A Baptist church once emptied by evacuation following the massive earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant 15 years ago has returned to its home, recasting itself as a civic anchor with community ties.

Fukushima First Bible Baptist Church in the town of Okuma was about 5 kilometers away from the stricken plant.

Founded around 1947, the church had grown to four chapels across neighboring municipalities just before the disaster.