Last year's accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant exposed local residents to whole-body radiation doses of up to 50 millisieverts, well below the safety threshold, the World Health Organization has estimated.

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Nowhere did the whole-body dose estimate exceed the 100-millisievert limit, which poses enhanced risks of dying from cancer.

The thyroid gland dose estimate was the largest, at 100-200 millisieverts, for infants in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture. That level was lower than the average of 490 millisieverts for evacuees from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident of 1986, which caused thyroid cancer in many evacuees.

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The Japanese government says NOT carrying out decontamination work may be an option in areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where radiation readings are likely to stay high for at least a decade.

L'accident de la centrale japonaise a provoqué la plus grande marée radioactive de l'histoire. Mais les rejets ont été presque miraculeusement dilués grâce aux très puissants courants marins qui longent la côte.

Restrictions in sizeable parts of Fukushima's evacuation area have been relaxed, enabling some residents to visit at will and work towards a permanent return. Two towns have opened, and a third will follow in two weeks' time.

At midnight on 1 April the restrictions on several areas within 20 kilometres of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were revised. A significant part of these had shown dose rates caused by ambient radioactivity to be below 20 millisieverts per year - the government's benchmark for the return.

These towns are considerably farther from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant than Okuma, where our family used to live, though.

A tool equipped with a tiny video camera, a thermometer, a dosimeter and a water gauge was used to assess damage inside the containment chamber of Fukushima Daiichi plant's number 2 reactor for the second time since the tsunami swept into the complex more than a year ago.

The data collected on Tuesday showed the damage from the disaster is so severe that the plant operator will have to develop special equipment and technology to tolerate the harsh environment and decommission the plant. The process is expected to last decades.

The other two reactors that had meltdowns could be in even worse shape. The number 2 reactor is the only one officials have been able to closely examine so far.

As the nation prepares for the first anniversary of the tsunami, the Japanese are preoccupied with radiation fears, the antinuclear debate, and bashing the operator of the Fukushima plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), for its response to the crisis. The workers who risked their lives remain faceless and nameless. Increasingly, they are also voiceless, because they fear being associated with the now-vilified power company if they speak about what went on in the plant. Six workers spoke to Newsweek on the condition that their real names not be used so they could provide a rare firsthand account of the fear and courage of these men--as well as describe what they consider unsafe practices during the initial stages of the recovery effort.

Since the Fukushima catastrophe almost one year ago, Jun Shigemura has been providing psychological care to workers from the stricken nuclear facility. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, he tells of the immense challenges facing TEPCO employees -- and why most of them have elected not to quit their jobs.

Last year, the Japanese government ordered the nuclear authorities to conduct tests on all Japan's reactors after the 11 March meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi raised questions about the safety of nuclear power, particularly in a country prone to earthquakes and tsunami.

Earlier this week, a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] began a review of the safety tests but said it was up to the Japanese government whether or not to approve the restart of idle reactors.

Currently only three of Japan's 54 reactors – just over 6% of its total nuclear capacity – are in operation after the Fukushima accident forced the closure of active reactors for safety checks.

The Ministry of the Environment on Jan. 26 announced a schedule for decontamination work covering 26,700 hectares of "special decontamination areas" tainted with radioactive materials from the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

The schedule eyes completion of decontamination work in areas where the yearly radiation dosage is below 50 millisieverts per year by the end of March 2014. However, the effectiveness of decontamination efforts is still unclear and there are a host of issues to deal with after the decontamination work is finished, including the building of infrastructure for each community. It remains unknown whether residents will be able to return to their homes.

The government's schedule does not clarify the targets for reducing radiation levels. The results of model decontamination work that the Cabinet Office is handling are expected to be released in February or March, and the Ministry of the Environment plans to wait for those results before deciding on targets.