The Intro:

Winter is coming – we headed north to Fukushima prefecture. Today was a heavy day, and one for deep reflection. We spent our day learning about the impact of natural disasters in Japan, specifically the 2011 earthquake and the consequent Fukushima nuclear disaster. It was eye-opening to realise that so many communities to this day are still so deeply impacted, and displaced from their home, languages, culture and identities.

We also, unfortunately, weren’t able to visit the miracle place of the Ukedo Elementary School, where a monumental effort of evacuation was successful. This unfortunate cancelled plan was due to a flood warning! Nature has found out that we’re doing a natural hazards course and seems to want to put on a show!

The Rocks:

The first place we stopped in Fukushima was the sedimentary outcrop. This outcrop consisted of marine sediments with layers of tephra deposits. The tephra deposits record the history of volcanic eruptions in the area, and the marine deposits track the transgressions and regressions of the sea level. The tephra layers we saw were dated to be around 110 and 130 thousand years old, using fission tracking and stratigraphic positions. This really highlighted how big of an impact these sorts of events can have; for them to even show up in the rock record. It was also interesting to hear about how much things moved around in the area due to the tsunami, and how only 30% of the people who were living there before have returned due to the damage and radiation. It was really thought provoking for us, especially since no natural disaster of the same magnitude as the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster has occurred in Australia’s recorded history. It was hard for us to fathom the loss that had really taken place. Also, at the outcrop there was a frog statue that had been washed up and left there by the 2011 Tsunami, and also a cool frog on a rock. This was a fun coincidence, but it also made us think about the natural and anthropocene worlds, and how they are both impacted in these disasters (and Super-Frog Saves Tokyo).

The Museum:

From the outcrop we travelled, a little wet-ly, to the Fukushima Disaster museum. What a crazy series of events, it was interesting to hear all of the different takes by the various regulatory bodies after the event, when the reports were released. There was a lot to take in, the magnitude and tragedy of it all. Seeing all of the damage which had occurred from the earthquake really put into perspective the struggles that the public would have had while trying to evacuate from the impending tsunami, exacerbated by the inaccurate communication given to them, a topic that was explored in the lectures we received the previous day (L’Aquila earthquake misinformation). We empathised that it would have been the most stressful day of many peoples lives, through the interviews displayed on the walls of the museum it was evident that they still carry this stress with them today.

It was very interesting to see how the government, regulatory bodies and TEPCO were not prepared for such a scale of a disaster. While they had back-up plans in place for a nuclear meltdown they did not have one that was ready for the scale of devastation by an earthquake and a Tsunami. Ultimately, they came to the conclusion that the event was NOT a natural disaster but actually a man-made disaster, although it is probably a combination of both. Better strategies/protocols could have been implemented as not all situations were considered e.g. sea wall wasn’t high enough for the scale of the tsunami, therefore the generators in the flooded basement. It was also interesting to think about the scale of the disaster and continued problems that still arise. Residents had to be removed from their homes and were moved from shelter to shelter with no idea about what was going on and of the impacts radiation could have on them. It was also saddening to see the patients who had to be moved and transported from one hospital to the other. But also that some of them didn’t make it and died during their journey. The scale was truly tragic and catastrophic, no matter how it was observed. This showed how disasters can have many follow-on casualties, even after the terrible initial tragedy. The Fukushima disaster museum had an even more in-depth information section on the following nuclear disaster due to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It was interesting to think of this disaster framed in our contexts as Australian students. Seeing the aftermath of displaced people, and destroyed buildings which were struggling to be rebuilt, we could draw connections to disasters felt in Australia, even if these were on a smaller scale for the impacts that they had on the human population. It was interesting to see how things like deliveries weren’t able to be made across the 20-30 km “stay put” zone due to the risks (and political environment), which had similarities to when there were smoke masks and petrol shortages due to the risks for drivers in the black summer bushfires. There also seemed to be common ground in the struggle to rebuild in the affected areas; this was obviously not as dire in Australia due to there not being any radioactive particles to worry about, but the rebuilding effort was significantly pushed back due to supply issues with building supplies, labour shortages, and then Covid-19.

We can’t imagine what it would have been like and what it would have felt like. We bring forward images of terror, uncertainty, anxiety and sadness. Especially the multi-layered nature of the disaster. The consequences would have been far reaching and devastating. It’s also interesting to reflect that the issues are still present, there are areas within the locality that you still can’t visit. It would be interesting to hear from people who live in the area: How does this make you feel, still, are you angry? Scared? Or is it just normal now after living away from it for the last 13 years.

The most striking thing we observed was while driving back past all the abandoned buildings – dystopia – Chernobyl like with nature reclaiming the landscape, the buildings and roads. It made us feel a sense of unimportance and insignificance in the face of the natural world, and a feeling that no matter what we do, nature will reclaim it and take back what’s hers. Driving past we could see the power station off in the distance. With the sensors reading 1.163 uSv/h compared to other radiation levels of 7 on a plane or 20 on the ISS. This also puts into perspective the stigma surrounding the Fukushima area, which might not be as dangerous as believed.

This also highlights the other stigma battles that the region faces towards the radiation in the local industries, especially in the primary industries due to the fear of the bioaccumulation of radiation in the food supply. This stigma, which was even in places where the radiation was at normal and acceptable levels, caused the economic recovery of the area to struggle far more than it should have, due to international bans on the produce and national stigmas surrounding its consumption. We imagine that it would have been a very hard concept for the people of the area to comprehend since they were living and eating these products everyday. Even today, with the release of the Fukushima wastewater into the ocean, the area is still struggling to overcome the stigma and fear around radiation and its effects on the local economy. The recent contest by China of the Japanese release of wastewater, had some interesting outcomes with the Prime Minister’s PR stunt → who ate sashimi caught from the released waters to prove that it wasn’t dangerous!

Museum Presentation and Science Communication:

The museum presentation was a wonderful example of science communication through storytelling. Every single aspect of the museum was a story, and it all flowed together really well. We heard the story of the building, of how the nuclear power plant was made and how it supplied important power to the regions of Japan, for example Tokyo. We heard about life as it was then, and the structures and communities people had built around it. Then, we were told about the first tragedy: the earthquake. We were shown powerful images and videos, but the whole depiction was symbolic. This was an effective way to communicate science because it invoked feelings of sadness and allowed us to empathise with the people involved in the disaster by providing a brief glimpse into the terrible experiences of that day.

The most visceral exhibit was the clocks that captured the exact moment of the earthquake and tsunami when they struck. It provided a snapshot into the past, linking past and present in a form that we can relate and connect with. Other memorable topics included in the museum to help tell the story were ones on pets, separation, the resources and the displacement of people from their homes so of which never returned. They also employed the perspectives of a variety of people who had lost family and friends, policymakers, and others who had tried to prepare for the tragedy. The exhibits worked together well to really make you feel the helplessness and anger that the Japanese would have felt in 2011 and still do today . It pointed back to the science communication lecture we had, and served as a strong reminder that to communicate science effectively, we need to be able to talk about why people should care about it. It also showed us that storytelling is a powerful way to communicate science.

Props and visual tools were very powerfully employed when telling this story, especially when there is a human experience connected to it. A really fantastic example of this that we saw today was the display of the Air dose rates over time. It utilised balls as metaphors to show the huge spike in radiation in the atmosphere, and how much it has dropped since due the work that has gone into decontaminating the area.

Quotes from Group Member’s Museum Experience

• Even though I hadn’t experienced disaster to the same magnitude, I could empathise with it
• The clocks left a lasting impression on me
• I really had no idea before that
• It was truly amazing
• You could see so much more than you can read
• I can still picture the waves

The Museum:

The Conclusion:

All in all, it was a really interesting and really intense day. We learnt a lot about how natural hazards can write themselves into the geological record, and the sheer intensity of tragedy which they can cause. It was also interesting to see the marks that natural hazards can make on both the natural (rock record) and also on the societies which are in the area where these natural hazards occur. Viewing these disasters with our lenses as Australian people showed us a different perspective, but also just highlighted the difference in magnitude of disaster which occurred in the Fukushima area compared to what we are used to as disasters. Although they are not entirely comparable the similar mental and emotional toll that they can cause is something that resonates through all affected people.