“Yamakiya School” is a community empowerment activity which started in 2016 in the Yamakiya district, Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, after the districtʼs evacuation order for the Fukushima nuclear disaster had been lifted. It mostly involves farming activities and included learning radiology in the beginning. This study was conducted to clarify the activityʼs impact on the level of the participantsʼ anxiety toward radiation and reasons for their continued participation. After preliminary hearings, a survey was conducted presenting quantitative and qualitative questions. The main findings were the following: (1) The main reason that the outsiders participated was to interact with residents and other participants and take part in the farming activities, (2) Their interest in food produced in Fukushima Prefecture and radiation reports increased, as did their rapport with the residents, (3) Although learning about radiology did not significantly affect the level of the participantsʼ anxiety as early participants already had high levels of knowledge about radiation, it contributed to bolstering the robustness of their knowledge and, (4) The participants wished to continue participating to witness community reestablishment.
