MINAMI-SOMA, Fukushima Prefecture--Sparkling Christmas illuminations brought a ray of joy to children uprooted by last year's nuclear disaster.
MINAMI-SOMA, Fukushima Prefecture--Sparkling Christmas illuminations brought a ray of joy to children uprooted by last year's nuclear disaster.Children at Fukuura Elementary School who are attending classes at a makeshift building here squealed with delight at sparkling images of Santa Claus and his reindeer that were strung up outside on Dec. 1."The lights are as beautiful as before (the disaster)," said 10-year-old Kazuya Saura, barely unable to contain his joy.Kazuya, like the other children, was forced to evacuate after the reactor meltdowns triggered by the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.The city's Odaka district began the tradition of hanging Christmas lights 10 years ago at the urging of a local tourism organization.Fukuura Elementary School, which is in the district, got into the spirit of hanging illuminations in 2008.The light show was canceled last year after the parts of the city were designated a no-entry zone because of their proximity to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.But this winter, the illuminations have been revived at 10 locations and the school as part of efforts to restore hope and mark the city's efforts to recover from the disaster.