The tsunami resulted in a series of core meltdowns in reactors 1 through 4.

 

The incident was designated as a level 7 nuclear disaster by the IAEA - the same level severity as the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster.

 

Furthermore, many people have been displaced by radioactive contamination. Some of these people are still living in evacuation shelters to this day

 

 

 

 

 

Number of Evacuees/Map of the Evacuation Zone

 

•Number of people evacuated from the designated exlusion zone: approx. 109,000 people (as of March 2013)

•Total number of evacuees from Fukushima prefecture: approx. 154,000 (Of these, approx. 97,000 relocated within Fukushima, 57,000 relocated outside of Fukushima prefecture). 

•Map of the Designated Exclusion Zone（Right）

 

 

Damaging Misinformation (Farm Produce)

 

•“Aside from the obvious damage caused by shipping restrictions placed on products whose radiation levels exceed safety limits, the effects of ill-rumours have been especially detrimental to Fukushima's agricultural industry.

 

People are often taken by a fear of harmful radioactive materials, irrespective of whether or not products are actually fit for consumption. This reputational damage has led to reduced demand, resulting in a sharp decline in the value of produce from these areas.

 

Among produce grown in the affected areas, the reputation of fruit has been especially damaged by paranoia and misinformation. This has had a severe effect on agritourism in the region. Since the disaster, it has been reported that profitability from recreational fruit picking, as well as over the counter sales, has fallen to as little as 10 ~ 20 per cent of what they were before 2011."