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America Tonight Mon-Fri 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT

Return to Fukushima

January 6, 2014 6:15PM ET

America Tonight presents a four-part investigative series about Fukushima's continuing consequences

Topics:
Japan
Energy
Disasters
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It's been nearly three years since a major earthquake and tsunami led to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, killing nearly 20,000 people and devastating the coastal and inland areas of Fukushima, Japan. Since then, questions remain unanswered about the health of thousands of people exposed to the radiation, the risks associated with the radiation leak and what’s being done to stop radioactive water from reaching the Pacific Ocean.

America Tonight presents an exclusive four-part investigative series about the real-world impacts of the disaster, efforts to recover in Fukushima and how the ongoing fallout could impact Americans.

Latest stories from the Return to Fukushima series

 

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The faces of Fukushima

Kaori Saito was living in Fukushima City with her husband and two young children when the government ordered everyone inside.
Kaori Saito was living in Fukushima City with her husband and two young children when the government ordered everyone inside after the explosions at Fukushima Daiichi. When her husband ignored her fears and refused to leave Fukushima, she filed for divorce. It’s a marital discord so common these days that the Japanese call it, “Genpatsu rikon,” or nuclear divorce. America Tonight
Kaori constantly bathed her children, washed their clothes and took trips outside of Fukushima whenever possible. Divorcing her husband was difficult, she says.
Kaori constantly bathed her children, washed their clothes and took trips outside of Fukushima whenever possible. Divorcing her husband was difficult, she says. “I felt like that if I stayed with him, I wouldn’t be able to keep my children from harm,” says Kaori, who now lives in Matsumoto City, far from Fukushima, “and that’s how I got here.” America Tonight
Tens of thousands who fled the towns near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have yet to return home. These nuclear refugees are scattered throughout Japan.
Tens of thousands who fled the towns near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have yet to return home. These nuclear refugees are scattered throughout Japan, living in temporary facilities. One of those “nuclear refugees” is Ichiro Kazawa, who fled his house once he saw the tide rushing out to sea in advance of the tsunami. America Tonight
The tsunami destroyed Ichiro's home, and forced him to live with and care for his mother ever since.
The tsunami destroyed Ichiro's home, and forced him to live with and care for his mother ever since. “I want to go home,” Ichiro says, “but can’t because of fears of radiation from the nuclear accident." America Tonight
Masami Yoshizawa is an exception.
Masami Yoshizawa is an exception. When explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant blanketed his farm with cesium and other radioactive particles in March 2011, he chose not to obey the government’s evacuation orders and stayed in the town of Namie. “I had 330 cows to care for. I couldn't flee,” the lifelong cattle rancher told America Tonight. America Tonight
After testing positive for internal exposure to cesium 134 and 137, Masami has undergone careful monitoring at a radiation research hospital.
After testing positive for internal exposure to cesium 134 and 137, Masami has undergone careful monitoring at a radiation research hospital. His levels have since dropped. “Of course I was worried,” he said about his radiation exposure. “But I am not going to get hysterical or have a mental breakdown from it.” America Tonight
Almost everyone in the town of Namie heeded the evacuation orders. Masami is one of the few people still living there today.
Almost everyone in the town of Namie heeded the evacuation orders. Masami is one of the few people still living there today. But though he made the decision to stay, he doubts that residents will return to Namie. “How do you change this most contaminated area into towns where people can live?” he asked. “Our towns have turned into Chernobyl. … And if people return, what will they do? They won’t return. America Tonight
Katsunobu Sakurai, the mayor of Minamisōma, one of the affected cities in Fukushima Prefecture, is trying to convince displaced residents to return.
Katsunobu Sakurai, the mayor of Minamisōma, one of the affected cities in Fukushima Prefecture, is trying to convince displaced residents to return. Before the disaster, 71,000 people lived there. “When our population dropped to 10,000, there wasn’t a soul in the streets,” he said. “That’s when I wondered what would become of us. America Tonight
But Katsunobu, who said he never once considered leaving, believes no good comes from agonizing over the past.
But Katsunobu, who said he never once considered leaving, believes no good comes from agonizing over the past. “I just focused on how to move the city forward into the future.” The mayor devoted himself to making sure the city had a future. His quest to rebuild his town has been helped by a massive, government-led effort to decontaminate Fukushima prefecture. America Tonight
For Katsunobu, convincing his city’s residents that it is safe to return has been a tough sell.
For Katsunobu, convincing his city’s residents that it is safe to return has been a tough sell. Despite decontamination efforts, radiation remained high in many parts, and a third of the population has yet to return to Minamisōma. Many remain skeptical that the government’s plan will actually work, distrustful of its promises. America Tonight
There are around 50,000 “nuclear gypsies” doing the dirty work of decontamination.
There are around 50,000 “nuclear gypsies” doing the dirty work of decontamination. They are itinerant laborers, most of them are subcontractors, unskilled and poorly paid. Many of these workers were lured into these undesirable jobs by the promise of a $100-a-day extra in government-funded disaster pay, but often their subcontracting company pockets that money, and charges extra for equipment and lodging. Once these workers reach their radiation limit for the year, they’re “thrown away.”
The Japanese mafia, known as the Yakuza, is one of the largest criminal organizations in the world, and has craftily infiltrated the Fukushima cleanup industry.
The Japanese mafia, known as the Yakuza, is one of the largest criminal organizations in the world, and has craftily infiltrated the Fukushima cleanup industry. With hundreds of subcontractors making it hard to monitor the money trail, most of the estimated 50 Yakuza gangs in Fukushima leapt to the task of recruiting workers -- sometimes through unseemly means, like rounding up the homeless. They can then skim their wages, keep the profits, and even violently retaliate against those who object. Asahi Shimbun/AP
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s advisers were telling him that 50 million people might have to evacuate.
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s advisers were telling him that 50 million people might have to evacuate if the situation at Fukushima Daiichi further deteriorated. The nuclear disaster forced Japan’s then-prime minister to reconsider his stance on the energy source. After leaving office, he made it his mission to rid Japan of nuclear energy. America Tonight
Four more former prime ministers joined Naoto's cause – and their mission has been successful so far. .
Four more former prime ministers joined Naoto's cause – and their mission has been successful so far. All of Japan’s nuclear reactors have been forced offline, but that has driven up energy prices. Paul Scalise, a University of Tokyo energy policy expert, says Japan’s national security is at stake and predicts that at least some of the nuclear reactors will come back online in the next few years. America Tonight
Japan’s nuclear industry has mounted a drive to bring their reactors back online.
Japan’s nuclear industry has mounted a drive to bring their reactors back online. Current Prime Minister Shinzō Abe has joined forces with them, reversing the preceding administration’s efforts to rid the country of nuclear power by 2030. America Tonight
Abe is aggressively promoting Japanese technology abroad.
“Based upon the lessons of the nuclear accident, we must create a new culture to improve safety,” the prime minister said. “And in addition, after making sure that it is safe, we must restart nuclear energy.” Abe is aggressively promoting Japanese technology abroad, recently signing agreements to sell nuclear reactors to Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and India. America Tonight

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