Katsurao, Mountain village in Futaba district, Japan
Katsurao is a village in Futaba district of Fukushima Prefecture, spread across the Abukuma Plateau at roughly 500 meters elevation. The area covers around 84 square kilometers in the prefecture's central region.
The village was established in 1889 and grew in a region with deep roots reaching back to the Kofun period. During the Edo period it belonged to the Soma Domain and maintained this status for a long time.
The village was long a farming community where residents grew rice and raised vegetables to sustain their families. These daily practices shaped how people lived together across many generations.
After evacuation orders were lifted in 2016, radiation monitoring stations were set up to ensure safety in the area. Visitors should check current conditions before exploring the region.
A significant portion of residents chose not to return in 2022 despite government clearance, preferring to live elsewhere. This shows how deeply the 2011 reactor accident affected people's trust and life decisions.
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