Safety in Fukushima
Plan your trip and travel to Fukushima with peace of mind by understanding the latest situation in the eastern parts of Fukushima, affected by the 2011 earthquake.
Learn about how Fukushima as a whole has recovered over time and is thriving as a tourism destination in its own right.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts about Fukushima
202,660+14.91%
2019 nights spent by international guests (increase on previous year) Source: Japan Tourism Agency
3 out of 47
Fukushima is Japan’s 3rd largest prefecture.
305 tons+40%
Agricultural produce exported overseas in FY2019 (increase on previous year) Source: Fukushima Prefecture Trade Promotion Division
7 in a row
Consecutive years that Fukushima Prefecture won most Gold Medals at the Annual Japan Sake Awards.
Background to the disaster
At 2:46 pm on March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake struck off the Pacific Coast of Japan's Tohoku region, causing a powerful and deadly tsunami that inflicted widespread damage along the coast. The tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, as it is officially known, caused meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station complex. This nuclear disaster led to the evacuation of over 150,000 people, and has had long-lasting impacts on many industries including agriculture and tourism.
Fukushima was one of the worst-affected prefectures, but over the intervening years, it has managed to make bold steps towards prefecture-wide revitalization, due to the resilience and courage of its people. The prefecture flourishes now thanks to visitors - both domestic and from overseas - flocking to experience the natural beauty, history, and culture of Fukushima.
Map of the Restricted Entry Zone
Tracking the change over time
See how the restricted entry zone to the east of Fukushima Prefecture has evolved over time.
Legend
- Restricted Entry Zone
- Evacuation Zone
- Planned Evacuation Zone
- Emergency Evacuation Preparation Zone
- Evacuation Order Cancellation Preparation Zone
- Restricted Residence Zone
- Difficult-to-Return Zone
Fukushima Timeline
The landscape in eastern Fukushima has changed remarkably over time since the original disaster. The outline here serves to highlight the prefecture's efforts to date and how things have changed since 2011.
The Disaster & Immediate Aftermath (2011)
|
More than 150,000 people evacuated or were evacuated following the disasters of March 2011 |
Mar 11
Great East Japan Earthquake occurs & first evacuation orders issued
2:46 pm Great East Japan Earthquake occurred (Magnitude 9)
9:23 pm Evacuation orders issued for citizens living 3 km away from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Fukushima Daiichi NPS)
Mar 12 to 15
Hydrogen explosions at 3 reactors at Fukushima Daiichi NPS. Evacuation orders are revised
Mar 12
5:44 am Evacuation orders issued for citizens living 10 km sway from Fukushima Daiichi NPS
3:36 pm Hydrogen explosion at Reactor No. 1 of Fukushima Daiichi NPS
6:25 pm Evacuation orders issued for citizens living 20 km
Mar 14
Hydrogen explosion at Reactor No. 3 of Fukushima Daiichi NPS
Mar 15
Hydrogen explosion at Reactor No. 4 of Fukushima Daiichi NPS
Citizens living between 20 km and 30 km from the power station were ordered to take refuge indoors
Apr 22
Evacuation zones and other restricted zones decided
These are categorized as either "Planned Evacuation Zones", "Emergency Evacuation Zones", or "Precaution Zones". Read more here. (PDF, 1.9MB)
Immediate Response (2011—2012)
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Strict monitoring being conducted on bags of rice |
|
Removing soil as part of decontamination efforts |
2011
Decontamination efforts started
These include removing top soil, cleaning branches, leaves, and roof tiles, and the removal of contaminated waste. More info (PDF, 2.4MB)
Radiation monitors set up
Approximately 3,600 monitoring posts have been set up in schools, parks, and other public facilities throughout Fukushima Prefecture. These display radiation levels at that location, and every 10 minutes, automatically transmit collected data wirelessly to a server, providing an 24-hour monitoring system.
Strict food testing
This included the monitoring of foods and materials for agricultural production, and restricting the distribution of food with high radiation levels than permitted standards.
Cold shutdown status achieved at Fukushima Daiichi NPS
Achieving a cold shutdown means that the reactors have been brought to a stable state.
2012
Stricter food regulations introduced
Japan introduced the world’s strictest level of standards for managing radioactive contamination of food. Blanket check testing for all rice (PDF, 3.8MB) produced in Fukushima Prefecture started. Results of food testing is published online.
Apr 22
Exclusion zone reorganized into three categories
"Difficult-to-Return to Area", "Areas Preparing to Have Evacuation Orders Lifted", and "Habitation Restriction Area". Read more (PDF, 1.9MB) about the changes in areas under evacuation orders.
Efforts over the years (2013—2019)
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Barriers along the side of National Route 6 |
|
J-Village soccer training facility, which reopened in 2019 |
2014
Cars allowed to pass through Difficult-to-Return Zone (via Route 6).
Evacuation orders lifted in certain areas.
Evacuation orders lifted in Miyakoji (Tamura City) and Kawauchi Village. Kawauchi Village becomes first fully evacuated municipality to have its residents return.
Removal of all spent fuel from Unit 4 of Fukushima Daiichi NPS complete.
2016
Facilities open to develop technology to be used in decommissioning work.
Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development was built to develop remote-controllable machinery and devices for use in the decommissioning process.
Construction of interim storage
This facility was built for storing soil and waste removed during the decontamination process. More info (PDF, 1.3MB)
2018
All planned decontamination outside of the Difficult-to-Return Area completed.
Evacuation orders lifted in more towns.
Evacuation orders lifted for Iitate Village, Namie Town & Tomioka Town.
TEPCO announces decision to decommission Fukushima Daini NPS
International tourists numbers surpassed pre-2011 numbers.
2019
J-Village reopening.
Soccer training facility that was used after the disaster, as the frontline base of operations for dealing with the disaster. It was reopened in 2019 as a training facility once more.
Area under evacuation shrinks to less than 2.7% of the whole prefecture.
Moving forward (2020 onward)
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The reopened JR Joban Line improves the accessibility of coastal Fukushima from Tokyo |
2020
JR Joban Line Reopens fully
Continued support for remaining evacuees
As of December 2019, there were still around 40,000 evacuees.
Fukushima to host 2 of the Olympic Game matches (postponed to 2021)
From now
Decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi NPS
This includes taking out fuel debris, and removal of the remaining spent fuel. The decommissioning process is expected to take around 40 years. (PDF, 1MB)
Recovery of visitors
Fukushima's recovery can be seen in the increasing number of visitors to the region over the years. The number of international accommodation guests, has confidently climbed year-on-year since 2011 reflecting the fact that Fukushima is open for business and welcoming to all. Source: JTA (Japan Tourism Agency)
FAQ
What are the average radiation levels around Fukushima?
Approximately 3,600 monitoring posts have been set up in schools, parks, and other public facilities throughout Fukushima Prefecture. These display radiation levels at that location, and every 10 minutes, automatically transmit collected data wirelessly to a server, providing an 24-hour monitoring system.
Latest measurements: November 05, 2019
| Location | Radiation (μSv/h) |
|---|---|
| Tsuruga-jo Castle | 0.069 |
| Ouchi-juku | 0.037 |
| Goshiki-numa Pond | 0.077 |
| Tsuchiyu Onsen | 0.063 |
Radiation Level Comparison (μSv, microsievert)
How do radiation levels compare to the rest of the world?
Radiation levels at major cities around the world.
Source: Travel in Fukushima
| Location | Radiation (μSv/h) | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 0.09 | November 2012 |
| Hong Kong | 0.15 | October 2012 |
| Munich | 0.12 | December 2012 |
| New York | 0.06 | January 2013 |
| Dublin | 0.09 | September 2011 |
Are agricultural products from Fukushima safe to eat?
Agricultural products from Fukushima Prefecture must meet the world's strictest safety standards before being put on the shelves. Necessary measures are in place to ensure that foods are not distributed to market if found to have exceeded strict limits. Fukushima Prefecture conducts repeated inspections on all primary and processed food products produced in the prefecture at each stage, from production through to distribution in order to ensure their safety.
Is water in Fukushima safe to drink?
Water in Fukushima is monitored to the world's strictest standard. The water is naturally filtered by the land, as well as through commercial filtering. Water quality is ensured to meet safety standard through regular monitoring, which has shown that there have been no detectable amounts of radioactive cesium or radioactive iodine in tap water since May, 2011.
Can I visit the exclusion zone?
Rather than there being an "Exclusion Zone", the area of Fukushima Prefecture that is subject to access restrictions is referred to as the "Difficult-to-Return Zone". This area takes up approximately 2.7% of the whole prefecture. While it is possible to drive through parts of the Difficult-to-Return Zone, visits to the area are generally limited to those who have received written permission from the head of the relevant administrative body, or those visiting as part of a tour.
Such tours include those run as part of Hope Tourism, which is a new type of tourism centered around Fukushima Prefecture’s unique experience dealing with the disasters of March 2011.
See the Hope Tourism website for more information.
Hope Tourism tours are currently operated for individual tourists through wondertrunk&co., and Fukushima City Tourism and Convention Association.
Real Fukushima Tours also run English-language, small group tours around the disaster-affected areas of Fukushima Prefecture. Find out more
What the experts say
”The Japanese authorities are carrying out comprehensive checks to monitor radiation in the area surrounding Fukushima"
UK Travel Advice
"Extensive decontamination, monitoring, and regulations have made food from around Fukushima perfectly safe."
WIRED (Interview with Dr Sae Ochi), Mar 2015