It's 10 years since a magnitude-9 earthquake off Japan's northeastern coast hit the prefecture of Fukushima, triggering a tsunami and the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant's reactors. In the three days leading up to the anniversary, we'll be broadcasting a series of special reports on the efforts to recover from the disaster. In the first episode, our correspondent Terrence Terashima visits a village in Fukushima to find out how residents are trying to rebuild their livelihoods. In 2010 Iitate was named one of "The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan", a year before the nuclear disaster. Residents were ordered to evacuate and Iitate was designated a restricted area due to high radiation. Ten years later, the scars of the accident are still vivid in various parts of the village. Piles of contaminated soil line the fields. TERRENCE TERASHIMA Tokyo "Restrictions on Iitate Village were lifted in 2017, and gradually residents returned. But they were mostly elderly, and farmers struggled to make a living." It was difficult to grow crops on contaminated soil. The once famous "Iitate Brand Beef" no longer had value in the market. MINORU KOBAYASHI Farmer, Founding member of Iitate Power Co. Ltd. "The cattle and the brand name were reduced to nothing. It's not easy to restart from the beginning. You have to secure capital and need a strong will to rebuild everything from scratch." Then Kobayashi and his colleagues had an idea: How to utilize the arid land to secure a stable income and help farmers rebuild their lives in Iitate again. It's called solar sharing. Installing Solar Panels on the agricultural fields, where farmers can still produce under the solar panels. It is not a lucrative business, and there is much bureaucratic red tape. But it is a motivating project for the farmers, for the village's sustainable development. ICHIZO YONEZAWA Director Iitate Power Co. Ltd. "I think solar sharing is a very good concept which can be used all over Japan. But because there are strong agricultural regulations, it takes a lot of effort to set up. It is a shame that it is not in use more." But the Iitate electric company is satisfied with the operation. The aim is not to make a huge profit but to contribute to the village with the small profit they make. MINORU KOBAYASHI Farmer, Founding member of Iitate Power Co. Ltd. "I hope we can revive Iitate Beef in the future. Thinking of the future of the village, I hope more people will settle, and we can have more exchanges with people visiting the village." Since he returned, Kobayashi says his wagyu beef has received an A5 classification, the highest there is in the market. And he hopes more farmers will be able to rebuild their farms in Iitate to revive the beef brand.
It's 10 years since a magnitude-9 earthquake off Japan's northeastern coast hit the prefecture of Fukushima, triggering a tsunami and the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant's reactors. In the three days leading up to the anniversary, we'll be broadcasting a series of special reports on the efforts to recover from the disaster. In the first episode, our correspondent Terrence Terashima visits a village in Fukushima to find out how residents are trying to rebuild their livelihoods. In 2010 Iitate was named one of "The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan", a year before the nuclear disaster. Residents were ordered to evacuate and Iitate was designated a restricted area due to high radiation. Ten years later, the scars of the accident are still vivid in various parts of the village. Piles of contaminated soil line the fields. TERRENCE TERASHIMA Tokyo "Restrictions on Iitate Village were lifted in 2017, and gradually residents returned. But they were mostly elderly, and farmers struggled to make a living." It was difficult to grow crops on contaminated soil. The once famous "Iitate Brand Beef" no longer had value in the market. MINORU KOBAYASHI Farmer, Founding member of Iitate Power Co. Ltd. "The cattle and the brand name were reduced to nothing. It's not easy to restart from the beginning. You have to secure capital and need a strong will to rebuild everything from scratch." Then Kobayashi and his colleagues had an idea: How to utilize the arid land to secure a stable income and help farmers rebuild their lives in Iitate again. It's called solar sharing. Installing Solar Panels on the agricultural fields, where farmers can still produce under the solar panels. It is not a lucrative business, and there is much bureaucratic red tape. But it is a motivating project for the farmers, for the village's sustainable development. ICHIZO YONEZAWA Director Iitate Power Co. Ltd. "I think solar sharing is a very good concept which can be used all over Japan. But because there are strong agricultural regulations, it takes a lot of effort to set up. It is a shame that it is not in use more." But the Iitate electric company is satisfied with the operation. The aim is not to make a huge profit but to contribute to the village with the small profit they make. MINORU KOBAYASHI Farmer, Founding member of Iitate Power Co. Ltd. "I hope we can revive Iitate Beef in the future. Thinking of the future of the village, I hope more people will settle, and we can have more exchanges with people visiting the village." Since he returned, Kobayashi says his wagyu beef has received an A5 classification, the highest there is in the market. And he hopes more farmers will be able to rebuild their farms in Iitate to revive the beef brand.