Key Facts
• Yamagata surveyed evacuees from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake in 2025.
• 412 households (1,146 people) remain in Yamagata as of May 2025.
• 90% of evacuees are from Fukushima’s no-return zones.
• Survey conducted via mail in June-July 2025, with 58 responses (17.7% response rate).
• 41.4% cited physical health concerns; 32.8% worried about financial stability.
• 46.6% reported mental or physical health issues, including fatigue (20.7%) and insomnia (15.5%).
• 65.5% plan to continue living in Yamagata, with 36.2% aiming for permanent settlement.
• Evacuees expressed concerns over lack of support, housing aid, and inability to return home.
• Emotional struggles include fear of revisiting disaster sites and frustration over slow decontamination efforts.
Summary
A 2025 survey by Yamagata Prefecture highlights ongoing struggles among evacuees from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Of the 412 households still residing in Yamagata, 46.6% reported health issues, with concerns over physical health (41.4%) and financial stability (32.8%) being most common. The majority of evacuees are from Fukushima’s no-return zones, and 65.5% intend to remain in Yamagata for the foreseeable future. Emotional and logistical challenges persist, with evacuees calling for continued support and expressing frustration over slow recovery efforts in their hometowns. The survey underscores the prolonged impact of the disaster, even 14 years later.
