Countering Disaster Phobia in Fukushima

Japan, a country well-acclimated to disasters, named Tokyo 2020 the “Recovery Olympics”. The Japanese wish to drive away any phobia of disasters and restore the world’s trust in Fukushima.

KOMPAS/MUHAMMAD IKHSAN MAHAR

Work proceeds on the final stages of the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes Village in Harumi district of Tokyo, Japan, early February. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics facility can accommodate up to 18,000 people.

The Fukushima Prefecture in Japan was the site of a horrifying recent natural and nuclear disaster. Nine years have passed and ahead of this year’s Olympics, Fukushima stands on the front line in Japan’s efforts to counter phobias on disasters and the new coronavirus.

Following the earthquake-tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s reactor leakage in 2011, Fukushima was declared a highly dangerous area in Japan. At least 2,203 died in the disaster. Thousands more were evacuated.