Fourteen Years After Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Cancer Patients Seek Clarity

In March 2011, when three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant melted down approximately 64 kilometers from her home in northern Japan, she was attending high school. Living outside the designated evacuation zone, she continued her daily routine, going shopping and cycling to school.

Four years later, medical testing revealed a malignant tumor in her thyroid gland—a part of the neck known to be particularly susceptible to radioactive particles released during nuclear accidents. However, upon diagnosis, a doctor immediately asserted that the tumor was not linked to the disaster.

She questioned how the physician could make such a determination without conducting further examinations. Now 20 years old, the young woman has requested anonymity due to significant social pressure discouraging her from speaking out.

More than a decade after a massive earthquake and tsunami disabled the plant’s cooling systems—triggering reactor explosions that dispersed radioactive materials across this region—the question of the cancer’s origins remains unresolved.

Recently, Fukushima Prefecture’s testing committee reaffirmed its conclusion that the triple meltdown did not produce long-term health effects. This position aligns with assessments from numerous medical experts, including those from international organizations. Nevertheless, many local residents and a minority of specialists remain skeptical, arguing that authorities have not provided sufficient evidence to substantiate their claims.