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Evaluation of Residents’ Timing of Return to or New Settlement in Kawauchi Village, at 10 Years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Author

Listed:
  • Hitomi Matsunaga

    (Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan)

  • Makiko Orita

    (Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan)

  • Mengjie Liu

    (Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan)

  • Yuya Kashiwazaki

    (Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan)

  • Yasuyuki Taira

    (Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan)

  • Noboru Takamura

    (Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan)

Abstract

Kawauchi village in Fukushima prefecture was affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, and residents had to evacuate from their hometown in 2011. This study clarified the timing and related factors with regard to residents returning to or newly settling in Kawauchi. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire, from February to March 2021, with assistance from the Kawauchi village office and post office. Of the 374 residents, 170 (45.5%) had returned to or newly settled in Kawauchi within the past 2 years (group 1), 84 (22.5%) in the past 2–5 years (group 2), and 99 (26.5%) after more than 5 years (group 3) following the evacuation order. An additional 21 residents (5.5%) who had lived in Kawauchi at the time of the FDNPP had not yet returned (group 4). Compared with the other groups, residents in group 1 were more satisfied with their current lives and were coping better with stress. Even though they had experienced a serious nuclear disaster, residents of Kawauchi village who returned to their hometown in the early phase had a high sense of satisfaction with their current life one decade after the FDNPP accident.

Suggested Citation

  • Hitomi Matsunaga & Makiko Orita & Mengjie Liu & Yuya Kashiwazaki & Yasuyuki Taira & Noboru Takamura, 2022. "Evaluation of Residents’ Timing of Return to or New Settlement in Kawauchi Village, at 10 Years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-11, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:543-:d:717430
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Masatsugu Orui & Satomi Nakajima & Yui Takebayashi & Akiko Ito & Maho Momoi & Masaharu Maeda & Seiji Yasumura & Hitoshi Ohto, 2018. "Mental Health Recovery of Evacuees and Residents from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident after Seven Years—Contribution of Social Network and a Desirable Lifestyle," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Makiko Orita & Naomi Hayashida & Yasuyuki Taira & Yoshiko Fukushima & Juichi Ide & Yuuko Endo & Takashi Kudo & Shunichi Yamashita & Noboru Takamura, 2015. "Measurement of Individual Doses of Radiation by Personal Dosimeter Is Important for the Return of Residents from Evacuation Order Areas after Nuclear Disaster," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuya Kashiwazaki & Hitomi Matsunaga & Makiko Orita & Yasuyuki Taira & Keiko Oishi & Noboru Takamura, 2022. "Occupational Difficulties of Disaster-Affected Local Government Employees in the Long-Term Recovery Phase after the Fukushima Nuclear Accident: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Modeling Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-10, March.
    2. Xu Xiao & Hitomi Matsunaga & Makiko Orita & Yuya Kashiwazaki & Yasuyuki Taira & Thu Zar Win & Jacques Lochard & Thierry Schneider & Noboru Takamura, 2023. "Assessment of Radiation Risk Perception and Interest in Tritiated Water among Returnees to and Evacuees from Tomioka Town within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-12, February.

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