Iwaki

Iwaki (いわき) is a city in southeastern Fukushima Prefecture along the Pacific coast, about 50 kilometers south of the stricken nuclear plant. The city suffered damage from both the earthquake and tsunami, but most tourist spots reopened within a year afterwards.

Coal mining was Iwaki's main industry from the 1870s to the 1960s, as commemorated by the Iwaki Coal and Fossil Museum. When oil took over as the predominant energy source in Japan, coal mines started closing, and the city turned towards tourism for new sources of income. In 1966, a new water park resort with a Hawaiian theme was built in the hot spring resort of Yumoto Onsen. Now known as the Spa Resort Hawaiians, it remains Iwaki's most famous tourist attraction today.