Japan PM Ishiba Visits Disaster-Affected Areas in Fukushima Pref.; Local Officials Inform Prime Minister About Relevant Issues

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:23 JST, December 14, 2024

FUTABA, Fukushima — Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited Fukushima Prefecture on Saturday for the first time since assuming office to inspect the reconstruction of the areas affected by the 2011 accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Ishiba visited an area in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, where the soil removed from decontaminated sites is temporarily stored and was briefed about relevant issues by a local government official.

He also visited an interim storage facility in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, where the removed soil was transported, and inspected the nuclear power plant.

At the power plant, Ishiba was briefed about the current situation regarding decommissioning efforts, as well as the facility used to discharge treated water into the ocean.

Regarding the inspection, the prime minister said he would “visit places with due diligence,” on Friday at a meeting of the House of Councillors Budget Committee, expressing his intention to do his utmost for the reconstruction of those areas.