New adults from the Fukushima Prefecture town of Futaba pose for a commemorative photo at a coming-of-age ceremony in the prefectural city of Iwaki on Jan. 3, 2022. (Mainichi/Daisuke Wada)

       New adults from the Fukushima Prefecture town of Futaba are seen at a coming-of-age ceremony in the prefectural city of Iwaki on Jan. 3, 2022. (Mainichi/Daisuke Wada)

       IWAKI, Fukushima -- A coming-of-age ceremony for young adults from the Fukushima Prefecture town of Futaba, where all residents continue to be evacuated due to the 2011 nuclear disaster following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, was held in the prefectural city of Iwaki on Jan. 3.

       The new adults, who have been living as evacuees in their respective places due to the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, renewed old friendships after a long time.

       According to the Futaba Municipal Government, there were 56 fresh adults this year, and 20 of them gathered for the ceremony. In his ceremonial address, Futaba Mayor Shiro Izawa said, "I hope that all of you will play a major role toward the revival of the town, something that you can be proud of."

       The new adults shared their hopes and dreams. Kyoko Matsui, 20, who is aspiring to become a nurse, said, "March 11 (the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake) was the most shocking day for me, but the fact that I was able to overcome it like this gives me confidence."

       At the venue, attendants were given back the letters they wrote to their future selves in the summer of 2011, the year of the quake disaster. Shinya Sato, 43, was a homeroom teacher at the time and kept the letters. He said, "After experiencing the earthquake, they are starting to move forward with a positive attitude while keeping themselves grounded. It's very encouraging."

       Reo Matsuki, 20, who evacuated to the prefectural city of Koriyama and is now studying public administration at a university in Saitama Prefecture, said, "In the future, I want to join the town office and use what I am learning now for reconstruction."

       (Japanese original by Hideyuki Kakinuma, Iwaki Local Bureau)

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