the morning of March 12, as it is well within the exclusion radius around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. On March 28, 2013, the central government rezoned the town into two areas according to level of radiation: in the first, people were free to go in and out but not allowed to stay overnight; in the second, all entry was forbidden because of elevated radiation levels that were not expected to go down within five years after the accident. However, only 4 percent of the town area zone was opened to daytime return of residents, and the town remained uninhabitable. As of 2017, the Japanese government is leading a cleanup of the town, aiming for 11 percent to be livable by spring 2022. In March 2020, the town's train station was reopened as cleanup efforts continued, and an area of habitability of around one square mile was established around the station. Services between Futaba and the neighbouring towns of Namie and Naraha commenced on March 14, 2020. In 2022, resettlement of the town commenced when the first three residents to return on a permanent basis arrived. It is planned to increase Futaba's population to 2,000 over the course of five years. Economy The economy of Futaba was heavily dependent on commercial fishing and agriculture. Raising of carnations was a major industry. Education Futaba has two public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education. All schools remain closed. Transportation Railway JR East – Jōban Line Highway - Tomioka Interchange Noted residents Kazunari Watanabe, Olympic cyclist Local attractions Kiyotosaku Cave Tombs, a National Historic Site with a kofun burial chamber decorated with murals References External links Official Website Towns in Fukushima Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan Environmental disaster ghost towns