New York Times, Apr. 27, 2014: Ever since they were forced to evacuate during […] Kim Eunja and her husband have refused to return […] for fear of radiation. But now they say they may have no choice. […] government and national news media have trumpeted the reopening of Miyakoji as a happy milestone […] many residents tell a darker story. […] [Fukushima Daiichi] is still leaking radiation […] The government has declared that the stipends […] will end next March, when temporary housing will also begin to be closed. Villagers who move back before then will receive a $9,000 bonus from Tepco […] Experts […] say the evacuees will feel increasing pressure to go back from a government that wants […] to limit criticism of the powerful nuclear industry. […] Tepco refused to comment, beyond saying that it had so far paid out $36 billion […] the government says that Miyakoji is safe. […] On a recent trip here, radiation measured up to 0.23 microsieverts per hour, about three times preaccident levels […] Experts admit that they know little about the health effects of long-term exposure to low-dose radiation.***

Yukei Tomitsuka, mayor of Tamura (administers Miyakoji): “Tepco is being so stupidly unfair […] We are the victims. Should we have to go hat in hand to Tepco to ask for more money?”

Teruhisa Maruyama, lawyer, Support Group for Victims of the Nuclear Accident: “This’s inhumane and irresponsible […] The national government knows that full compensation could add up to big money, enough to raise public doubts about the wisdom of using nuclear power in Japan.”

Kim Eunja, operator of area restaurant: “The government and the media say the radiation has been cleaned up, but it’s all lies […] I want to run away, but I cannot. We have no more money.”

Satoshi Mizuochi, who helps his wife Kim at restaurant: “They want to say that everything is back to normal so they can keep their nuclear plants […] Failing to compensate us for our losses is a way of pressuring us to go back.”

Yoshikuni Munakata, retired Daiichi worker: “Compensation payments force us to come back.”

***The Times repeats the often heard statement that experts “know little about the health effects of long-term exposure to low-dose radiation”. Yet, independent experts say otherwise:

• Gundersen: “Assumption… this radiation is really so hard to measure that it does not count anymore… the data indicates that just the opposite is happening”
• Senior Scientist: “The connection between ionizing radiation exposure and increased cancer risk is very well established…  there’s radiation in the environment that wasn’t there before, people are exposed, that will cause additional disease”