The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and consequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident caused a large-scale evacuation, generating various health issues. Although residents gradually returned, their independence of daily living and associated factors remain unknown. This study examines the hypothesis that physical and mental status are associated with the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) of older returnees (65 years and above) after the disaster. Older returnees to Kawauchi Village, Fukushima Prefecture, located 20–30 km southwest of the power plants, were recruited. IADL was assessed using the Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence, physical function via the 30-s chair stand test, and mental health via the Japanese version of the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index. To examine the association of IADL and possible factors, a t-test or Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient was used, stratified by sex. The data of 29 participants (75.5 ± 7.4 years, 19 female) were analyzed. Physical function was associated with IADL in females. Mental health was associated with IADL in males and females. Taking measures to strengthen physical function in females, as well as to improve mental health in both sexes, for enhancing IADL ability could be beneficial.

Following the evacuation of areas affected by Japan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, Kawauchi Village was one of the first municipalities repopulated. Although rehabilitation resources were limited, a healthcare facility near the municipality initiated homevisit rehabilitation in 2016. To the best of our knowledge, reports of homevisit rehabilitation in repopulated villages that were evacuated following a nuclear accident are lacking. This article describes a case study of homevisit rehabilitation in Kawauchi Village. The purpose of this study was to explore how users of homevisit rehabilitation services in Kawauchi Village perceive homevisit rehabilitation, and whether it had a positive impact on their daily life. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and their ability to perform activities of daily living was assessed, to understand the living conditions of the visitingrehabilitation service users. We studied 10 rehabilitationservice users, with a mean age of 86.8 years, who had used the services for an average of 591.4 days. Themes that emerged from the openended questionnaire were "established exercise habits and improved physical functions," "the joy of returning to the village," "challenges in the mountainous areas" and "changes in relationships due to the earthquake or evacuation." In conclusion, homevisit rehabilitation was successfully implemented in the repopulated village, and helped maintain the users' physical functions. This may thus be a viable choice for rehabilitation care in repopulated areas after disasters.