Eight years after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, a new beach was opened for the first time on Saturday near the Japanese city. This is the beach of Kitaizumi, which is 25 kilometers north of the nuclear power plant, and was very popular among surfers at the time.
In March 2011, a severe seaquake and the subsequent tsunami left a trail of destruction along the northeastern Japanese coastal area. Some 18,500 people died. The natural disaster also caused a triple meltdown in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
More than eight years later, the city of Minamisoma has now given the green light to swim in the sea. Not a day early, because on Saturday children enjoyed a dip in the spacious soaps, while surfers tried to conquer a wave. In the past, international surfing competitions took place in Kitaizumi.
“I grew up by the sea,” Sayaka Mori told the Japanese news agency Kyodo, while she was walking along the beach. “Returning here for the first time in nine years makes me a little nostalgic.” Mori’s house, which was close to the beach, was destroyed by the tsunami.
