The cherry blossom in Tomioka, an abandoned area in northeastern Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture, had visitors for the first time in nine years on Saturday. /VCG Photo

Locals regularly flocked to a 2km stretch of cherry trees in the Yonomori district of Tomioka here for a hanami (flower sea) celebration under the blossoms. /VCG Photo

But the view was severely affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which was caused by the massive earthquake on March 11, 2011. /VCG Photo

The catastrophe left 15,893 people dead, 2,555 unaccounted for and the district was evacuated for safety. /VCG Photo

The evacuation order for about 90 percent of Tomioka was lifted in April 2017. As of April 1, only 922 people, less than 10 percent of the registered population, actually resided in Tomioka, according to the Asahi Shimbun. /VCG Photo

Yet the most attractive cherry blossom district is still a restricted zone due to the high radiation levels. /VCG Photo

Town officials pleaded with the central government for an exception and arranged buses for former residents to the zone on April 6. / VCG Photo