Japan's nuclear disaster still affects thousands
Five years ago, a powerful earthquake and tsunami sent the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan into multiple meltdowns, resulting in the worst nuclear disaster in a quarter century. More than 160,000 Fukushima residents fled their homes in the wake of the disaster, and the effects of the seaside towns now leveled, the schools still shuttered, the once-famous destinations all but vacant, and the nearly 19,000 lives lost weigh heavily on survivors.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction, onsite and in the towns that surround the power plant, has been painstakingly slow says Q. Sakamaki, who has been photographing the affected areas and recently returned to create this series as the anniversary of the disaster approached. Almost half of the 94 municipalities in Fukushima have yet to complete decontamination, and nearly 100,000 residents are still displaced as depopulation rates continue to accelerate despite the fact that the region’s, and the country’s, road to recovery lies in a return to these areas. Those who have stayed are committed to their homes, their families, and the continuing effort to rebuild and reclaim their communities. This is a look at the people who still hope to find what they lost in the water.