The Liminality of Recovery

Case Studies of Newcomers in a Reopened Town in Fukushima after the Nuclear Accident

Abstract

Although twelve years have passed since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, most former residents have decided not to return to their homeland, even after the evacuation orders were lifted. This article focuses on the lives of three newcomers in Namie town and explores what it means to live in a town that former residents consider not yet ready for ordinary life. Drawing on the concept of liminality, I argue that Namie's transitional process of recovery is not only identical to a state of liminality, but also stuck in a permanent state of liminality. This article also demonstrates how Namie's liminal situation affects the newcomers' lives, as they find meaning in living in Namie but not without contradictions and compromises.