FUTABA, Fukushima － A post office in the quake-hit town of Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, has reopened 13 years after the nuclear incident occurred.
The Futaba Post Office operated in the town's Shinzan district prior to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake but closed due to the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant triggered by the quake. Japan Post Co. opened the new post office in the town's Nagatsuka district. Until it reopened on March 7, Futaba was the only municipality in all of Japan without a single operating post office.
双葉町の双葉郵便局が３月７日、再開した。町内で郵便局が営業するのは東日本大震災と東京電力福島第１原発事故以来１３年ぶり。
双葉郵便局は２０１１年の東日本大震災前まで町内の新山地区にあったが、福島第１原発事故の影響で休止しており、日本郵便は長塚地区に新たな郵便局を整備した。営業する郵便局が一つもない自治体は、全国で双葉町だけだった。
Townspeople flocked to the office on the opening day.
Miki Shima, who lives in public housing, came to send postcards of cherry blossoms in Hamadori, the coastal region of the prefecture, to her relatives and friends.
"I want to tell them that spring is coming to Futaba," she said. "There's also an ATM and it's very helpful."
Postmaster Norio Sasaki, a native of Soma in the same coastal region, said, "We want the office to serve as a home to the people in the community where anyone can feel free to stop by."
開局とともに多くの町民が訪れた。町内の公営住宅に暮らす島美紀さんは浜通りの桜が描かれた絵はがきを県内外の親族や友人に送るために訪れ、「双葉に春が来るよと伝えたい。ＡＴＭも近くにできて本当に助かる」と喜んだ。相馬市出身の佐々木範雄局長は「町民の皆さんが気軽に立ち寄れるような地域のよりどころにしたい」と話した。
At the opening ceremony, Japan Post Senior Executive Officer Kieko Onoki said, "We will strive to have the post office connect the hearts of those who have returned to the town and those who are still living as evacuees."
Mayor Shiro Izawa then gave a speech and cut the ceremonial ribbon with other guests.
この日は開局セレモニーも行われ、日本郵便の小野木喜恵子常務執行役員東北支社長が「帰還した町民や避難先の町民の心の架け橋となる郵便局になるよう努めたい」とあいさつした。伊沢史朗町長が祝辞を述べ、関係者とテープカットした。
Services including sending postal mail and packages, savings and insurance are available on weekdays. ATM services are available throughout the year, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
The Haramachi Post Office in Minami-Soma will continue handling home delivery and pickup services.
（ Translated by The Japan News ）
郵便・荷物、貯金、保険など各種サービスは平日のみ取り扱う。ＡＴＭは土、日曜日と祝日も利用できる。
集配業務は引き続き、南相馬市の原町郵便局が担う。
【 ２０２４年３月８日付・福島民友新聞掲載 】
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