A Better Newspaper

## Overview Fifteen years after the nuclear disaster, Japan is promoting "hope tourism" in the Fukushima region, drawing visitors to barely inhabited towns near the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant (SCMP, April 2026). ## Key Details - The area still shows visible aftermath: empty lots where homes once stood, restricted-access warning signs, and convoys of trucks carrying radioactive dirt and materials (SCMP, April 2026). - Despite this, tour buses are bringing visitors attracted largely by the catastrophe itself that drove residents away (SCMP, April 2026). - The wrecked plant has reportedly become a tourism draw in itself (SCMP, April 2026). ## Strategic Significance This represents a novel economic recovery strategy — "disaster tourism" or "hope tourism" — as a tool for regional revitalization in areas devastated by nuclear disaster. It has implications for how governments manage the long-term social and economic legacy of nuclear accidents, and could serve as a template (or cautionary case) for other regions dealing with post-disaster recovery, particularly relevant given ongoing global nuclear energy expansion (including China's 50-reactor build plan) and renewed public debate over nuclear safety and risk perception. ## Watch For - Visitor numbers and economic impact data for the region. - Any controversy or criticism over commercializing disaster sites. - Broader Japanese government policy on Fukushima decommissioning and repopulation.