٠٠:٠٣:١١Dozens of hula girls gathered to perform a traditional Shinto ritual on a beach in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture on Saturday, as the beach season officially kicked off.
The beach was reopened to the public for the first time since Japan started discharging treated water into the ocean last August from its meltdown-hit nuclear power plant, Fukushima No. 1, which also left hindering concerns over the water's quality.
Footage shows the hula girls in vibrant skirts dancing cheerfully to the music, with Shinto priest carrying out the ritual to pray for safety for beachgoers - a tradition that dates back to the 10th century CE. The hula girls and locals were later seen swimming in water.
"Finally, full-blown summer has arrived in Iwaki City. Let's all enjoy swimming in Iwaki while taking care of our own safety, and create many wonderful summer memories," announced Hiroyuki Uchida, Mayor of the Iwaki City.
Addressing possible concerns over the water discharge, some locals said that they were not 'particularly worried' and voiced their belief in efforts made by the authorities to purify the ocean.
"Well, it's fine, and I'm sure they are doing inspections, so it has no problem," said a resident.
"It is the local sea that I have been familiar with for a long time, so I come here every year with my children without worrying about the water," added another.
Shintaro Ogawara, Director of the Tourism Promotion Division at Iwaki City also asserted that 'everything is below the standard values', sharing his hope that visitors 'can come and visit our beach with peace of mind.'
On Thursday, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed the safety of Japan's discharge of tritium-containing treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea.
According to the report the task force "confirmed that the equipment and facilities are installed and operated in a manner that is consistent with the relevant international safety standards."
The prefectural government of Fukushima also announced last month that it was unable to find tritium in the seawater at eight of the prefecture's beaches that are scheduled to open this year.
Reports also confirmed that the radioactive level in the water has reached far lower than Japan's limit, which ensures safety for beachgoers intending to visit beaches across the prefecture.
Japan started water release operations at its power plant in late August 2023.
Iwaki beach is located 50 kilometres south of Fukushima plant.
'Visit with a peace of mind' - Iwaki beach opens to public for the first time since treated water release amid safety concerns
Dozens of hula girls gathered to perform a traditional Shinto ritual on a beach in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture on Saturday, as the beach season officially kicked off.
The beach was reopened to the public for the first time since Japan started discharging treated water into the ocean last August from its meltdown-hit nuclear power plant, Fukushima No. 1, which also left hindering concerns over the water's quality.
Footage shows the hula girls in vibrant skirts dancing cheerfully to the music, with Shinto priest carrying out the ritual to pray for safety for beachgoers - a tradition that dates back to the 10th century CE. The hula girls and locals were later seen swimming in water.
"Finally, full-blown summer has arrived in Iwaki City. Let's all enjoy swimming in Iwaki while taking care of our own safety, and create many wonderful summer memories," announced Hiroyuki Uchida, Mayor of the Iwaki City.
Addressing possible concerns over the water discharge, some locals said that they were not 'particularly worried' and voiced their belief in efforts made by the authorities to purify the ocean.
"Well, it's fine, and I'm sure they are doing inspections, so it has no problem," said a resident.
"It is the local sea that I have been familiar with for a long time, so I come here every year with my children without worrying about the water," added another.
Shintaro Ogawara, Director of the Tourism Promotion Division at Iwaki City also asserted that 'everything is below the standard values', sharing his hope that visitors 'can come and visit our beach with peace of mind.'
On Thursday, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed the safety of Japan's discharge of tritium-containing treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea.
According to the report the task force "confirmed that the equipment and facilities are installed and operated in a manner that is consistent with the relevant international safety standards."
The prefectural government of Fukushima also announced last month that it was unable to find tritium in the seawater at eight of the prefecture's beaches that are scheduled to open this year.
Reports also confirmed that the radioactive level in the water has reached far lower than Japan's limit, which ensures safety for beachgoers intending to visit beaches across the prefecture.
Japan started water release operations at its power plant in late August 2023.
Iwaki beach is located 50 kilometres south of Fukushima plant.
Dozens of hula girls gathered to perform a traditional Shinto ritual on a beach in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture on Saturday, as the beach season officially kicked off.
The beach was reopened to the public for the first time since Japan started discharging treated water into the ocean last August from its meltdown-hit nuclear power plant, Fukushima No. 1, which also left hindering concerns over the water's quality.
Footage shows the hula girls in vibrant skirts dancing cheerfully to the music, with Shinto priest carrying out the ritual to pray for safety for beachgoers - a tradition that dates back to the 10th century CE. The hula girls and locals were later seen swimming in water.
"Finally, full-blown summer has arrived in Iwaki City. Let's all enjoy swimming in Iwaki while taking care of our own safety, and create many wonderful summer memories," announced Hiroyuki Uchida, Mayor of the Iwaki City.
Addressing possible concerns over the water discharge, some locals said that they were not 'particularly worried' and voiced their belief in efforts made by the authorities to purify the ocean.
"Well, it's fine, and I'm sure they are doing inspections, so it has no problem," said a resident.
"It is the local sea that I have been familiar with for a long time, so I come here every year with my children without worrying about the water," added another.
Shintaro Ogawara, Director of the Tourism Promotion Division at Iwaki City also asserted that 'everything is below the standard values', sharing his hope that visitors 'can come and visit our beach with peace of mind.'
On Thursday, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed the safety of Japan's discharge of tritium-containing treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea.
According to the report the task force "confirmed that the equipment and facilities are installed and operated in a manner that is consistent with the relevant international safety standards."
The prefectural government of Fukushima also announced last month that it was unable to find tritium in the seawater at eight of the prefecture's beaches that are scheduled to open this year.
Reports also confirmed that the radioactive level in the water has reached far lower than Japan's limit, which ensures safety for beachgoers intending to visit beaches across the prefecture.
Japan started water release operations at its power plant in late August 2023.
Iwaki beach is located 50 kilometres south of Fukushima plant.