Factors affecting resumption of forest or satoyama usage by former evacuees following their return after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Abstract

In the rural areas of Fukushima, many residents participate in a culture of satoyama usage, and this cultural practice should be respected when conducting radiation protection. We conducted a case study by performing interview survey and text analysis of former evacuees in a rural part of a former evacuation area in Fukushima, to evaluate their attitude towards personal usage of forest or satoyama after radiocaesium contamination and long evacuation following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident in 2011. The evacuation order in the study area was lifted in 2017, and our interview survey was conducted in 2019. We found that the resumption to the use of satoyama after their return varied among residents in this particular area. Most returnees in the area were highly knowledgeable about radiation in the environment, but we could not conclude that it helped them make decisions regarding whether to resume satoyama usage. Residents resuming personal use of satoyama after their return were those who had a close relationship with satoyama before the accident, such as the use of forest products for commercial purpose. These past experiences may have led them to have positive attitudes towards the resumption of satoyama usage after their return. Finally, we identified the required approaches towards resuming satoyama usage based on the interviewees’ different attitudes.