We Are Tomodachi Spring 2017

19/36

19Rapid Restoration of Transportation InfrastructureTransportation infrastructure in the disaster-affected areas is being restored at a rapid pace. North-south arteries such as National Route No. 6 and the Joban Expressway have completely reopened, and train services have been restored on most of the JR Joban Line, with restoration of the entire line to be completed no later than March 2020. The flow of people has been restored, and many foreign tourists are visiting Fukushima, which is endowed with many sightseeing attractions.Source: Japan Tourism Agency, “Statistical Survey on Overnight Travel.”Note: Figures are based on the number of guests staying at accommodations with 10 employees or more.Foreign overnight guests at accommodations in Fukushima (base year 2010 = 100%)On December 10, 2016, Prime Minister Abe attended a ceremony to celebrate the reopening of a section of the JR Joban Line.100806040200100%79.2%201020112012201320142015Jan.–Jun. 2016(%)Rigorous Efforts to Ensure Food SafetyFukushima Prefecture is one of Japan’s leading farming regions and produces delicious food, including the country’s second-largest crop of peaches and fourth-largest rice harvest. All of Fukushima’s agricultural produce is subject to thorough monitoring for radioactive substances and is only shipped after clearing strict standards. In other words, it is completely safe to eat. The Codex Alimentarius Commission of the WHO and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have set a guideline level of 1,000 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) for food safety, but Fukushima’s standards are much stricter—100 Bq/kg for general foods and 10 Bq/kg for drinking water—and have won high appraisals from the WHO and FAO.Innovating and Creating New Industries for the FutureIn addition to conducting recovery efforts, the Japanese government is implementing the Innovation Coast Scheme, which aims to develop Fukushima as a base for creating new industries. This scheme has already started to produce results, as seen in the opening in rapid succession of hubs for development of cutting-edge technologies. These include the Fukushima Hama-Dori Robot Test Zone and Remote Technology Development Center to promote development of drones and other robotic devices. In January this year, a demonstration test was conducted in a section of the robot test zone along the seashore, and it achieved the world’s first successful long-distance air freight shipment by a fully autonomous drone. Meanwhile, a floating wind turbine for generating electricity, the largest of its kind in the world, is being installed off the coast. Rebounding from the disaster, the people of Fukushima are now striding vigorously toward the future.The guidelines for the levels of radioactive substances in food set by Japan’s Food Sanitation Act are extremely strict even by international standards. ＊ International Food StandardsFood groupLimit (Bq/kg)Japan Codex＊General foods1001000Infant foods1001000Milk501000Drinking water101000A 7-megawatt floating wind turbine has been constructed off the coast of Fukushima under a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The blades reach a height of 200 meters (about 660 feet) above the ocean. Photo: Fukushima Offshore Wind Consortium.