This is a brief chronology outlining what has happened to animals abandoned in the area up to 20km from the Fukushima nuclear plants. I hope this will give people both overseas and in Japan another perspective of the realities we have all had to face since the March 11 disaster.
(Sachiko Nakayama, January 28, 2014)
MARCH 11, 2011
The Japanese government gives an evacuation order to residents of the area within 10km of Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Plant.
MARCH 12, 2011
The government designates the area within 20km of Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Plant and 10km of the No. 2 Plant for the compulsory evacuation of residents. They are not allowed to be accompanied by companion animals. As a result, 30,000 registered companion animals, including 5,800 dogs and numerous cats, are left in the area. It is estimated that several times more unregistered companion animals may also have been abandoned. In addition, 3,500 cattle, 30,000 pigs and 630,000 fowl are left in the area. Vets and volunteers rush to the area but are stopped at checkpoints and cannot enter. Some volunteers sneak through the northern part of the area and rescue a very small number of dogs and cats.
APRIL 22, 2011
The government designates the area within 20km of the plants as off-limit. Residents who do not obey the order are forced to evacuate. From this day, volunteers are arrested for entering the area to rescue abandoned animals.
MAY 12, 2011
Prime Minister Naoto Kan, gives an order for the mercy killing of livestock left in the area. Most have already died by this time because nobody has given them food and water. According to a survey in May, the number of cattle has dropped from 3,500 before March 11 to 1,300, and that of pigs from 30,000 to 200. People upload pictures online that show cats abandoned in houses ate each other before they all eventually died. Both dogs and cats have starved to death. Some dogs and cats escape from the warning area; volunteers are not allowed to enter the area but give them food and water outside so they can survive. Other teams break the barricades and enter the warning area to rescue abandoned animals.
AUTUMN 2011
According to an estimate by a voluntary group, 100 dogs and 5,000 cats are still alive within the zone.
WINTER 2011
Cats freeze to death in the seasonal cold. Older cats are particularly affected.
APRIL 2012
The warning area is divided into two blocks:
Block A: The government starts preparations for the return of residents at some point.
Block B: The government anticipates that residents will never be able to return to their homes.
The off-limits order is suspended for some areas, but entry continues to be limited.
APRIL 5, 2012
After the government lifts the off-limits order in some areas, people are allowed to return to their homes and to take care of livestock, although they cannot sell them on the market or move them out of the area. The government continues to demand mercy killings for livestock.
SUMMER 2012
In most cases, the cats sheltered by voluntary groups appear to no more than 5 years old. It is assumed that older cats have already died.
JANUARY 2013
Volunteers who have been rescuing companion animals within the warning area are arrested and prosecuted for illegal acts such as breaking barricades and entering the area.
MAY 28, 2013
The off-limits order is ended. The area is now divided into three blocks:
Block A: The government starts preparations for the return of residents at some point.
Block B: The government limits residents’ visits to their homes in terms of when and how long they can stay.
Block C: The government anticipates that residents will never be able to return to their homes.
(Additional information on the blocks)
Block A: The government is making efforts so that residents can return to their homes as soon as possible. They can enter the area but need official permission to stay at home overnight. Anyone can drive through the main roads in this block. The government is encouraging both public and commercial sectors to start the construction of infrastructure for the daily lives of residents, such as public facilities, pharmaceutical shops, supermarkets and gas stations.
Block B: The government requires residents to remain evacuated from the area. In the daytime, they can enter the area to visit their homes. To stay overnight, they need official permission beforehand. Anyone can drive through the main roads and enter the area for public purposes such as voluntary activities.
Block C: The government predicts that the amount of accumulated radiation within this block will not fall below 20 sievert per year. Nobody is allowed to enter the area. Even residents need permission to return home for limited periods.
Many abandoned dogs and cats still live in the area within 20km of Fukushima nuclear plants. These include kittens born since March 11, 2011. They totally depend on food and water brought in regularly by volunteers. Since the government ended the off-limits order in the designated warning area, some voluntary groups are actively helping abandoned animals to survive. Even so, the financial and human resources available are very limited compared with the number of animals and the size of the area.
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世界の皆さまへ（吉田美恵子さんのスピーチ日本語訳）
こんにちは。
私の名前は吉田美恵子です。
私は福島県南相馬市小高区民です。私の家は福島原発から15kmに位置しています。
原発から半径20km圏内で起こったことについてお話したいと思います。
現在、原発から半径20km圏内の地域は、立ち入りを厳しく禁止されています。
とっても恐ろしく、ひどいことがそこで起こっていました。
3月11日、大きな地震と津波が日本の東北の穏やかな沿岸地域で発生しました。
多くの人々が犠牲になりました。
この2つの大きい天災の後、原発による3つ目の災害が福島で起こりました。
3月12日、原発から20km圏内に住む居住者対し避難命令が出されました。
住民は避難しろ、と言われ避難せざるを得ませんでした。
私も避難しなければなりませんでした。
しかしその時、私は一人暮らしで家で9匹の猫を飼っていました。
私は彼らを放っておくことができず避難することができませんでした。
市役所からはペットと動物に関してのお知らせも案内もありませんでした。
結局、3月19日に猫を残して私は避難しました。
4月22日、より厳しい発令が出されました。
人々が原発20km圏内に入るのを禁じました。
避難所には、ペット・家畜を連れ出すことができなかった多くの飼い主がいます。
多くのペットと動物が、今も水と食物無しでほぼ40日残されています。
これらのペットの飼い主たちは皆、非常に心配しており、
多くは心労のため心を病んでいます。
4月22日から、多くのペットの飼い主と私は、
市職員が残された動物を救出できないか、
また動物たちが生き残れるように少なくともフードと水を置いて来てもらえないか、市役所に毎日問い合わせに行きました。
悲しいことに、市役所の答えはいつも、日本政府が彼らが動物を救い出すこと、
世話をすることを許さないということです。
日本政府の意向は、置き去りになっている動物とペットを救出せず
そのまま放置して動物達が飢え死にするのを待つことです。
今日は5月25日です。4月22日の立入規制日から36日が過ぎました。
20km圏内で動けない動物は現在死ぬほど飢えています。
彼らは来ない救出を待っています。
私の家は原発から15kmではありますが区域の放射線濃度は全く低いです。
放射線濃度は区域毎に大いに異なります。
世界のすべての人々にお願いです。
これらの不運なペットと動物を救い出すよう、
少なくとも、動物たちが生き残ることができるように
定期的に水と食物を提供するよう日本政府に訴えてください。
もう一度言います、我々は政府に動物救出と給餌・給水を求めています。
置き去りになったペットと動物を救い出すのを、どうか手伝ってください。
動物達を助けるためにもっと動くように日本政府に訴えてください。
ご清聴ありがとうございました。福島の沿岸部に済む吉田美恵子でした。
1、2ヵ月に一度、私たちの状況を皆さまに報告したいです。
ありがとう。さよなら。
To the people of the world
（Transcript of the Speech by Mieko Yoshida, May 2011）
Hello, my name is Mieko Yoshida. I am a resident of Odaka-ward, Minami-Soma city, Fukushima prefecture. My home is located 15km from the Fukushima nuclear power plants. I would like to talk to you about what has happened within a radius of 20km from Tokyo Electric Power Co’s nuclear power plants.
Currently, the area within a radius of 20km from the power plants is strictly prohibited to enter. Terrible, awful, horrible things have been happening there.
On March 11th, the great earthquake and tidal waves (tsunami) occurred in the north-east pacific coastal area of Japan. A lot of people became victims. Following these two big natural disasters, a third disaster involving TEPCOs nuclear power plants took place in Fukushima.
On March 12th, an evacuation order was made to the residents of within 20km from the nuclear power plants, telling the people that they had to move. I also had to evacuate.
However, at the time I lived by myself and took care of 9 cats in my home. I could not evacuate and leave them alone. There was no direction or notice relating to pets and animals from the city office. On March 19th, I eventually evacuated, leaving my cats behind.
From April 22nd, a stricter order was made, prohibiting people from entering the 20km area.
In the evacuation centers, there are a lot of pet and farm animal owners who could not take their animals out. A lot of pets and animals have been left without water and food for almost 40 days now. These pet owners are all very concerned, and many have become sick with worry.
Since April 22nd, many pet owners and I have been to the city office everyday asking for the workers to rescue the left animals, or at least provide them with food and water so that they can survive. Sadly, their answer is always that the Japanese government does not allow them to rescue or care for the animals. The Japanese government’s intention is not to rescue the left animals and pets, but to leave them as they are and wait for them to starve to death.
Today is May 25th, 36 days have passed since the restriction day of April 22nd. The animals stranded within the 20km area are now starving to death. They are waiting for a rescue that is not coming.
Even though my home is 15km from the power plants, our city’s radiation level is quite low. The radiation level differs greatly from area to area.
To all the people of the world, we ? pet and animal owners from within the 20km area ? would like to ask you to tell the Japanese government to rescue these unfortunate, left pets and animals. Otherwise, at least provide them with water and food regularly so that they can survive. Again, we want the government to rescue the animals, and give them food and water.
Could you please help us to rescue these abandoned pets and animals. Can you please tell the Japanese government to do more to help them.
Thank you very much for your cooperation in advance, from Mieko Yoshida: Fukushima coast resident. I would like to report our situation to you every month or two months.
Thank you. Good bye.
警戒区域の推移 日本語訳
2011年3月11日：第一原発10km圏に避難指示
2011年3月12日：第一原発20km圏と第二原発10km圏が避難指示地域になり
5,800頭（登録されている数）の犬、およそ1万と思われる猫、
牛3500頭、豚3万頭、鶏63万羽が取り残される。
救援に向かった獣医師や愛護組織は検問で立ち入りを拒否され
北部から潜入した民間ボランティアがわずかな犬猫を救出。
2011年4月22日午前0時：原発半径20km圏を警戒区域として立ち入り禁止に指定。
残っていた住民は強制的に退去させられる。
これ以降、動物救出のために警戒区域に潜入した
ボランティアは発見されると逮捕という事態になる。
2011年5月12日：内閣総理大臣より、警戒区域に取り残された家畜の安楽死処分命令。
5月の調査では、残っている牛が1300頭、豚が200頭と、
相当数が減少したという。
2012年4月5日：一部の警戒区域が解除されたことによって、
立ち入りが可能になった地域の家畜は
出荷制限、移動制限などの条件下で通い飼育が可能になる。
しかし、原則は安楽死であることは変わらない。
2012年4月から2013年8月にかけて、警戒区域が再編され
「避難解除準備区域」と「帰宅困難地域」に分割。
同時に立ち入り禁止も解除されたが、自由に往来できるわけではない。
2013年1月：バリケードを突破して警戒区域に侵入し、
置き去りにされたペットを救出中のボランティアが逮捕、起訴される。
2013年5月28日：立ち入り禁止の警戒区域がいったん解除。
「避難指示解除準備区域」と「居住制限区域」「帰宅困難区域」
再編される。
2013年8月8日：再編が遅れていた「計画的避難地域」である伊達郡川俣町が
「居住制限区域」と「避難指示解除準備区域」に分けられたことで
原発避難地域の再編はすべて終了する。
避難指示解除準備区域=住民の早期帰還をめざす区域。立ち入りOK（宿泊は制限）
主要道路の通過OK。
住民の生活環境を整備する事業活動OK（公共事業及び、薬局、 スーパー、ガソリンスタンドなど）
居住制限区域=引き続き避難の継続を求める地域。
住民の日中の立ち入りはOK（宿泊は制限）、主要道路の通過OK、
公共目的の立ち入りOK。
帰宅困難地域=5年を経過してもなお年間積算放射線量が
20シーベルトを下まわらないと判断されている地域。立ち入り禁止。
住民の一時帰宅も制限つき。ここにも多くの動物が取り残されている。
＊ 下の動画は、取り残された動物を見殺しにして
世界から尊敬される国をめざせるわけがないと訴える
吉田美恵子さん（2011年5月3日】