Every year, Tomoko Kobayashi and residents near Fukushima navigate the remnants of the nuclear disaster by measuring radioactivity in their environment. Armed with measuring devices, they create detailed maps of radiation levels, which they display for public awareness, compensating for the government’s inadequate coverage. Ms. Kobayashi emphasizes the importance of self-monitoring for safety, as many locals have returned post-evacuation but remain uncertain about the safety of their land and food. Her efforts reflect a grassroots fight against the risks of lingering radioactivity nearly a decade after the catastrophe.
Every year when winter finally loosens its grip on northern Japan, Tomoko Kobayashi begins what has become an annual rite for her and a small band of collaborators.
She uses it to detect gamma rays, a telltale sign of the radioactive particles that escaped when three reactors melted down at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The government wants to proclaim that the accident is over, but it isn't, said Ms. Kobayashi, 72, who reopened her inn, Futabaya, seven years ago.
The only way to know for sure is do the measuring ourselves, she said.
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