title: Mandatory evacuation of residents during the Fukushima nuclear disaster: an ethical analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. After learning of the radiation leak, the Japanese government issued an evacuation directive for residents within 20 km of the plant a day after the earthquake. Approximately 1 month later, this area was designated a 'high alert zone' and effectively sealed-off. The purpose of this report is to examine these measures from an ethical perspective, and consider what lessons can be drawn from this experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytic discussion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We examine the measures from an ethical perspective and argue that if the government's aim was to avoid health risks posed by radiation exposure, then ordering compulsory expulsion of all residents cannot be ethically justified. We assert that the government may not have ordered the mandatory evacuation solely based on health risks, but rather to maintain public order.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Careful scrutiny of the case revealed that this public health intervention involved an objective completely unrelated to public health, and that disguising these policies using the reasonable and acceptable purpose of public health made it easier to justify undue restriction of individual liberty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Ethics, School of Public Health, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. akirasan-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akabayashi
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011634:Public Health / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012066:Relief Work / Q000941:ethics*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D057192:Tsunamis