Old nuclear plant now a place for school trips
Introduction
Fifteen years after a big accident at a nuclear plant, more people are visiting the area. The plant is in Fukushima, Japan. People call this kind of visit "educational tourism." Visitors can see the damaged plant. At the same time, people are moving back to the area. Workers are also cleaning the plant.
Main Body
The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant had a big problem on March 11, 2011. A big wave called a tsunami hit the plant. Three of the six reactors broke. More than 160,000 people had to leave their homes. The area has empty spaces, signs that say "no entry," and trucks that carry dangerous materials. Some people call this "dark tourism." That means visiting places where bad things happened. But local officials like to call it "hope tourism." They say people can now visit because it is safe again. A teacher from a university said that visiting the plant helps people learn. They can see things with their own eyes. The company that runs the plant, Tepco, wants people to visit. It helps the company look better. In April, Tepco started using another nuclear plant again. That was a big step. In 2024, 20,542 people visited the plant. That is the most ever. Visitors must show their ID and carry a small machine that checks for dangerous materials. They do not need special clothes. They can see many tanks of water and the broken reactors from a high place called the "Blue Deck." One visitor said that seeing the reactors helped him understand how big the cleaning job is. The cleaning will take many years. It will cost a lot of money. Workers must remove 880 tons of melted nuclear fuel. There is no plan for where to put the waste. In 2024, the number of visitors to the 12 towns near the plant was the same as before the accident. More people came in 2025. But not many people have moved back to their homes. Some areas are still not safe to live in. There is a park called the Fukushima March 11 Memorial Park. It is as big as Tokyo Disneyland. It has the old buildings of a town and places for people to think. A new hotel with 98 rooms will open in June. One man who gives tours said that Fukushima can become a place for learning, like Hiroshima.
Conclusion
More people are visiting the areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant. They come to see the damaged plant and the towns around it. The cleaning of the plant is still happening. It will take a long time. Some people are moving back, but it is slow. The area has new chances and also hard problems.