The current status of disaster recovery housing for the Fukushima evacuees

Japan has four distinct seasons. Various kinds of flowers bloom at different times of the year, and the arrival of spring and fall are marked by the whispers of soothing and chilly breezes, respectively. Each year, we celebrate the changing of the seasons and the joy that each season brings. However, I have been shocked by the global climate change taking place in more recent years.

Today, I would like to talk about the current situation of the disaster recovery housing units in Fukushima. Essentially, the Japanese government’s goal is to decontaminate the evacuees’ houses, so that they can eventually return home. I get the impression that as a result, the government is not taking a very active role in
establishing evacuee recovery housing units. As we are going into the fifth year after the earthquake and tsunami, I have been angered and saddened by the inconceivable and unacceptable situation in Fukushima.
I have to say that the way the government treats the evacuees is both senseless and atrocious. Below are some evacuees’ comments that I received in May of 2015.

[Voices of the evacuees]

“The Japanese government is planning to have the evacuees in all towns and cities return to their original homes by March of 2016. But then the newspaper that I read a couple of days ago said that they will
postpone this plan by a year, so that might happen instead. They change their policy every year, without having a long-term plan. When the Japanese government decides that we have to leave the temporary
housing in March 2016, they will inform the prefectural government, then each town and city will also be notified.”

“There used to be seven thousand people living in Naraha town. Now they are scattered at temporary housing in different places, including thirteen houses in Iwaki city and one in Aizuwakamatsu. The Japanese
government plans to have the evacuees eventually return to their own homes, so they have no intention of building any recovery housing units outside of the town of Naraha. They said that they would build
fifty two houses in Naraha, but that promise has yet to be realized. Those eligible to live in the recovery housing units include tsunami victims and those currently without any housing. For three months from April 6th through July 5th, people will live in the recovery housing units for a trial period. After this period, the Japanese  government will probably begin preparations for announcing the return of the evacuees.”

“Three thousand people used to live in Kawauchi village before the accident. There are three categories of compensation for the evacuees from Kawauchi:

    1. People who lived within a 30km (19mile) radius from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and   

        whose compensation for mental damages was terminated in August 2012
    2. People whose compensation for mental damages will be terminated in September 2015
    3. People who continue to receive compensation for mental damages after September 2015, and who are  

        not able to live in their homes

At Shimo Kawauchi temporary housing in Kawauchi village, there are fifty households that are categorized as compensation type 2 and 3. Twenty five recovery housing units have been completed and  will be ready for move-in beginning June 1st .  Shimo Kawauchi’s neighborhood council has been disbanded. Fifteen of the twenty five recovery housing units will be occupied by people from Shimo Kawauchi, and the rest will be taken by people from different neighborhoods. The government has no plan to build any more recovery houses there.
However, we are allowed to stay at the temporary houses until March 2016, and then we have to choose whether or not we want to move in to one of the recovery houses or go back to our own homes. You have to
pay a rent to live in the recovery houses, and you have to pay for lighting equipment, curtains, and gas stoves too. Some of the curtains come in non-standard measurements. I heard that these moving expenses could add up to around 500,000 Yen ($4,000 as of May 2015). The single-story houses come in two types (A and B) and there is also a two-story configuration.  You don’t get to pick which one you move into.”

“The Fukushima prefectural government manages the recovery housing units, so they decide who moves in to which houses. We submitted a request for them to place evacuees from the same neighborhood together, but it was rejected. The recovery houses will be shared between four different towns and villages. Each community has different customs and ways of life. Also, the amount of compensation money varies depending on the community. People will be facing various hardships, as well as living among strangers, separated from their
friends and fellow town folk.”

“There are seven people in my family. We are currently living in three separate temporary houses, since we have a big family. My family includes my father (87 years old, has emphysema), my husband (ill-health), myself (ill-health), my daughter (cerebral palsy, learning disability), my son (who gave up college and is working), my
second son (middle school), and my third son (elementary school). We have lived in the temporary houses and supported each other since the accident, but we had a family meeting and decided to move all seven of us into two of the recovery housing units. The kids say that they would be happy just to have rooms and windows. They won’t have to worry about someone complaining about the TV noise anymore. They will be able to lie around without having anyone step on their feet.   My mother died 5 years ago.  Her mortuary tablet is currently sitting on top of the bookshelf.  I would like to have enough space to be able to buy a proper Buddhist altar as soon as possible. ..... Since we couldn't all fit in just one recovery unit, we decided to rent two of them."

“I applied for a recovery housing unit which is supposed to be completed by the end of May. I will hear the lottery result by then. If I win, there will be an orientation meeting. The rent will be set depending on the occupants’ income. I will have to pay three months’ rent to move in. And finally the keys will be given to me at the local government office. Then I have to move in within twenty days.”

“It’s difficult to find a place to live these days. You need a guarantor in order to apply for the recovery house, and I was lucky to have one in my case. My recovery house is in a secluded area far from stores and hospitals. If I died alone, no one would notice. But I’m thankful for having friends living right at my doorstep. I think that
it would be very hard for old people to get one of the recovery houses. There is just so much work involved, such as going to the government office and attending information briefings. Some of the older people I know have already given up.”

“There are so many rules that come with the recovery houses. You are not allowed to use nails on the walls. You have to restore everything to the original state when you move out. Curtains are non-standard. There are light fixtures, but you have to pay your own money for the lamps and lighting.”

[We need more considerate care]

Some people lost their homes in the tsunami, some had to leave their houses behind because of the nuclear disaster. They have been harmed both mentally and physically , and have  been struggling financially for the past four and a half years. I always wonder why the Japanese government doesn’t show more concern for these people. How come they never listen to their sadness and pain?

I would like to ask those who read this blog for your support for the Fukushima evacuees, and ask you to spread the word so that more people recognize the real situation in Fukushima.

We are asking for donations to help support Fukushima evacuees. They are still in need of daily necessities such as food and financial support. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I would like to introduce you to the reality of the evacuation zones.

Thank you very much, Momoko Fukuoka,.

Four years in the devastated areas --- many suffering from depression

It has been four years since the nuclear accident occurred in Fukushima. Babies were born, and many lives were destroyed during this long period of time. People in the disaster-stricken areas have been left behind, forced to live in unsatisfactory health conditions; many are separated from their families. However, no one has taken any responsibility for the accident, or taken any initiative to rebuild their communities. These communities are too radioactive for humans to live in, but the Japanese government is still planning to send those people back to their hometowns. This decision would be “hell on earth” for the returning residents. “I wish there hadn’t been the nuclear plants!” was the outcry of one of Iidate villagers from the NHK TV documentary.

I demand that the Japanese government prioritize the critical situation of the Fukushima residents over the construction of the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo. People in Fukushima say that their voices have not been heard by their government representatives, including the prime minister. I beseech everyone to take another look at the current status of Fukushima, and re-ignite the “fire in your heart” and recognize the struggle of these people.

 

[Phone calls from Fukushima evacuees]

We are now entering  the fifth year since the accident and we have been receiving more phone calls from the people who have been affected by the disaster. Some of them express anger, sadness, and agony. Some are voices of hopelessness and desperation. I would like to share a few of them here. (names and places have been omitted for privacy.)

 

“Though we have contractors to re-build our new house, there are now many more rules and regulations. Also, during the course of rebuilding our homes, the shortage of construction materials causes many undesirable revisions and changes to the original designs. This causes many delays and we don’t know when we can move in.”

 

“We requested they build a prefabricated community center for handicapped individuals, which included a bathroom to be part of the construction, but now they are saying that they can’t build it.”

 

Usually customers come first in a good business relationship, but to my surprise, it’s opposite in Fukushima. How would you feel about this?

 

“We don’t want to go back to my town because the place is highly radioactive. The government has told us that by the end of March 2016, they will cut the compensation for mental distress  caused by evacuation life. Rice-farming is still prohibited in my town, but they say it’s ok to grow vegetables. How can we eat such things? The younger generation will never move back. How can we live without our future generation—our families? The most painful thing is that we all are separated from our family members.”

 

“There used to be four schools in Odaka, but they are all closed now. Both my home and my evacuation house have radiation levels  of 0.3 micro Sieverts per hour. They say that the town residents will be able to return to Odaka by April 2016, and that some commercial facility will be built. But I don’t think we can live there. The evacuees that I know refuse to return to Odaka. Simply, it is unsafe for humans to live there. Because of the radiation issue, Odaka town is now under the jurisdiction of the Regional Environment Office. So the town itself doesn’t even have the right to speak on behalf of the community. Some people joke that only wild boars will come to this commercial facility, since no humans can live.”

 

“Joban-do, highway route 6 is open, but Okuma town is right by the crippled nuclear plants.”

 

[Depression caused by loneliness and anxiety]

Three to four people living in small one-bedroom apartments, in horrible evacuation compounds. Days pass without hope or any future prospects. Financial hardships, being surrounded by strangers, and living in an unfamiliar place drives people to depression. After spending months and years with the unbearable pains inflicted upon the Fukushima evacuees, it is not hard to imagine that even people with generally positive attitudes will eventually suffer from depression.

 

I wonder how I can save those depressed people or how I can bring them back to a normal life. As a mere housewife, all I can do is to let the word out, and ask you to be friends of the Fukushima evacuees.

 

[Supporting each other for indispensable life]

When I was forty three, I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. The doctors could not predict my remaining life expectancy. I learned the importance of appreciating every minute, and every second of life. It was at this point when I realized how much I cherished every form of life, mine and all others'. It would be a shame for anyone if they could not appreciate this gift—their one and only given life.

 

I feel like that there are a lot of unreasonable things going on in the world. Everyone is born a desire for success in life, but we also have to learn to control it. I also think that everyone is born with love and compassion for others. Living with this loving heart is the key to happiness in life.

 

I am a housewife who doesn’t have any authority or influence. If you notice that I have said something inappropriate on my blog, I apologize for it.

 

[Please donate]

We are asking for donation in order to support Fukushima evacuees. They are still in need of daily necessities such as food and financial support. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I would like to introduce you to the actual evacuation zones. Thank you very much, Momoko Fukuoka.

 

Letters from the affected people – “Please learn our reality” --

The reality of Fukushima – Momoko Fukuoka’s voice　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

 

Happy New Year!

I’ve already received many letters and pictures from people who had had been affected by the tsunami and the earthquake. They are in the fourth year living their “temporary life” with no future prospects, which is very sad and heart-wrenching.

This is the year’s first sunrise photographed near the temporary housing unit. It might not be clear to viewers, but this photo actually tells me a lot of things. I think of the sorrow of the families whose members had to be separated, especially during the New Year’s celebration. However, the New Year’s gorgeous sunrise seems to be telling us to hang in there. I would like to energize others just like the way this sunrise does. In order for me to do so, I would like to ask you for a helping hand. Thank you.

I would like to talk about people in Fukushima as usual. People sent me some letters and photos describing their never-changing reality. I have their permission to share them with you, so you can learn more about their lives.

 

 [A letter from Namie cho]

“This is the fourth New Year’s day that we spent outside our own hometown. I appreciate that you are still thinking of us even after four years. Since our normal life was taken away, we’ve been asking ourselves ‘who are we' and ‘where are we'. Then we realize that we are not able to do things that we used to take for granted.

I grew up in a fishing town called Ukedo. When I was a child, I used to love watching the ferries moving off the coast, and dream about riding one of them.  The whole seaport along with the entire community was washed away by the tsunami, leaving just seven fishing boats out of 130 intact. If the tsunami was the only disaster, we would have been able to fight back and stand on our own two feet again. But we had to face the invisible enemy, radiation. The news about the disaster-related deaths keeps on coming. We often see the recovery effort of Sanriku community in Miyagi prefecture on TV, but not in our own town. Luckily our house survived because it was built on a hill far enough from the coast. Sometimes we go home and spend a couple of hours cleaning our house. The road to our house is covered with weeds. Our land has many holes dug by boars and our house has new occupants, wild animals.  I heard the nuclear plant workers say that we cannot go back to our hometown of Namie for 30 years. However, the Japanese government wants to lift the evacuation order. I know that young people will never go back. They don’t want to live in a town with life-threatening issues. I cannot explain the whole range of our issues in a single letter. Let me stop here for now.”

“Our hometown is no longer the same. We have made an album from which I enclose some of the pictures. These may not be the kind of pictures that you want to see on a New Year’s day, but we would like you to know that this is our reality. These were actually taken two years ago and nothing has changed since. “

 “Central area in Namie cho: Huge rocks were moved by Tsunami and destroyed a car.”

 

 

 

 “More than 120 ships were brought onto high ground by the Tsunami. This is one of them. My house was washed away. My older brother and sister are missing, their remains are yet to be found.”

 

We still have piles of debirs all around. Do you see some trees on the left of this picture, that is the ocean behind them.

 

 [A gentleman who lost his wife in Tsunami and lives alone in a temporary housing unit]

“My house was washed away by the Tsunami. My wife died and her bones are with me here. I cannot place her bones in our family tomb because of the nuclear power plant. All I can do is to wipe her picture with a warm hand towel every morning. I am always with her remains. Even when I have meals, I always talk to her. This year we had our golden anniversary. Since my wife always wanted to go to Nikko for our anniversary, I took her picture and remains to Nikko. I saw many couples there, and it made me miss my wife very much.”

 [A lady who lives in a subsidized apartment in Iidate Village]

”People often suggest that I relocate elsewhere and stay away from radiation. But there is a reason why we cannot leave our hometown. The government does not buy out our land, or houses. Not only that, they also tell us that we have to take care of our property ourselves. We have to keep our house, rice paddies and vegetable fields in good shape, so that we can go back any time. That is why we cannot leave here. We need to stay in a commuting distance to our home. We have to maintain our property until we die.”

 [A surprising fact]

I was so surprised to learn that those who were affected by the disaster cannot leave their hometown, not only due to their homesickness but also because of the government’s policy expecting them to maintain their property themselves. Actually our government intends to have them go back to their homes despite its uninhabitable condition due to high radiation. They have been commuting to their homes where the radiation level allows them to stay only for four hours. They are doing this to maintain their rice paddies and vegetable fields. No one knows when they can go back to live permanently. It could be 30 years from now. Those people cannot contradict the government’s statements. The people are just enduring the current situation and the fear of radiation. I assume that the government’s intentions are to terminate the compensation payment for the evacuees, once they go back to their homes.

Don’t you think that the reality of Fukushima is too ugly, dirty and harsh? Don’t you think that we are not well-informed of the evacuees’ lives? We need to pay serious attention to Fukushima and learn about the people. I sincerely ask you for your heart-warming support for people in Fukushima. They are still in need of daily consumable goods such as food and clothing in addition to financial aid.

 

[My advice to regain the power for keep living] (No. 13)

Look for something positive in your day and when you wake up in the morning write down the things you like, or things that make you happy. You live, move, eat, and go to the bathroom regularly. You have the warmth of the sun, the wind, the rain, and the sound of crickets, etc. These are examples of some pieces of happiness. Once you write yours down, enjoy them as much as possible. You many not notice any of them at the beginning but, as you keep writing, you will see that we are surrounded by many happy things.

 

 [List of things that you can donate]

Blanket, hand and leg warmers, masks, adult diapers, toilet papers, detergent, water, rice, spices, dry foods, canned foods, snacks, tea, fruits, vegetables: these are very much needed. Many people are experiencing financial difficulty. I will let you know where to send those support goods.

Please contact me between 10:00～17:30 (Japan time) at 011-81-80-5547-8675(mobile) or f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp.

　If the line is busy, please try again later.

Thank you,

Momoko Fukushima

To you, who never forget affected people

We only have a few days left till the end of this year. I have been thinking particularly about time lately, how time is really the accumulation of present moments. Each of them, each moment—each second—is a universal, heavenly gift. Perhaps people who can remain aware of this have a different way of spending time.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your heart-warming support for the victims of Fukushima, which you offered again this year. I am so grateful to each of you who gave kindness to others who were suffering.

Unfortunately, our society-at-large is already forgetting affected people. I’m surprised to find that there are many people who think: “Oh, I thought it was already resolved,” or, “neither the TV nor newspaper mention the affected people in Fukushima any more. So I thought they were fine now,” or, “the prime minister said that he would alleviate this issue, so I thought he already did,” etc. The public trusts the broadcasts and reports of major news outlets, so in order to hope that our culture remains aware of the plight of victims, we must also hope that the mainstream media responsibly covers the truth.

I’ve heard that both the Sennai and Takahama nuclear power plants have been given safety clearance according to new stricter regulations by Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA). On the other hand, volcanic activity has increased in Japan so that earthquakes have been reported on daily basis. “Japan has entered ‘a period of brisk seismic activity’.” (Prof. Satoshi Fujii of Kyoto University, Special Advisor to the Cabinet. Monthly magazine, “Voice,” April 3, 2014). Thus, I am completely puzzled—for the safety of our citizens, in such a period of “brisk seismic activity,” shouldn’t we continue the current “zero” operation status?

Meanwhile, our government is not paying attention to the affected people’s suffering at all. Moreover, they are intimidating and terrorizing those victims. They are not assisting them in leading any kind of normal life. We should spotlight this fact more. I want to hear many voices asking our government to take more appropriate relief measures.

[Voice of affected and now disenfranchised people – Why they were not able to vote]

“The voting rate among us was low. Of course it was low: we were not able to make it, although we wanted to. Those who evacuated outside the prefecture did not receive voting forms in time. It was not easy to obtain voting forms. Each affected person had to correspond with the municipal offices twice or more, which was very cumbersome for some. Many sick and elderly people are living in inconvenient temporary housing units in areas where it snows a lot; for them the roads were too slippery, and voting posts were too far away to reach. Authorities should have designated more convenient voting locations for residents in temporary housing units. The whole experience was very frustrating.”

[Restricted eligibility for recovery apartments]

Affected people report:

“Recovery housing is for those who are 75 years and older. I am still too young to move in.”

“Households with pets, even normal pets such as cats and dogs, are not eligible.”

“Those with loans or unpaid real-estate tax are not eligible.”

Affected people, having already lost their homes and family members to the tsunami, are still in tears and sorrow. The nuclear accident in Fukushima stole their houses, rendering them vacant and uninhabitable. Yet many victims must continue to make mortgage payments on those vacant houses. All while their families are torn apart, unable to live together in one space, living in unbearable, inhumane conditions—humid, cold, and cramped (apartments average four-and-a-half tatami mats in size). I see no rationality in this. Do you?

Japan should protect Fukushima victims under the Public Assistance Act. The government should take as its first priority the support of affected people, so that they can resume normal life. The victims of the nuclear power plant accident have lost their human rights: their right to a sanitary and safe living environment, to property ownership, to the obtaining of a residency card. Without a residency card, it is impossible to get a job. Younger generations of victims have left their homes in search of work, splitting families apart. Some of these young migrants are harassed by neighbors in their new towns. Without proper documents, some are unable to obtain financial backing to launch new businesses. Thus, affected people have been victimized many times over since the disaster. They continue to be victimized.

Resolving these issues must be our nation’s first priority.

I heard that affected families can stay in the temporary housing units until the end of March, 2016, which means that they have a year and three months left. They must decide what to do, where to live, by then. However, their reality is harsh. Some don’t have anywhere to go. Many elderly people here have been left alone, since younger generations live separately. With no savings for moving, inadequate financial support from the government, and insufficient decontamination of their houses, they have absolutely no money or capacity to renovate homes that, since the disaster, have been inhabited by mice and raccoons. Even if residents could return to their homes, it is impossible to live normal life there, in communities without stores, without shops, without medical facilities and staff.

I often hear the same sad news: an elderly person has gone to clean his or her house, and while there, committed suicide. They say, “I want to die in my own home rather than in the temporary housing unit.”

[Please give hope]

Ladies and gentlemen, please lend a hand to these affected people. They should not be left alone. Your continued support may bring them joy in the New Year.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for your support throughout this year. I hope for your good health and wish you a happy New Year.

With deepest appreciation and hope for your happiness.

[My advice for life] (12th)

May you have love instead of hate, forgiveness instead of fighting, truth instead of myth, hope instead of despair, pleasure instead of sorrow. May you have comfort and healing.  When you need love and peace, I am here for you.  

[Please donate!]

It is very cold. Blankets, hand warmers, masks, underpants for the elderly, toilet paper, detergent, water, rice, spices, dry foods, canned foods, snacks, tea, fruits, vegetables, etc., would be very much appreciated. We are also accepting donations.

We can provide more details about the donation process at your request.

<Contact> 10:00~17:30

Momoko Fukuoka (mobile) 080-5547-8675     (Please try again if the line is busy.)

                (e-mail) f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp

By March 31, 2016....

The Lower House general election and national review of Supreme Court judges will happen on December 14th; I strongly hope that the results reflect the will of our citizens and will contribute to a better political climate.

Let me tell you what is going on in affected areas. Today, I’d like to raise awareness of affected people who still live in temporary housing units in this cold and soon-to-be much colder weather. Our government has asked them to return to their original homes by March 31, 2016.

[Severe Winter Weather Plagues Poorly-Constructed Temporary Housing]

I have been told that the temporary housing was constructed based on the assumption that the buildings would last two years at most. The building manuals were designed so that even construction companies that didn’t specialize in residential housing could build temporary units. Those built by major residential companies have been reliable, but the rest have been riddled by issues such as drafts coming in, humidity, floors that break easily, etc.

Some of the units are made with real lumber, some are prefabricated, and some have exposed iron frames, as though they were never finished. Some have no windows and no air circulation. Some have windows with no privacy. Thin walls between units mean everyone can hear everything. Thus, life in the temporary housing units is extremely stressful, and living conditions are inadequate. The units are also located in inconvenient places, such as the mountains, or on lower ground where vegetable and rice fields were once found—these former agricultural locations becomes pools of rainwater on rainy days. The humidity in cold weather freezes, and all the surfaces in the units become moldy. Meanwhile, some units get hot as saunas during the summer.

Thus, by chance of which unit they’ve been assigned, some residents are enduring unbearable living conditions. Moreover, their space is extremely limited: a room with four tatami mats—some with two rooms, depending on the number of family members. They’ve lived there for nearly four years. They’ll continue to do so until they find alternative places to live.

Here’s what I’ve heard from those residents:

“Between two of us, we have only two rooms: one with a three-and-a-half tatami mat space and one with a four-and-a-half tatami mat space. Other than that, we have a kitchenette, a toilet, a bathroom. That is it. There is no extra space to fit anything. We have cartons that contain all our stuff that we take in and out constantly. No dressers whatsoever. If we had a dresser, it would take up our sleeping space. This lifestyle affects our mental health. That is why some commit suicide. It is impossible to get used to this. We want to be released from this life. We are suffocated. Please help us! Can you believe it? Two more years like this, TWO MORE YEARS! SIX YEARS of endurance in total! It is impossible!”

It was a painful plea to hear. How can our government abandon people like this? Please help us resolve this issue as soon as possible!

The winter in Tohoku region comes early. Some temporary units experience cold weather right after “Obon” period (mid-August), when it has already snowed and frosted. Some residents cannot go out for shopping due to the weather. Some continuously wipe dripping water from the ceiling, due to the humidity and the frost. Of course, such conditions come hand-in-hand with mold. “We apply a plastic sheet to single-pane windows. We also spread aluminum foil on the floor throughout the winter to prevent heat loss,” said one resident.

Those who cannot go out, such as the elderly, the sick, and those with financial difficulties, always appreciate donations of food, underwear, blankets, and household goods such as toilet paper, detergent, and hand-warmers.  

[Deadline: April 2016]

Our government seems to have decided that affected people must return to their original homes by April 2016. This has accelerated TEPCO’s and the government’s efforts to dispose of affected people’s furniture and other household goods. TEPCO and our government are certainly willing to throw away furniture. However, the residences in areas where radiation is too high to sleep over need much more repair than furniture removal. Having been abandoned for nearly four years, the houses are full of mold, and have been totally ruined by mice, raccoons, bores, monkeys, snakes, and such. It is impossible to live in them. They need to be renovated. When it comes to such repair, however, I have never heard of TEPCO and our government offering any financial support to the residents. Some say “it is under negotiation.”

In the Kodaka and Taruha areas, radiation levels are still very high. I hear that the radiation is still leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. I do not understand why our government can unilaterally decide, without paying any attention to residents’ exposure to radiation, that residents have to go back to their homes in two years.

Before anyone can return home, the condition of leaking radiation—its scale and areas of contamination—must be checked. We must publicize safety measures in order to minimize radiation exposure, making sure to do double and triple checks, with a real sense of responsibility for generations to come. This should be done beyond the barrier of political parties. This should be resolved as a crucial, once-in-a-century matter, and afforded every possible budgetary dollar. If we had done this from the beginning, we could have protected the lives of affected people. If we do it now, we can release them from their matchbox-like temporary housing units, and help them return to the way they used to live. We must keep human lives running as normally as possible.

Don’t you think this should have been our government’s first priority? If the recovery budget had been allocated to keep human life running as smoothly and as normally as possible for the victims of Fukushima, citizens would have been pleased. The reality is, however, citizens are enormously upset by the fact that the recovery budget has been used in a way that has nothing to do with protecting their normal life.

According to what I heard from residents, they have been told that they can stay at the temporary housing units until March 31, 2016, due to the target date of their return to their original homes, which is April 2016. I have also heard that some of the units will be demolished. So residents have to decide either to go back to their hometown, or relocate elsewhere. Meanwhile, construction of new “recovery apartments” is not making progress as planned. I assume that the government is planning to build enough of them by 2016 to house the displaced. They certainly should.

Here is the story of one affected family:

This woman is one of seven family members. Her father is sick and needs nursing care. Her husband holds a “radiation monitoring card” and works at the crippled nuclear power plant in order to make ends meet. Their daughter is mentally retarded. And they have three sons. She is in her 40s, with many medical issues, but working so hard to sustain her family. They have been using three temporary housing units in Aizu, where it snows a lot, as they are supporting each other. She told me, “We would like to live in the recovery apartments. There, each unit has three rooms with 5.5 tatami mats, a living room with three tatami mats, one closet, and a Japanese style room with a Japanese style closet space. Although it has no air-conditioning, curtains, cooktops, or ceiling lights, it sounds much better than the current temporary housing units. We can stretch our legs and it will make us feel like [we are] living as a family. For seven of us, one unit is not enough. So we may rent two units.”

She looked very happy as she explained this plan to me. However, I suggested that it might be better to rent a second-hand single family home, even if it was old. “You all can live under one roof and you’ll have more extra space. Before you decide to go with the flow of what the government presents, please carefully think of your family’s future.”

I understand that the affected people, especially those who are still in the temporary housing units, are eager to be released from their current, suffocating living conditions as soon as possible. They have been so constrained that their dream to be released from the current situation propels them to choose to live in “recovery apartments” whose units are tiny and inconvenient. This is one of my major concerns. The design of the recovery apartments should accommodate the needs of their future tenants.

[Please donate!]

It is getting very cold. Blankets, hand warmers, masks, underpants for the elderly, toilet paper, detergents, water, rice, spices, dry foods, canned foods, snacks, tea, fruits, vegetables, and such would be deeply appreciated. We are also accepting cash donations.

For more information please contact Momoko Fukuoka (Japanese language only)

(mobile) 080-5547-8675

Between 10:00~17:30 (please continue to call if the line is busy).

(e-mail): f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp