Belated government estimates released Friday of radiation doses that residents would face if they returned to their homes near the meltdown-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant have raised concern that an evacuation order was lifted too early.
For one area in the village of Kawauchi, Fukushima Prefecture, where the government wants to lift the order, the study said an individual engaged in farming could receive a dose of 3 to 3.5 millisieverts per year — at least triple the long-term decontamination goal of 1 millisievert set by the government and what residents had expected before coming back.
"I think the estimate is high. I feel lonely because people we evacuated with are against returning," said Kiyoshi Yoshioka, 71, whose home is in a 3.5-millisievert area. "Looking at this figure, I also cannot take my grandchildren home."