ABSTRACT
The Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster and the subsequent nuclear disaster severely impacted the commerce and industry of Fukushima Prefecture. In addition to the damage to factories caused by the earthquake and tsunami, supply chains were disrupted and many businesses were forced to suspend operations. While the restart of business operations subsequently progressed along with recovery efforts, the pace of reconstruction has varied considerably depending on the nature of the damage caused. In particular, as a result of the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), even five years after the start of the disaster, many residents and businesses are still unable to return to the areas around the plant due to high levels of radioactive contamination. In areas to which they are now able to return due to lowered levels of radiation, economic recovery is an urgent matter.
