Tokyo residents who fled the capital for the Kansai region last week over fears of radiation leaking from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were returning home as another week started — but with plenty of headaches.
Worries about more aftershocks or another big temblor, long-term effects of even slight rises in radiation levels, and the thought of getting through the summer with limited or no air conditioning due to continued rolling blackouts had some wondering if they might be back in Kansai soon.
At JR Shin-Osaka Station on Monday and Tuesday morning, large numbers of people with backpacks and suitcases were seen getting on Tokyo-bound bullet trains.