NARAHA, Fukushima Prefecture--A popular hot spring facility in Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture, that was forced to close after last year's nuclear disaster has reopened for business.
NARAHA, Fukushima Prefecture--A popular hot spring facility in Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture, that was forced to close after last year's nuclear disaster has reopened for business.
Shiokaze-so, which literally means "Sea breeze house," resumed operations on Oct. 29. It is famed for its natural hot spring with dark brown water, and used to attract up to 180,000 day visitors each year.
But the area around the facility was part of the no-entry zone set up around the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
The entry restriction was finally lifted in August, allowing staff to enter the premises--although staying there overnight was still prohibited--and the Naraha town government has since worked to repair the facility's pipes and other equipment.
For the time being, only the Naraha residents and the town's decontamination workers will be eligible to use the facility, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean from its perch on Cape Tenjin.