Press Releases 2013

We deeply apologize to the people of Fukushima and broader society for the tremendous amount of inconvenience and anxiety caused by the accident at Fukushima Daiichi and Daini Nuclear Power Stations (hereinafter referred to as "the accident").

The outline of compensation for the valuables owned by individuals, private business owners (including agricultural, forestry and fishery workers, the same shall apply hereinafter), and small/ medium-sized business entities has already been announced by the press release entitled "Compensation According to the Redefined Evacuation Zone (Within the Evacuation Zone)" on July 24, 2012. Today we would like to announce the start of application procedure concerning compensation for housing lands, buildings and land lease rights owned by individuals and private business owners, and housing lands and land lease rights owned by small/ medium-sized business entities.
To hear and clarify the precise asset situation of applicants and ensure satisfied compensation, the "Dedicated dial for consultation concerning compensation of housing lands, buildings and household goods at Fukushima Nuclear Compensation Office (0120-926-596)," was launched where explanation concerning compensation for housing lands, buildings and land lease rights such as the assets for compensation and the calculation methods for compensation amounts is given, as well as providing consultation on details of registration information, tax breakdown, etc.
We would like to also announce that the application procedure concerning compensation for depreciable assets, inventory assets, housing lands and land lease rights owned by business entities other than small/ medium-sized business entities (hereinafter referred to as "large companies") has also been started.

[Compensation for individuals, private business owners, and small/ medium-sized business entities]
1. Outline of compensation for individuals, private business owners, and small/ medium-sized business entities
(1) Eligible individuals, private business owners, and small/ medium-sized business entities
○ Individuals and private business owners who owned the assets subject to the compensation within the evacuation zone^*1 at the time of the accident. Individuals and private business owners who inherited the assets subject to the compensation from the above individuals and private business owners after the accident, and registered the inheritance, are also eligible for the compensation.
○ Small / medium-sized business entities which owned the assets subject to the compensation within the evacuation zone at the time of the accident, and meet the conditions shown below, are eligible for the compensation:
・Business entities whose capital or investment is 100 million yen or less, excluding the business entities related to other business entities or mutual companies whose capital or investment is 500 million yen or more.
・Public interest corporations^*2 whose income from business operations is 300 million yen or more are excluded.

(2) Assets subject to the payment (See "Attachment 1")
Housing lands and buildings^*3 that existed within the evacuation zone at the time of the accident are subject to the compensation.
For assets owned by individuals and private business owners whose inheritance has not been registered, separate announcement will be given when the procedure is prepared^*4.

(3) Damages subject to the payment
For housing lands and land lease rights, depreciation of valuables during the evacuation period will be compensated. For buildings, depreciation of valuables during the evacuation period, depreciation of valuables caused by secular changes during the evacuation period, and the depreciation cost for restoring to the status quo caused by out-of-control will be compensated.

2. Method for calculating the compensation amount (See "Attachment 2")
The compensation amount will be calculated by the method shown below. The calculation method for the "amount equivalent to the market price" will be selected from three options for each asset: fixed evaluation, individual evaluation, and onsite evaluation. For the cases that include particular expensive facilities, or extension or reconstruction works of building (excluding repair or maintenance works), these facilities or works will also compensated in addition to the compensation amount for main buildings.

< Compensation amount calculation >
Amount equivalent to the market price × Owner's share
× Evacuation order period ratio^*5

In those cases where the housing lands, buildings, or land lease rights were sold during the period after the accident and before this compensation agreement, the compensation amount will be calculated up to the amount that is calculated by deducting the sales proceeds from the multiplication result of the amount equivalent to the market price by the owner's share.

In those cases where buildings were damaged by the earthquake and Tsunami, the amount for the damage inflicted by the earthquake and Tsunami (determined according to the severity of damage) will be deducted from the compensation amount. (See "Attachment 3")
* In those cases where "temporary compensation" or "compensation for repairing the damage of buildings" was already paid, the amount will be deducted  by this compensation.

3. Flow of application for compensation (See "Attachment 4")
For compensation of housing lands, buildings and land lease rights, as there are many cases where it is difficult to check the details about the owner of relevant assets only by the fixed asset tax information and registration information which are checked in advance, applicants are requested to check the subject assets for compensation by the "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)" and select the compensation calculation method by the "Application Form for Compensation (2) (for selection of calculation method)."

(1) Application procedure using "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)"
TEPCO will send the "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)" which shows the fixed asset tax information, registration information, etc. identified by TEPCO in advance. Please check the registration information corresponding to each item of fixed asset tax information, and return the form.
Using the "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)" returned, TEPCO will check the "existence of subject assets for compensation," "status of ownership" and "information necessary for compensation amount calculation." For the cases where the fixed asset tax information doesn't exist, or cases where the fixed asset tax information exists but corresponding registration doesn't exist, alternative documents, etc. will be checked.

a. Check of the "existence of subject assets for compensation" and "status of ownership"
○ Housing land
For each item of the fixed asset tax information, TEPCO will check that the fixed asset tax information matches the name and existence of registration information to confirm the ownership of lands.

○ Building
・ In principle, TEPCO will check the "name, existence, type, structure, floor area, and age" of the fixed asset tax information and registration information to confirm the ownership for each item of the fixed asset tax information.
・ For the cases where the building is not registered, the name of construction work agreement and the tax payer of the fixed asset will be checked.
・ For the cases where the above check is not available, TEPCO will confirm the ownership of the building by checking that the owner in the registration information for the land on which the building is located matches the tax payer of the building, and that there is no building owned or jointly owned by others on the land.
・ For the check of building ownership, other methods are also being examined now, which will be announced separately after the method is confirmed.

○ Land lease right
In principle, applicants are requested to declare the land lease right for each item of fixed asset tax information. TEPCO will check the document for the latest land fee payment (please also submit the land lease agreement for the housing land if available), and the evidence that the building owned by the applicant exist on the leased land, to confirm the existence and ownership of the land lease right.

b. Check of the "current status necessary for calculation of compensation amount"
 To calculate the compensation amount, applicants are requested to declare the items shown below:
・ Whether the asset is owned for the purpose of sales as a business or not
・ Whether the asset was sold after the accident or not
・ Whether the housing land was leased for profit for the purpose of third-party ownership of building or not (for housing lands only)
・ Whether there is any damage of the earthquake and Tsunami or not (for buildings only)
・ Whether there is any extension or reconstruction of building, or particular expensive facilities or not (for buildings only)

(2) Application procedure using the "Application Form for Compensation (2) (for selection of calculation method)"
Based on the "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)" returned, TEPCO will confirm the "subject assets for compensation" owned by the applicant, and send the "Application Form for Compensation (2) (for selection of calculation method)" which shows the compensation amount by the fixed evaluation, etc. Applicants are requested to select the calculation method for the "amount equivalent to the market price," the base for compensation amount calculation, for each asset, among the fixed evaluation, individual evaluation and onsite evaluation.
For the cases where the individual evaluation is selected and the compensation amount calculated by the individual evaluation method is found to be less than the amount calculated by the fixed evaluation method, the compensation amount calculated by the fixed evaluation method will be paid. However, for the cases where the onsite evaluation is selected, the compensation amount will be the amount equivalent to the market price calculated based on the actual survey result (once the onsite evaluation is selected, the choice cannot be changed to the fixed evaluation or individual evaluation).

4. Treatment of the "compensation for repairing the damage of buildings"
For the "compensation for repairing the damage of buildings" having been accepted since July 2012, the existing procedure where a part of the compensation for buildings is paid in advance will be changed to this application procedure of compensation for housing lands, buildings and land lease rights.
However, cases where the "compensation for repairing the damage of buildings" has not been paid because the building has not been registered, and it takes a long time before the compensation for housing lands, buildings and land lease rights is paid because the owner selects the onsite evaluation, will be treated after hearing the individual context.

5. Delivery and acceptance of application documents
To those who submitted the "FY2010 fixed asset tax information" or the "proxy concerning acquisition of information written on the fixed asset tax rolls" issued by the relevant municipal government, the "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)" will be delivered sequentially and accepted from March 29, 2013.
The "Application Form for Compensation (2) (for selection of calculation method)" will be delivered sequentially after TEPCO confirms the assets of applicants based on the returned "Application Form for Compensation (1) (for check of assets owned)."
Those who have not submitted the "FY2010 fixed asset tax information" or the "proxy concerning acquisition of information written on the fixed asset tax rolls" issued by the relevant municipal government, and intend to apply for compensation by TEPCO, or those who have changed their address, are requested to contact the "Dedicated dial for consultation concerning compensation of housing lands, buildings and household goods at Fukushima Nuclear Compensation Office (0120-926-596)" shown at the end of this web page.

[Compensation for the valuables owned by large business entities]
6. Compensation for the valuables owned by large business entities^*6
For compensation for depreciable assets, inventory assets, housing lands and land lease rights owned by large business entities within the evacuation zone at the time of the accident, depreciation of valuables caused by secular changes or out-of-control during the period from the accident to lifting of the evacuation order will be compensated.
For large entities which have applied for compensation by TEPCO and agreed on the conditions, the application documents will be delivered sequentially and accepted from April 1, 2013. For large entities which will apply for the first time or those which have changed their address, are requested to contact the "Dedicated dial at Fukushima Nuclear Compensation Office (0120-926-404)."
*1 Zone defined as the "evacuation zone" in the "Second Supplement to the Interim Guidelines for the Scope of Nuclear Damages due to the Accident at Fukushima Daiichi and Daini Power Stations" developed by the Committee for Adjustment of Compensation for Nuclear Damages, in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on March 16, 2012.
*2 Business entities shown below are eligible. For public interest corporations not applicable to any of the categories below, after checking the business details, the treatment may be decided for each entity. Authorized community groups are requested to apply for compensation using the application documents for individuals.
・Medical corporations prescribed in the Medical Service Act
・Social welfare corporations prescribed in the Social Welfare Act
・Incorporated educational institutions prescribed in the Private Schools Act
・Specified non-profit corporations prescribed in the Act to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities
・Juridical persons for offenders prescribed in the Offenders Rehabilitation Services Act
・ General incorporated associations or general incorporated foundations prescribed in the Act on General Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations
・ Public interest incorporated associations or public interest incorporated foundations prescribed in the Act on Authorization of Public Interest Incorporated Associations and Public Interest Incorporated Foundations
・ Special juridical persons

*3 Compensation for the buildings owned by small/ medium-sized business entities has already been announced on December 26, 2012.

*4 For real estate whose inheritance has not been registered, all heirs shall be confirmed by family register or equivalent documents, in principle. TEPCO will confirm that the applicant owns the subject real estate or has the right to damages, by the legacy division conference or agreements by all heirs, and compensate for the asset according to equity interest ratio. In addition to the above method, an easing measure will be implemented for those who meet certain conditions (in principle, confirmation by agreement and notarial documents of heirs within the second degree of relationship, etc.). For assets whose inheritance has not been registered, are not included in the scope of compensation this time.

*5 A ratio used to calculate the reduction in value according to the length of the evacuation period. The ratio is calculated with the number of months from the accident to the estimated timing of the evacuation order to be lifted set as the numerator (number of days less than a month is counted as one month) and 72 months set as the denominator. If the calculation result is greater than 1, the evacuation order period ratio is set to 1. In the case that the estimated timing of the evacuation order to be lifted was not determined beforehand, the ratio is set to 36/72 for the zone with restricted entry and 24/72 for the zone in preparation for having the evacuation order lifted.
After the housing land and buildings owned are fully compensated, transferring the ownership of the housing land and buildings to a third party will be restricted until the evacuation order is lifted (except in those cases where the housing land/buildings are provided to the public, etc.).

*6 Business entities which are applicable to one of the following conditions:
・Business entities whose capital or investment is more than 100 million yen
・Business entities related to other business entities or mutual companies whose capital or investment is more than 500 million yen
・Public interest corporations whose income from business operations is more than 300 million yen

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<Contact Info for Compensation for Housing Lands, Buildings and Household Goods>
Dedicated dial for consultation concerning compensation of housing lands, buildings and household goods at Fukushima Nuclear Compensation Office
Telephone: 0120-926-596
Time: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
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* For inquiries concerning the compensation or depreciable assets other than housing lands, buildings and household goods, please contact Fukushima Nuclear Compensation Office (0120-926-404).