Minamisōma, Fukushima facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Minamisōma
南相馬市
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City
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Minamisoma City Office
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Location of Minamisōma in Fukushima
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| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Tōhoku | |
| Prefecture | Fukushima | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 398.50 km2 (153.86 sq mi) | |
| Population
(May 1, 2011)
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| • Total | 68,745 | |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) | |
| - Tree | Japanese Zelkova | |
| - Flower | Sakura | |
| - Bird | Skylark | |
| - Fish | Salmon | |
| - Others | Insect: Firefly | |
| Phone number | 0244-22-2111 | |
| Address | 2-27 Motomachi, Haramachi-ku, Minamisōma-shi, Fukushima-ken 975-8686 |
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| Website | Minamisōma City | |
Minamisōma (南相馬市, Minamisōma-shi) is a Japanese city in Fukushima on the island of Honshu.
History
Minamisōma was formed on 1 January 2006 when three neighboring towns were merged in a new city -- Haramachi, Odaka, and Kashima.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The tsunami partly covered the city on 11 March 2011. It damaged the city severely. As of 9 April 2011, 400 residents were known to be dead and 1,100 missing.
Minamisōma is about 25km north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Much of the city is in the area near the plant where people should not live. Most people in the city had to leave. About a week after the earthquake, Minamisōma was in the news again as the town's mayor Katsunobu Sakarai complained about orders telling people still near the plant to stay in their homes. He said they had been 'abandoned'.
In mid-summer 2011, tests found radioactive cesium above the legal limit in beef from Minamisōma.
In 2012, plans were made to build solar plant on radiation-contaminated farmland.
In 2013, some critics complained that reports issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) were misleading. According to some public health experts, the health impact of nuclear fallout from the Fukushima nuclear disaster is under-estimated.
Images for kids
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Radiation monitor showing radiation at Minamisoma: 0.532 μSv/h. This equates to an annual radiation dose of 4.66 millisieverts, compared to the government's criteria for return of 20 millisieverts per year.
See also
In Spanish: Minamisōma (Fukushima) para niños
