Japan is inviting residents to return to a town evacuated in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, BBC News reports.

Naraha is the first town to allow people to return permanently, following several years of decontamination work.

But many say they are not ready to come back, and only a fraction have returned for brief stays since a trial period began in April.

The town, about 20km (12 miles) south of the nuclear plant, is seen as a test case for the return of evacuated residents. Some 100,000 people in the area are still unable to return to their homes.

Authorities in Naraha are issuing people with devices to check radiation levels and have been rebuilding local services, including shops and clinics.

Naraha Mayor Yukiei Matsumoto said the lifting of the evacuation order was "just a start".

"The clock that was stopped has now begun to tick," he said, according to BBC.

Former residents held a vigil to mark the rebirth of the town.