The region was hit by earthquake and tsunami in 2011, which triggered radiation losses of the nuclear power plant. Fourteen years later, the young man bets on the rescue of the uninhabitable region. The young farmer Takuya Haraguchi was 11 when the most powerful earthquake in the history of Japan shook the north of the country and caused the largest displacement of dirt ever recorded all over the world. The subsequent tsunami pushed the sea with the fury in the nuclear plant of Fukushima, on the north -eastern coast of the country. The mass of water created waves of up to 15 meters high and caused a nuclear disaster. The catastrophe that hit the country in one day left more than 18,000 deaths.
Haraguchi, who lived in Osaka, 800 kilometers from the disaster area, feared at the moment that the radiation deriving from the accident made the entire country uninhabitable. Thousands of people had to be evacuated in rays up to 30 kilometers due to the loss of radiation of the nuclear power plant.
Now, at the age of 25, Haraguchi today lives in the municipality of Okuma, a few kilometers from where the nuclear plant of Fukushima Daiichi was located. He believes in the future of the region. “Everyone has heard of the nuclear accident. But few people know this region and the efforts that are made to move forward,” says the young man at the AFP news agency.
“Planting the kiwis here, I would like people to be interested (…) and they discovering what it really is [a província de] Fukushima today, “he adds.
Safe products
Before the accident, the region was famous for the abundant plantation of pears and peaches. But nuclear disaster destroyed everything and created a taboo on the products of the region.
More than a decade after what has been considered the worst post-Cernobyl nuclear accident and after the main decontamination operations, including the complete removal of the upper layer of agricultural land, the authorities ensure that the products produced in the province are safe.
Last year, the peaches in the region were sold in the prestigious Harrods shop in London. In Japan, consumers support local farmers who buy their products.
“Safety has been shown. I think it is important to cultivate here,” says Haraguchi, who has studied software engineering at university.
In 2021, he met the city of Okuma during an event for students, where he found people determined to bring life to the community through the culture of Kiwi. Subsequently, he launched the Refuits project with a partner.
Both have 2.5 hectares of partially cultivated land, the equivalent of just over two football fields. The first harvest should take place next year.
The government encourages the employment of the Region
After the disaster, the radioactive contamination forced the 11,000 residents of Okuma to leave their homes.
Overall, about 80,000 people were evacuated in the Fukushima region by order of government and another 80,000 have voluntarily left the authorities.
Since then, the plant reactors concerned have been stabilized, although the deactivation process must request decades.
The parts of Okuma, previously considered prohibited areas, were declared safe for the return of the residents in 2019.
Only a fraction of the original population has returned, but young people from the outside, such as Haraguchi, are moving there by exploiting government subsidies for housing construction and businesses support
Currently, of the approximately 1,500 people who live in Okuma, more than a thousand are recently, including hundreds of people who work in the plant (who still require care), but also in technological and startup companies.
Consumers fear radiation
In Okuma, dozens of sensors monitor radiation levels daily. However, some areas, like some hills, remain inaccessible.
At Takuya Haraguchi’s farm, soil analysis reveal a level of radiation slightly above average, but compatible with the food standards accepted internationally.
Fukushima fruits tests also show that radiation levels are low enough for consumption, according to the government.
Kaori Suzuki, who guides the group of citizens of citizens of Radiation Lab Fukushima, however, warns that the risks could still exist, now and in the future.
Among other activities, the group performs its radiation tests on soil and food in the region, to help residents who choose to consume local products.
“We must not force our products with people who feel insecure with this place and their crops. We have to sell our products to people who understand,” said Haraguchi.
GQ (DW, AFP, OTS)
Source: Terra
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