Six years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster took place, evacuees from the area have started to move back. For many of those who have moved back though, they were making the choice between either moving back or giving up their housing subsidies. The directive that would force those to return or either give-up their subsidies is one that impacts tens of thousands of people who had been displaced after the accident took place.

Studies have suggested that it's safe to return, but not everyone feels as though it is.

Despite the various reports that it's safe to return, many still have fears. A previous survey found that many former Fukushima residents still have fears about radiation, and they aren't ready to return. The government has insisted that it's safe but not everyone is buying that claim.

Regardless of the fears, people have started moving back, though many still have yet to return to their homes. Tourism to the area is said to be on the rise. Some are hoping that this dark tourism trend might help to bring new life into the area, help to build business back up again.

Dark Tourism...

Dark Tourism is tourism that is centered around visiting places that have been historically identified with death and suffering. This tourism trend includes visiting places such as the catacombs in Paris, the Chernobyl site in Ukraine, the Auschwitz camp in Poland, or even the Sept 11th memorial site in New York.

The trend of Dark Tourism has even spawned a television show on Netflix, a series known as Dark Tourist, and one of the recent episodes about Fukushima reportedly drew widespread backlash in Japan. The government was allegedly displeased that the program had seemingly fueled the narrative that Fukushima is unsafe; food in the region might be contaminated. It's alleged that government officials were so upset with the content that they might even be looking to take action against Netflix because of it. Authorities, according to the Japan Times, have admitted that they were in the process ofexamining the video.

It's been several years since the disaster took place in Japan and it's still estimated that it's going to take several more years yet to complete the clean-up, along with billions of dollars still to be spent.

The Fukushima plant owner has recently issued an apology, that water treated at the site still contains radioactive materials.

Despite the fear that some still have though, about risks that might come along with visiting the area, there are many people who are eager to make their way to Fukushima.

Tourists to the area have reportedly been getting out of hand with their selfie-taking, and authorities have had to post warning signs advising people not to stop and pose for selfies in the areas that still have concerning levels of radiation. The Fukushima police allegedly had to appeal for more help because there were so many people who had been trying to get out and venture to where they shouldn't be.

The 'Dark Tourism' trend might bring some help to the area but by the looks of the reaction from the government, it's attention that they might not want. They're working hard to repair the reputation that has been damaged as a result of the disaster, striving to ensure people and the world that living conditions there are safe, and that we can rely on the quality of various products coming from that region such as fish and rice etc. Regardless of their efforts to re-brand though, Fukushima might forever be associated with the nuclear disaster more than anything else.

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