Inside Fukushima: What Happened After the Nuclear Disaster?

Walk through the remnants of Ukedo, a town once vibrant, now slowly being consumed by nature. The most chilling sight is Ukedo Elementary School, just 200 meters from the shoreline, where a clock stopped at 3:38, the exact moment the tsunami hit and cut off power. It's eerie to hear only the sound of diggers moving radioactive soil instead of children playing, but there's a sense of relief knowing all 80 students were safely evacuated to a nearby hill just minutes before the 15-meter wave struck. This school stands as the only marker of a town that once was.

Travel down a stretch of road in Tomioka where it's forbidden to leave your vehicle due to high radiation levels. It's an eerie sight of game centers and gas stations suspended in time, slowly being buried by nature. The stark contrast between the 'no-go' zone and the partially reopened areas is striking; a mere 10-meter gap across the road can mean the difference between being able to return home or not. The town's main cherry blossom street, a symbol of Tomioka, is now 80% within the no-go zone, with only 20% accessible.

Head 14 kilometers from the reactor to Masami Yoshizawa's farm, where he defied government orders to euthanize his 328 cows after the radioactive fallout. He vowed to keep them alive as a protest, even taking in abandoned cows from other farms. It's a powerful sight to see these cows, once worth 450 million yen, now fed by donations, notably pineapple skins. You'll also see the 'Cow Godzilla' statue, created by Yoshizawa-san to inspire self-defense force troops during recovery efforts.

Meet Katsumi Arakawa, one of the first evacuees to return to Ukedo town. He started a flower business in February 2018, a difficult task given much of the fertile soil was removed during decontamination. It's an inspiring sight to see beautiful flowers blooming amidst the destruction, a literal and metaphorical sign of life returning to the area thanks to his efforts. This farm represents hope and resilience in a challenging environment.