Three years Later: Living Inside the Evacuation Zone

Three years has passed since the horrific earthquake and tunami destroyed the coastal line of northern Japan. My parents who love the Tohoku area took me to many ports in devastated areas when I was a child. It was, and still is, painful to see the videos and photos from the familiar places. Japan being one of the most technologically and technically advanced countries, the recovery process seems disappointingly slow especially in more rural areas. 

Following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, many people were forced to leave their hometowns. Relocation was not easy for many former residents from Fukushima as people in other areas refused to take them in out of the fear of radiation exposure. Despite discouraging resistance and discrimination, people of Fukushima moved to other prefectures. Naoto Matsumura was not one of them. He chose to live within the 20 kilometer evacuation zone taking care of domestic animals other people had to leave behind.

(Photo from Naoto Matsushima's blog)

Watch the following video to see life inside the evacuation zone. The top video is the most recent one. Watch videos on YouTube site to use "cc" option.

March 2014

March 2013