Tomoko Kobayashi has kept the garden at JR Odaka station by herself and with her own money for five years. She is the manager of Ryokan Futabaya near Odaka Station, which is located 15 km (9.32mi) from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
She was the first resident who returned to the Odaka town center after the evacuation order was lifted. Now she is surrounded by plenty of interesting people; entrepreneurs; a novelist; the Airbnb ‘Lantern House’ owner (Karin, a member of this project); a sushi restaurant (Urashima); a local favorite Ramen shop, and many others.
JR Odaka Station resumed train service in July 2016. An elementary, a junior high and a high school reopened in April 2017. Odaka has restarted its history.
You can ride around the town with a free rental bike.
