Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, only bears, raccoons and boar are seen on the streets. But the authorities and some locals want people to move back
We compared the current radiation levels in towns surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident with radiation levels at Haneda Airport, used as a representative example of a typical urban location.
Okuma Town – Minamidai (Fukushima Prefecture )
Date & Time: January 27, 2026, 20:10
Radiation level: 3.312 μSv/h
Haneda Airport, Ota Ward (Tokyo)
Date & Time: January 27, 2026, 20:10
Radiation level: 0.032 μSv/h
Comparison of Radiation Levels
Futaba Town & Okuma Town (Fukushima) vs. Haneda Airport (Tokyo)
and
Overview of Futaba Town's Reconstruction Plan
1. Radiation Levels: Comparison
Futaba Town and Okuma Town (Fukushima Prefecture)
Futaba and Okuma are located next to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Due to the 2011 nuclear accident, radioactive materials were released into the surrounding environment.
In restricted or partially restricted areas, especially near the nuclear plant and interim storage facilities, ambient dose rates can still be higher than natural background levels, depending on location.
In areas where evacuation orders have been lifted and decontamination has been completed, radiation levels have significantly decreased and are often comparable to or only slightly above natural background radiation.
Radiation levels vary greatly by location, land use, and decontamination status, so there is no single uniform value for the entire towns.
All residential areas designated for return are continuously monitored, and safety standards are applied before allowing people to live there. Haneda Airport (Tokyo)
Haneda Airport is not affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Radiation levels around Haneda are normal background radiation, typical of urban areas in Japan.
These levels mainly come from natural sources (cosmic rays, soil, building materials) and are generally stable.
Summary of Radiation Comparison
Haneda Airport: Natural background radiation (low, stable, normal for daily life).
Futaba / Okuma:
Some areas still show higher readings due to the nuclear accident.
Residential and decontaminated zones are much lower and carefully controlled.
, not forced repopulation.
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Haneda Airport (Tokyo)
Summary of Radiation Comparison
