Before last year's triple disaster in north-east Japan, Tsuchiyu Onsen drew tens of thousands of tourists in search of the recuperative qualities of its piping hot spring water.
Almost 18 months after the nuclear accident at nearby Fukushima Daiichi power plant, that same natural resource is about to turn this spa resort into a trailblazer for the country's push towards renewable energy.
By spring 2014, Tsuchiyu, 9 miles (15km) from Fukushima, will be generating 250 kilowatts of electricity – about a quarter of the city's total needs – at a geothermal plant hidden away in the surrounding mountains.
