15 Years On: Church Nearest Stricken Nuclear Plant Reclaims Its Flock

Okuma, Fukushima Pref., March 4 (Jiji Press)–A Baptist church once emptied by evacuation following the massive earthquake and tsunami that crippled a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, 15 years ago has returned to its home, recasting itself as a civic anchor with community ties. Fukushima First Bible Baptist Church in the town of Okuma was long known as “the church closest to the nuclear plant.” It was located just about 5 kilometers to the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. Founded around 1947, the church had grown to four chapels across neighboring municipalities just before the disaster. After the triple meltdown occurred at the nuclear plant, then senior pastor Akira Sato, now 68, and roughly 60 congregants fled, seeking refuge first with churches that offered shelter in the Fukushima city of Aizuwakamatsu and Yonezawa, a city in neighboring Yamagata Prefecture. Then, they spent about a year at a campsite in the Tokyo town of Okutama, which was offered rent-free by a German missionary. In 2012, they moved to the Fukushima city of Iwaki, building a church hall and broadening its mission beyond Sunday worship. Tea gatherings and English classes drew residents with no prior affiliation. A children’s cafeteria, counseling for older adults and people with disabilities, as well as events linking evacuees with longtime residents, followed. “We wanted to make a church that serves the community,” Sato said, recalling a resolve to repay many people for their kindness and take root in a new place. “After the disaster, our guideline principle became connecting with the local community,” he said. “The story that has already been written can’t be erased,” Sato said, remembering 2022, when the congregation resumed services in Okuma, restoring the original chapel and holding worship once a month. Starting next fiscal year, the church plans to shift to weekly services and is considering operating a cafe and offering English classes. Okuma itself has changed a lot. About 70 pct of residents arrived after the disaster. The task, Sato said, is “to fashion a church that fits the remade town,” by deepening ties with the local community. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]