Naraha, Fukushima

Naraha 楢葉町
Town
Naraha Town Hall, February 2011
Flag Seal
Location of Naraha in Fukushima Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
District	Futaba
Area
• Total	103.45 km2 (39.94 sq mi)
Population  (December 2014)
• Total	7,089
• Density	68.5/km2 (177/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Cryptomeria
- Flower	Lilium auratum
- Bird	Japanese Bush-warbler
Phone number	0246-25-5561
Address	Kitada Kanetsukido 5-6, Naraha-machi, Futaba-gun, Fukushima-ken 979-0692
Website	Official website

Naraha (楢葉町, Naraha-machi) is a town located in Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2014, the town had an official registered population of 7,098 and a population density of 68.5 persons per km², although the current actual resident population is much lower. The total area of the town is 103.45 square kilometres (39.94 sq mi). From 2011 until 2015, the town was evacuated and abandoned due to fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, although as of September 2015, all restrictions on residency have been removed, allowing people to return.

Geography

Naraha is located in southern of Fukushima Prefecture, bordering on the Pacific Ocean to the east.

Surrounding municipalities

• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Iwaki
  • Hirono
  • Tomioka
  • Kawauchi

History

The area of present-day Naraha was part of Mutsu Province, and was included in the tenryo holdings of the Tokugawa shogunate during Edo period Japan. After the Meiji restoration, on April 1, 1889, the villages of Kido and Tatsuta was created within Naraha District, Fukushima. Naraha District became Futaba District in 1896. The villages of Kido and Tatsuta merged in 1956 to form the town of Naraha.

2011 earthquake and tsunami

See also: 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

Naraha suffered great devastation as a result of the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami. As a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, as well as problems experienced with its cooling facility of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant (see timeline), the town was totally evacuated by order of the town government. The entire area of the town fell within the 20 kilometer exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant. On August 1, 2012 the government eased the restriction order by allowing residents to visit their homes during daylight hours, but not permitting overnight stays. In March 2014, Naraha completed decontamination work in its residential areas, although radiation levels remained high in some areas of the town, and many buildings were still in ruins. By April 2015, residents could stay overnight if they applied for permission, and the evacuation order was lifted completely effective September 4, 2015.

Economy

The economy of Naraha was formerly heavily dependent on agriculture. The Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant was also a major employer.

Education

Naraha had one middle school and two elementary schools in March 2011.

Transportation

Railway

• East Japan Railway Company - Jōban Line
  • Kido Station – Tatsuta

Highway

• Jōban Expressway – Naraha Parking Area
• Japan National Route 6

Local attractions

Among other attractions, Naraha houses J-Village (currently disused), a state-of-the-art sports training and convention facility that also houses a hotel, restaurant and public bath. The Argentina National Football Team stayed at J-Village for the 2002 World Cup. Naraha also houses one of Japan's fifty-seven cycling terminals and an onsen.

International relations

• - Wuchang (China) since 1992
• - Euclid, Ohio (United States) since 1993.