Futaba, Fukushima

Futaba (双葉町, Futaba-machi) is an abandoned Japanese town in Fukushima Prefecture on the island of Honshu.

Futaba
双葉町
Town
Futaba Town Hall
Futaba Town Hall
Flag of Futaba
Flag
Official seal of Futaba
Seal
Location of Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture
Location of Futaba in Fukushima Prefecture
Futaba is located in Japan
Futaba
Futaba
 
Coordinates: 37°26′56.9″N 141°00′44.4″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureFukushima
DistrictFutaba
Area
 • Total51.42 km2 (19.85 sq mi)
Population
 (1 October 2017[1])
 • Total0
 • Density0/km2 (0/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols 
• TreeMelia azedarach
• FlowerSakura
• BirdGreen pheasant
Phone number0246-84-5200
AddressShinzan Maeoki 28, Futaba-machi, Futaba-gun, Fukushima-ken 979-1495
WebsiteOfficial website

History

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was built in Futaba.[2]

The area was evacuated because of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.[3]

In 2013, the future is uncertain for the people of Futuba. According to the town's spokesman,

"Futaba evacuees are so worried, because the government has not come up with a plan for the town yet, especially regarding compensation and housing. People don’t realize what it means for people to lose their hometown. It took several hundred years to create Futaba, yet it does not exist anymore. It’s all gone. Even if the level of radiation decreases in the future, we cannot go back to the town anymore, and if we merge with another municipality like Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture, it would mean borrowing the institutions that city already has."[4]

The people who used to live in Futuba are called "nuclear refugees".[5]

People from Futaba
  • Kazunari Watanabe (渡邉 一成)), Olympic cyclist[6]
  • Fukushima disaster evacuation zones
    Fukushima disaster evacuation zones

References
  1. "福島県の推計人口". Fukushima Prefecture. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  2. Yasushi Kaneko, "2 towns at risk of disappearing; Okuma, Futaba face uncertain future due to nearby crippled N-plant," Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback MachineYomiuri Shimbun, 9 Jan 2012; 2013-3-12.
  3. "Analysis: A month on, Japan nuclear crisis still scarring," International Business Times (Australia). 9 April 2011; excerpt, "The inability of Japanese authorities to regain full control of the plant will make villages nearby uninhabitable for a long time ..."; Archived 18 April 2011 at WebCite
  4. Maruko, Mami. [ "Unable to return, Futaba residents fear becoming lost tribe; No homecoming in sight for those who agreed to host nuclear plant,"] Japan Times. 11 March 2013; retreieved 2013-3-12.
  5. "'Nuclear refugees' visit their home near stricken Fukushima plant," NBC News. 7 March 2013; retrieved 2013-3-12.
  6. "Kazunari Watanabe" at SportsReference.com Archived 2020-04-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2013-3-12.

Other websites

Media related to Futaba, Fukushima at Wikimedia Commons



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