1st New Supermarket Opens in Fukushima Town since Nuclear Accident

Okuma, Fukushima Pref., Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)--A supermarket opened in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Friday, becoming the first new store in the northeastern Japan town since the 2011 accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

More than 500 people lined up ahead of the opening of the store, operated by Maruto Co., headquartered in the Fukushima city of Iwaki.

The company expects demand from local residents who have returned from nuclear evacuations, as well as those engaged in reconstruction projects.

The supermarket has a sales floor area of about 2,000 square meters and houses a drugstore and a 100-yen shop. It also offers product delivery and reservation services.

"It will serve as an important base for bringing prosperity and vitality to the community," Okuma Mayor Jun Yoshida said at the day's opening ceremony.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]