Step 1: Seeing

Fukushima today: There are both positive and negative sides to the current situation in Fukushima Prefecture, much of which can only be seen by visiting.
There are buildings left broken, abandoned streets left empty after being evacuated. But Fukushima is also home to many areas on the steady path to revitalization, with some areas focused on creating a way of powering society through renewable energy, and ridding it of its reliance on nuclear power.
For Hope Tourism, rather than thinking of visits to local areas as being those to “disaster-affected areas”, we think of them as areas continuing on the path to local revitalization. We believe that it is important for people to see these places with their own eyes.

• 

  Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, as seen from a national highway.

• 

  Ukedo Elementary School (Namie Town), which was badly damaged by the tsunami. All students were evacuated from the school on the day of the disaster.

• 

  Tomioka Revitalization Mega Solar Power Plant, which was built with local revitalization in mind.

• 

  Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development, which was established as a development and demonstration facility.

Step 3: Considering

In Fukushima Prefecture, participants can see not only places that remain as they were on the day of the disaster, but also those that have changed, or are changing, and are moving towards revitalization. Through interacting with our Guest Speakers, participants can learn a lot from hearing a range of opinions regarding current progress and regional revitalization.
Whilst considering the current state in Fukushima and current revitalization efforts, participants are invited to contemplate and debate about social challenges, such as aging populations, decreasing birthrates, community decline, the loss of industrial infrastructure, and energy problems.