The ghost towns of Fukushima: Three years after Japan's nuclear disaster, residents are allowed home only once a month... and cannot stay overnight
- Nearly three years after the tsunami which caused a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima the fallout continues
- In December the power plant was said to be in a state of 'cold shutdown' meaning the cleanup can begin
- Now 400 tonnes of uranium rods must be moved out of damaged reactor four to a safer location
- After that is done some people evacuated from the 12-mile exclusion zone may be allowed to return home for good
- In the meantime residents of some of the less exposed towns are allowed home once a month, but cannot stay long
-
In March 2011 the world watched in
horror as a powerful earthquake rocked Japan, before a deadly tsunami
swept ashore, washing away any boats, cars, homes and people unfortunate
enough to be in its path.
But
while the initial reports of 19,000 dead shocked viewers around the
globe, that news would soon be superseded by the terrors to come from
the then-unknown town of Fukushima as its nuclear power plant was
overcome by floodwater before going into meltdown.
Now, nearly three years on from the natural disaster, a very unnatural catastrophe is still unfolding in the central prefecture while the villagers who used to live around the plant are still suffering. Scroll down for video
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Fallout: There is still a 12-mile exclusion zone
in place around Fukushima which contains hundreds of bags of
radioactive soil which cannot be removed due to opposition from those
outside
No way back: Some 22,000 former residents of
Namie (pictured) are being allowed back to their homes, but can only go
once a month and cannot stay overnight
Cleanup: In December Tepco, the company which
owns the Fukushima plant, announced it had reached a state of 'cold
shutdown' allowing a cleanup operation to begin
In total 80,000 people were evacuated because of the disaster as a 12-mile 'no go zone' was put in place around the stricken facility. Tepco, the owner of the plant and Japan's largest power company, insist that the situation is under control and announced in December that the plant is now in a state of 'cold shutdown' allowing a cleanup operation to start.
As a result of that operation exclusion zone lines may be redrawn, allowing some former residents of the towns around Fukushima to go home. In the town of Namie more than 20,000 former residents are allowed to visit their homes once a month with special permissions but are not allowed to stay overnight.
In the town of Futaba residents were once so proud of their nuclear plant that they erected a sign across the promenade saying the technology made them prosperous. Now their town lies in ruins.
These temporary housing structures were erected
for workers at J-Village, a soccer training complex now serving as an
operation base for those battling Japan's nuclear disaster
Long process: The clean-up involves moving
400-tonnes of uranium and is expected to take a year. Only after this is
completed can areas such as this hospital - pictured with wheelchairs
outside - be repopulated
Contaminated: After the cleanup exclusion zone
lines will be redrawn allowing some people to move home, however others
may need to wait five years to find out if they can go back
The Tepco cleanup operation involves moving 400 tonnes of uranium from a storage tank inside reactor number four of the plant to a safer location. It is expected to take a year, and is an extremely delicate process as the highly volatile fuel is prone to reigniting.
While the work has proceeded without incident so far, past leaks of contaminated water, an initial attempt to downplay the disaster, and continuing secrecy about the site have lead many to be wary of Tepco's handling of the many problems to come from the catastrophe.
Destroyed: It has been nearly three years since
tsunami waves swept these defences aside and flooded the Fukushima
Daiichi plant, causing a meltdown
Unstoppable: The devastating wave was caused by a
9.0 earthquake, the most powerful ever to strike Japan, and killed
nearly 19,000 people as it swept ashore
Pride: Decades ago, the citizens of Japan's
Futaba town took such pride in hosting part of the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear complex that they built a sign over a promenade proclaiming that
atomic power made their town prosperous
For example, within the exclusion zone hundreds of bags filled with radioactive soil lie piled up next to road and fields because opposition from those outside the zone means there is nowhere to move them to.
Across the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the US state of California is also concerned about the effect of the disaster as water contaminated with radiation is expected to start washing up soon. The exact amount is unknown, and Tepco say there is no way to accurately measure how much has leaked away.
Even after the nuclear cleanup has finished, it will be just the beginning for anyone who decides to move back, as the devastation caused by the tsunami has still not been repaired after people fled.
Abandoned: Tomioka town is another which falls
inside the exclusion zone, put in place to try and contain the world's
worst atomic crisis in 25 years
Devastated: Once the nuclear clean-up has
finished, it will be just the beginning for former residents of towns
like Tomioka, who must then repair their homes
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