The government on April 21 declared a 20-km, no-entry zone around the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Violators face fines of up to ¥100,000 and detention of up to 30 days.
The decision affects some 78,000 people. Another government decision, announced the next day, requires residents in some areas outside the zone to evacuate their homes by late May, because the accumulated radiation level over a year since the start of the nuclear crisis on March 11 is likely to reach 20 millisieverts - a safety standard set by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Rice planting in and outside the 20-km zone will be restricted.
People affected by the evacuation orders are incensed. Prime Minister Naoto Kan and other government leaders are paying the price for their failure to disclose relevant information in a timely manner and to explain fully the need for the evacuation. Without clear grounds for the directive, people will not comply.