fukushima

Worries over seafood safety mount as Japan releases Fukushima water into the Pacific

12:16pm August 24, 2023

by Anthony Kuhn

Local fishermen and the government of neighboring China are among the critics of Japan's decision to release water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

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A protester, left, holds signs reading "Don't throw polluted water into the sea" and "keep your promise" as they take part in a rally against the Japanese government's plan to release treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the ocean in Tokyo on August 22, 2023.

Japan to release treated water from Fukushima nuclear plant later this week

5:46pm August 22, 2023

by Anthony Kuhn

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement after meeting with his cabinet. Water will be released through an underground tunnel beginning Thursday, weather conditions permitting, Kishida said.

Activists gather to protest against a planned release of water from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant in Japan, in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday.

As Japan prepares to release Fukushima wastewater, anxiety grows across South Korea

6:00am June 27, 2023

by Se Eun Gong

As Japan plans to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea this summer, concerned South Koreans are stocking up on sea salt.

Kristin Zaitz, left, and Heather Hoff of Mothers for Nuclear and Kristin's daughter Sasha make their views clear in front of California's state house.

Why even environmentalists are supporting nuclear power today

3:12pm August 30, 2022

by Uri Berliner

Environmentalists advocating for nuclear power have led a push to extend the operating life of Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant. Japan and Germany consider similar extensions.

Gold medalist Lee Kiefer of the United States shows her medal and victory bouquet during the medal ceremony for the women's individual foil final competition on Sunday at the Summer Olympics.

The Flowers For Olympic Medalists Carry Deep Meaning In Japan

9:50am July 26, 2021

by Merrit Kennedy

The elements of the bouquet carry a deeper story, and they are years in the making. They're meant to symbolize the country rising from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Decorative figurines sit next to a container of hand sanitizer just inside the entrance of Cosmos Karaoke.

A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster

6:14pm September 12, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

Run by a South Korean woman, the Cosmos Karaoke Bar in Namie, Japan, is a haven for residents who've come back to live in a town that was evacuated and fell into decay after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

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Tomoko stands at the inn in Fukushima prefecture that has been in her family for generations.

Fukushima Has Turned These Grandparents Into Avid Radiation Testers

10:05am September 11, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

After losing trust in official information, the Japanese public took it upon themselves to learn to measure for radioactive matter. Nearly a decade after the nuclear disaster, they're still testing.

A macaque monkey in a tree in Fukushima prefecture. After the 2011 nuclear disaster, towns and neighborhoods in Fukushima were left devoid of humans for years, and nature started to reclaim the space.

World News

In Rural Fukushima, 'The Border Between Monkeys And Humans Has Blurred'

8:16am September 10, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

After people evacuated their homes following a nuclear disaster in the Japanese prefecture, nature started to reclaim the space. The humans are trying to return, but it's an uneasy coexistence.

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Chiyomi Endo stands beside her husband's grave. "Remember that this family evacuated Futaba town, Fukushima prefecture," the stone reads, "and moved here due to the nuclear accident following the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011

After 2011 Disaster, Fukushima Embraced Solar Power. The Rest Of Japan Has Not

4:15pm September 09, 2020

by Kat Lonsdorf

After the nuclear catastrophe, the nation's investment in renewable energy soared. Many of those affected in Fukushima started production. But Japan is pushing fossil fuels, causing climate concerns.

A view over a gate blocking off the old downtown of Okuma, in Fukushima Prefecture. Fukushima was forever changed by one of the world's biggest nuclear disasters nearly a decade ago.

World News

The Ghost Towns Behind The Gates

9:11am September 08, 2020

Fukushima was forever changed by a nuclear disaster in 2011. What does recovery mean for the region? It's an answer filled with resilience, reinvention and regret.