A Fukushima town that was fully evacuated following the accident at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has held its first coming-of-age ceremony since the disaster.
On Saturday, 46 newly minted adults returned to Okuma from where they have been living as evacuees across Japan and took their first steps into adulthood in their hometown.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to be held in January in Iwaki, where many residents have been living as evacuees, but was postponed twice due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Then a new community center was built this month in Okuma's Okawara district, where the evacuation order was lifted two years ago, making it possible for the town to accommodate the ceremony.
At the ceremony, Ryo Endo, a third-year university student, spoke on behalf of the new adults, saying: "We pledge to keep moving forward every day, in order to lead a life filled with hope and happiness."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
