NHK Documentaries

Fukushima: Two Years after 3/11 (2013x8)

Data di messa in onda: Giu 20, 2013

Two years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, an unprecedented disaster which resulted in profound and wide-ranging devastation. Global attention is focused on the repercussions of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, where, even two years after the disaster, many people are still living in dire straits. One Fukushima resident is Genyu Sokyu, a Buddhist monk and author who has vowed to remain in Fukushima, no matter what. In addition to playing an active role in restoration efforts, and proposing measures to contain the effects of radiation, he has been drawing attention to the plight of Fukushima by publishing a diary. He wrote day-to-day accounts of the disaster's aftermath for several months. "Even though I'm painfully aware of the countless numbers of people who are still suffering, there is a limit to what a single person can do. Our only hope is to pray. Yet realizing how powerless one is, and finding resilience through prayer, does not mean that one is content to do nothing. I believe that we are able to draw strength from our prayers, the strength that enables us to move forward." Robert Campbell visited Genyu at Fukujuji, his temple. Campbell asked Genyu about life in Fukushima, and about the values modern Japan needs to uphold. Campbell also met with several other residents of Fukushima who are involved in the restoration effort, including a young farmer who is tackling misinformation regarding the safety of Fukushima produce, and an Englishwoman who writes a blog about life in Fukushima. This program hopes to shed light on what life is really like in Fukushima today, and, by doing so, offer insights into Japan's future.