Fukushima: How Japan is recovering, five years on
The 2011 earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster has left an indelible mark on the country's history
Five years ago today, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck the east coast of Japan. It was one of the most powerful quakes on record, so strong it shifted the earth's axis and shortened the length of the day by nearly two microseconds.
But it also caused a tsunami that ravaged 400 miles of Japanese coastline and killed almost 19,000 people.
That in turn triggered an emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, disabling the power supply and cooling systems of three reactors and resulting in meltdowns and explosions. It was a level-seven nuclear accident, on a par with Chernobyl in 1986, with 160,000 people forced to flee Fukushima to avoid radiation poisoning.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How has the recovery gone?
It has been criticised for its slow pace. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has promised to accelerate reconstruction efforts in the next five years, but it has come in for increasing attacks.
More than 174,000 survivors are yet to return home, including almost 100,000 people from Fukushima.
The hardest parts of the clean-up haven't even begun yet. Tepco, the company that owned the nuclear plant, has still to draw up plans for removing the highly radioactive nuclear fuel that melted through steel containment vessels and now sits at the bottom of three Fukushima reactors.
What was the damage?
The nuclear accident and its fallout will ultimately cost more than 11 trillion yen (£67.9bn), according to a study by Kenichi Oshima, a professor of economics at Ritsumeikan University.
But it's not just a money issue. Public confidence in the government has also taken a hit, with many believing the country should rely less on nuclear power following the disaster.
"The institutionally cosy ties between politicians, bureaucrats and the nuclear industry have left unresolved calls for reform and widespread distrust among members of the public who continue to be told that nuclear power is safe," says Germany's Deutsche Welle.
What about the long-term effects?
While it is still too early to say conclusively, experts agree the radioactive fallout was minimal in comparison with Chernobyl and a report from Fukushima Medical University concluded it was unlikely it had caused any thyroid cancer or other adverse health risks for the immediate inhabitants.
The effects on the national psyche have been far more profound. Katsunobu Sakurai, the mayor of Minamisoma, a town just north of Fukushima, told The Guardian the disaster had left an indelible mark on the country's history.
"We still have a long way to go," he said, "but life today is heaven compared to the hell of March 2011."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published