A year has passed since the massive earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on the Pacific coastal areas of the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011, and many survivors continue to suffer from their devastating effects. The impact of the natural disasters was compounded by the subsequent nuclear crisis that occurred at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Radioactive contamination forced some 113,000 Fukushima residents to evacuate their towns and villages, and many still cannot return home. Even residents outside the evacuation zones continue to contend with the dangers of radiation on a daily basis.
In carrying out the tasks needed for reconstruction, the government should uphold the basic tenet of the Basic Law for Reconstruction from the East Japan Great Earthquake.