On pristine pitches in northeastern Japan, the Argentine men's rugby team practiced their scrums, line-outs and set plays in the sunshine in preparation for their opening game against France this week in the Rugby World Cup.
About a year ago, the ground beneath their feet was covered with parking lots for the hundreds of workers who had to contain and then clean up the world's worst nuclear disaster.
Eight years after the earthquake and tsunami that caused the triple meltdowns of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the only sign of the devastation at the J-Village sports complex is a radiation monitor showing levels lower than in Tokyo. But residents and businesses in the region are still struggling to persuade the world that their towns and produce are safe.
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