The government is requesting that residents from the evacuation zones near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant refrain from any real estate transactions within the area until evacuation orders are lifted.

The warning is to avoid any potential trouble arising after Tepco pays compensation to landowners and to ensure a smooth reorganization of the zones. The Yomiuri Shimbun gave a slightly different, and perhaps more honest reason for the request, which is to avoid the land being acquired by various yakuza organizations who, seeing an opportunity, may make it more difficult and more expensive for the government and Tepco to negotiate the storage of contaminated waste on such land. This is not an unfounded fear, as local real estate agents have reported receiving inquiries with very similar intentions.

In July, local councils in Fukushima received notification from the Government and forwarded the materials onto residents in August. According to the materials, landowners are urged to refrain from transferring or selling land and buildings to third parties in evacuation zones while evacuation orders remain in effect.

The targeted areas are Minamisoma, Tamura, Futaba, Okuma, Tomioka, Naraha, Namie, Kawamata, Katsurao, Iitate and Kawauchi. These areas all fall within the evacuation zones, and partial caution zones.

 

Sources:
The Hokkaido Shimbun, September 2, 2012.
The Yomiuri Shimbun, September 2, 2012.

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