Cherry blossoms in the town of Tomioka, which is in the no-go zone set up for the Fukushima disaster, were shown to media Thursday as they reached full bloom.
The town, which lies within the 20-km-radius exclusion zone from the plant, boasts a 2.5-km stretch of cherry trees in Yonomori Park that forms a canopy of blossoms this time of year. Residents have been unable to enjoy the sight because they were evacuated and the town's administrative functions were transferred to Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture.
The municipal government gave special permission to reporters in protective gear to enter the town so former residents could view the trees vicariously through their reports.