Muji Enters the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Area with a Rest Stop Store in Namie
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Ten years after the Tohoku earthquake and nuclear disaster in Fukushima, popular home goods store Muji has arrived.
As part of Muji's "feel-good living and society" project, the popular Japanese home goods store opened a new location on March 20, 2021, at the highway rest stop Michi-no-Eki Namie (道の駅なみえ)―part of Fukushima's infamous nuclear disaster zone. The rest stop itself is less than a year old, and together with Muji's first-ever rest stop retail location, it's an important milestone for the region. This construction is a symbol of the post-disaster growth that Fukushima has seen in the ten years since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and hopefully a sign of the new vitality being brought to the area today.
If you've read the series of articles the Japankuru team wrote on Joban-mono seafood, you might remember a thing or two about Fukushima's geography, and the Hama-dori region. The little town of Namie is located right between Soma and Iwaki, the cities we visited to learn more about Joban-mono, which means that the town was in the hardest-hit area in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami. It was also under 20km away from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and part of the region affected by the nuclear disaster. Unsurprisingly, residents were forced to evacuate, and despite Namie being declared safe to return to in 2017, danger zones are still close by.
Before the natural disasters, Namie's population was about 21,500. Now, there are 17,000 registered as residents, but the real number of people actually living in Namie is closer to about 1,500, with others scattered across Fukushima and the rest of Japan. According to an official survey conducted in late 2020, just about half of the town's former residents have no plans to return to live in Namie.
But the town isn't dead yet, and there are people trying to bring vitality back into the area. This new Muji is one small part of that larger project.
This new Muji location aims to focus their product selection on "basic daily necessities," including popular items like non-perishable packets of curry, household cleaning tools, and even basic underclothes. But the Michi-no-Eki rest stop has some other surprises in store, too, like the very insta-bae "Namie Sky Parfait," and extremely intriguing yakisoba-flavored ice cream.
Namie's Ukedo fishing port was once another important port for Joban-mono fishing, alongside the industries in Soma and Iwaki, and the port was finally opened up again in spring 2020. While fishing operations are only slowly expanding, in a careful "experimental stage," it will be interesting to see how these different facets of revitalization help Namie grow in the coming years!
Muji, Michi-no-Eki Namie (無印良品 道の駅なみえ)
60 Chimeiji, Kiyohashi, Namie, Futaba District, Fukushima
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00, closed the last Wednesday of the month.
Official Page (jp)
Details
NAME:Muji, Michi-no-Eki Namie (無印良品 道の駅なみえ)
Japankuru's head Chinese editor: mid-30s, likes to write, draw, and take photos. Aiming to become an old aunty with a girlish look. Articles written in Chinese by Lucy Wu, and translated by Sophia Appelbaum.
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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