For the first time in two years, the sounds of children at play rang out at a beach in disaster-stricken Fukushima Prefecture.
For the first time in two years, the sounds of children at play rang out at a beach in disaster-stricken Fukushima Prefecture.Nakoso Beach, located in the city of Iwaki, re-opened on July 16 for the first time since last year's nuclear crisis, and visitors of all ages turned out to enjoy a day of sun, surf and smiles.The beach is just 65 kilometers south of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.Last summer, all 17 beaches in the prefecture were closed amid concerns of debris and possible radiation following the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent reactor meltdowns at the power plant.This year, only Nakoso, the prefecture's southernmost beach, was opened after officials declared there were no traces of radioactive substances in the seawater. Measurements of radiation levels at the beach are displayed there twice a day.