Special Reconstruction Zones Designations Allow Re-entry to Former Hard-Return Areas

In 2023, the government redesignated parts of Okuma and Futaba — the two towns that host the Fukushima Daiichi plant itself — from 'difficult-to-return zones' to 'special reconstruction zones' where residence is again permitted after intensive decontamination. This was a major symbolic step as these towns had been entirely closed since 2011. Very few former residents chose to return, reflecting a broader pattern of permanent displacement across Fukushima's evacuated communities.