"Fukushima -Riding the Waves of Reconstruction-" Featured on Professional Kitaizumi Interviews in Australian jStyle Magazine
In the latest issue of the English-language magazine "jStyle" (J Style), which is published once a year throughout Australia to convey the charm of Japan to Australian people, Fukushima's surf scene is on 6 pages. featured throughout.
The special feature titled "Fukushima -Riding the wave of recovery-" describes the current state of Fukushima and the first tournament held in Kitazumi after the earthquake. Introducing the state of. It covers the state of reconstruction from 3.11 to the present day and the lives of local people.
THE SURF NEWS and Niijima resident writer Rouse Ken visited Fukushima this summer to help produce this feature. Here, we will introduce excerpts of the contents of this magazine, and also deliver spillovers of coverage that could not be included in this magazine.
Hokuizumi beach reopened for the first time in 9 years after the earthquake
The article begins with a photo of the blue sky and the wide ocean, appealing to Fukushima's beautiful nature. After a brief introduction to Fukushima Prefecture, we will move on to recording the coverage.
A reporter who decided to cover the 4th round of the JPSA longboard "Hokuizumi Pro" held in July 2019 entered the site from Fukushima station and headed for the Hokuizumi coast by car. He writes about things like monitoring posts along the road that display real-time radiation levels, the state of Iitate after the nuclear accident, and the problem of contaminated soil.
8 years after 3.11. Minamisoma City, which had continued to measure radiation levels in seawater since the earthquake, decided that the safety of the seawater was confirmed, and in July 2019, Hokuizumi Beach was reopened for general use. The 4th round of the JPSA Longboard was held in Kitaizumi. Compared to competitions in other areas, the number of entries was a little smaller, but the athletes who participated had a strong desire to boost Fukushima through this competition and surfing.
We interview Mr. Taka Inoue from Miyazaki, who won the 2019 Longboard Men's Grand Champion at this tournament, and listen to his impressions of Fukushima.
"Miyazaki has good waves nationwide, but Kitaizumi may be the best outside of the prefecture. This is a match that also serves as a recovery event, so if we come all the way, I hope we can boost it and help."
In addition, we interviewed Mr. Taka's mother and the deputy captain of the Surf Rescue, and recorded their thoughts on Fukushima from various perspectives, the safety of the sea, and the situation at the time of the earthquake. After the earthquake, he moved to Okinawa and then to Miyazaki.
"Actually, the radiation level in the seawater decreased surprisingly quickly after the nuclear accident. Surfers in this area refrained from entering the sea for three years after the earthquake, but the reason was out of consideration for those who died in the tsunami, not radiation. is."
Because of the unimaginable tsunami attack and the largest nuclear accident in history, people's lives were severely damaged both mentally and physically. The reopening of Hokusen after eight years is of course a confirmation that the seawater is safe, but it is also a sign that people are slowly returning to enjoying the sea and leisure activities.
Numerous surf points free from congestion
In the second half of the article, I considered the current situation in Fukushima while traveling south while passing a number of empty surf points. The government's response, such as the establishment of temporary standards and decontamination work, is compared with the thoughts of residents who have returned to their hometowns while the danger of radioactivity cannot be completely denied. For those who have decided to return to their hometowns, even if it means risking an undefined risk, nuclear contamination is a new reality.
Finally, an interview with Mr. Hiroki Watanabe, head of the Japan Surfing Federation Fukushima branch. At the time of the earthquake, I evacuated to a nearby hill and witnessed the tsunami break through the breakwater, hit the city, and reach my surf shop. It took a long time to recover, and it seems that he did not enter the sea for 2-3 years.
"Some people don't want to come to Fukushima. It can't be helped, but I want to do my best for those who can. The sea and food are fine. I believed in that. Prefectures, cities, and local governments are attracting surfers. For this reason, we are maintaining the parking lot and toilets.The rest is just for surfers to come.”
During the interview, we passed too many deserted breaks to overlook. After the interview, I had left my surfboard at home, so I went to Mr. Watanabe's shop to rent a board and wetsuit, and enjoyed the rattling waves to the fullest.
Postscript
When you hear the word “Fukushima” overseas, the first thing that comes to mind is the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Since it was a catastrophe on par with Chernobyl, its effects and response are the center of attention from all over the world. It is also of particular concern to countries that share the same ocean even though they are thousands of kilometers apart, because of the pollution in the Pacific Ocean.
The most difficult part of writing the article was how to convey radioactive contamination. Many overseas reports use expressions such as "several times the previous number" or "tens of times", but what about the actual danger of multiplying a number that is extremely close to zero by tens of times? Huh? In this interview and article, I wanted to give concrete figures and provide materials for making your own judgments while comparing them with global standards.
The values measured this time are 0.124 μSv/h along the national highway in Iitate, 0.036 μSv/h at Hokuizumi beach, and 1.916 μSv/h near the Daiichi nuclear power plant. Radioactive substances are found not only in man-made objects such as nuclear power plants and X-rays, but also in natural environments such as soil, rocks, water, air, and plants, and in outer space. It is said that people are exposed to radiation in their daily lives. The effects on the human body vary depending on the structure and state of the radioactive material, but the figures at Hokuizumi Beach are well below the world average, so it's no surprise that Minamisoma City decided to reopen.
On the other hand, it is also true that there are still many problems. During an on-site interview, she said, "When I visited Australia on business immediately after the accident, when I told him that I was living in Fukushima, I was immediately drawn away and avoided." Many of these rumors are caused by misunderstandings and lack of knowledge, but the response after the accident and the distrust of the government are also complicit.
Although the prime minister declared "It's all under control" against the effects of the nuclear accident when he invited the Olympic Games, there are still many people who are forced to live as evacuees. The disposal method and decommissioning plan have not been decided, and the decontamination soil remains piled up. Also, we should not forget that the electricity from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was used in the Tokyo metropolitan area, not in Fukushima Prefecture. Isn't it necessary to take this reality seriously and find a way to fundamental reconstruction rather than just "cleaning up" the surface?
If you go a little farther from the Tokyo metropolitan area, there are plenty of good waves in Fukushima. While the scars of the earthquake and nuclear accident remain, there are people who are doing their best to pray for reconstruction. Although there are hotspots where high radiation levels remain in rivers where radioactivity accumulates, it is almost no longer detected in seawater. Radiation is a well-known risk, but in fact, there are many risks that we are not even aware of. If you decide to go by judging them individually, you will surely meet good waves there.
In this magazine "jStyle issue 18", more detailed coverage of Fukushima is posted. Click here for PDF (Fukushima article starts on page 61) http://nichigopress.jp/images/site/pdf/JS1918.pdf
Ken Lowes