first time since the 2011 disaster.
A total of more than 300 square kilometers of land in seven municipalities of Fukushima Prefecture is still designated as a "difficult-to-return" zone.
The Japanese government lifted the evacuation order for part of the village of Katsurao on Sunday morning.
Vehicles passed through on the road connecting the village and other areas after workers opened the barricade.
Residents of the Noyuki district, which makes up 20 percent of the village, were forced to leave their homes due to high levels of radiation after the accident.
About six percent of the district was prioritized as a special zone for decontamination work and infrastructure projects.
Village officials say 82 people from 30 households are registered as residents, but only eight people from four households have so far expressed an interest in returning.
Source: ANNnewsCH
