Overview

• The government will use decontaminated Fukushima soil in flower beds at central ministries and the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, marking the first full-scale reuse beyond the prefecture.
• More than 14 million cubic meters of soil removed after the 2011 nuclear accident remain stored at interim facilities in Okuma and Futaba towns.
• Japanese law mandates that up to 75% of soil with radioactivity below 8,000 becquerels per kilogram be repurposed for public works, with the balance slated for disposal outside Fukushima by March 2045.
• Previous plans to redeploy the soil in Shinjuku Ward and Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture collapsed after local resistance, prompting central government action.
• The IAEA’s 2024 final report affirmed that Japan’s soil recycling and disposal strategy aligns with international safety standards.