Okuma, Fukushima Pref. – A supermarket opened in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Friday, becoming the first new store in the town since the 2011 accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
More than 500 people lined up ahead of the opening of the store, operated by Maruto, headquartered in the Fukushima Prefecture city of Iwaki.
The company expects demand from local residents who have returned from nuclear evacuations, as well as those engaged in reconstruction projects.
The supermarket has a sales floor area of about 2,000 square meters and houses a drugstore and a ?100 shop. It also offers product delivery and reservation services.
“It will serve as an important base for bringing prosperity and vitality to the community,” Okuma Mayor Jun Yoshida said at the day’s opening ceremony.
The development of commercial facilities is progressing in municipalities affected by the nuclear accident. In the town of Futaba, which borders Okuma, Aeon Tohoku opened a store in August last year.
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