Ceremony Held for Launch of New Town Office in Fukushima

Futaba, Fukushima Pref., Aug. 27 (Jiji Press)--A ceremony was held in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Saturday to mark the launch of its new town government building, ahead of the partial lifting in the town of the evacuation order related to the March 2011 severe nuclear accident.

The municipal government is scheduled to start operations at the new building Sept. 5, marking the return of the main town office functions to Futaba about 11 and a half years after the triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The plant, which straddles Futaba and the neighboring Fukushima town of Okuma, was heavily damaged by the March 11, 2011, powerful earthquake and tsunami. The evacuation order currently covers the whole of Futaba.

The ceremony, which started at 11 a.m. (2 a.m. GMT), was attended by some 80 people, including Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori, Japanese reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba and industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. A choir from the town sang "Futaba Chomin no Uta" (Song for Futaba Residents).

"All town government staff will work harder to achieve the reconstruction of the town and make (the new town office building) a hub for community building where many people can interact," Futaba Mayor Shiro Izawa said in a speech.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]