Japan nuclear evacuees face stark reality, unsure future

By Shinichi Saoshiro

KAWAUCHI, May 10 (Reuters) - Residents of a Japanese village forced to evacuate after a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear disaster two months ago faced a stark reality and uncertain future when they returned briefly to their abandoned homes on Tuesday.

Clad from head to toe in white protective suits and immediately mobbed by a media throng, 92 residents of Kawauchi village in northeast Japan disembarked from buses at a village gymnasium after a two-hour trip inside the no-entry zone set up around a 20 km radius of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Each clutched a large plastic bag provided beforehand -- a quota had been placed on the amount of belongings that could be salvaged. Most were filled with clothing but included photos, stuffed toy animals, bank statements and bottles of sake.

"Apart from clothing there isn&${esc.hash}39;t much we can take back since there is hardly any space in the evacuation centre," said a middle-aged woman who declined to give her name.

The residents have been evacuated to centres elsewhere in the Fukushima region after the government last month declared Kawauchi, a village of 3,000, and eight other municipalities within the 20 km radius of the stricken plant a no entry zone.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under fire for his handling of the crisis after the triple calamities, has said the government will decide if and when evacuees can return after the damaged reactors are stabilised.

Power plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) has said that process would probably take until the end of the year, and experts warn it could well take longer.

Some residents fear they may never be able to go back.

"I have practically given up, as I don&${esc.hash}39;t know when I can get back to the village," said an elderly man wearing a baseball cap.

Many in Kawauchi make their living from the land and had to abandon their livestock when they evacuated.

"It was not good at all. Only three cows were alive out of the original herd of about 18," said 50-year old Takafumi Kusano.

"I let the surviving cows go free. I hope they can make it through until the troubles are over. I wanted to bury the dead ones but there wasn&${esc.hash}39;t enough time."

Some of the residents took bags of pet food into the village to help their animal companions survive until their next visit.

"I found my cat and was able to feed it. The house was not the same after being away for nearly two months. The grass on the lawn was much longer," said 72-year old Yuuki Tsuganami.

"Two hours was too short for a stay," said Tsuganami, who retrieved a calendar and some clothing from his abandoned home.

Residents of Kawauchi were the first to be allowed back, with the government planning similar brief visits for residents of other evacuated cities and towns.

(Writing by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)