TRAGEDY. THEY HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE
THEY HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO THE HUMAN
ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO THE HUMAN SPIRIT.
SPIRIT. ALONG A COASTAL ROAD, WE’RE
ALONG A COASTAL ROAD, WE’RE TRAVELING TO THE HEART OF ONE OF
TRAVELING TO THE HEART OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S WORST NUCLEAR
THE WORLD’S WORST NUCLEAR DISASTERS, FUKUSHIMA.
DISASTERS, FUKUSHIMA. IT BEGAN WITH THE STRONGEST
IT BEGAN WITH THE STRONGEST EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN’S HISTORY.
EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN’S HISTORY. THE CLOCK ON THE BEACH HOUSE,
THE CLOCK ON THE BEACH HOUSE, STILL FROZEN IN TIME.
STILL FROZEN IN TIME. FIRST THE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK.
FIRST THE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK. THEN THE TSUNAMI SUBMERGED THIS
THEN THE TSUNAMI SUBMERGED THIS THIRD FLOOR.
THIRD FLOOR. DESTRUCTION DOESN’T DESCRIBE IT.
DESTRUCTION DOESN’T DESCRIBE IT. THE DEADLY WALL OF WATER
THE DEADLY WALL OF WATER ENGULFING ENTIRE COMMUNITIES.
ENGULFING ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. SLAMMING THROUGH THE WALLS OF
SLAMMING THROUGH THE WALLS OF FUKUSHIMA’S POWER STATION.
FUKUSHIMA’S POWER STATION. KNOCKING OUT BACKUP GENERATORS.
KNOCKING OUT BACKUP GENERATORS. MELTDOWNS AND EXPLOSIONS
MELTDOWNS AND EXPLOSIONS FOLLOWED.
FOLLOWED. AND THEN, THE RADIATION CAME.
AND THEN, THE RADIATION CAME. LIKE THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER,
LIKE THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER, RELIVED IN LAST YEAR’S HBO
RELIVED IN LAST YEAR’S HBO SERIES, FUKUSHIMA’S FALLOUT, NOT
SERIES, FUKUSHIMA’S FALLOUT, NOT AS TOXIC AS CHERNOBYL, BUT JUST
AS TOXIC AS CHERNOBYL, BUT JUST AS FRIGHTENING.
AS FRIGHTENING. AFTER LEARNING ABOUT CHERNOBYL,
AFTER LEARNING ABOUT CHERNOBYL, THIS BUDDHIST PRIEST KEPT A
THIS BUDDHIST PRIEST KEPT A GEIGER COUNTER AT HIS TEMPLE,
GEIGER COUNTER AT HIS TEMPLE, KNOWING HE WAS NEAR THE PLANT.
KNOWING HE WAS NEAR THE PLANT. THEN, HIS WORST FEARS CAME TRUE.
THEN, HIS WORST FEARS CAME TRUE. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SAW
HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SAW THIS?
THIS? >> SO SCARED.
>> SO SCARED. >> Reporter: RADIATION FROM THE
>> Reporter: RADIATION FROM THE MELTDOWN, SPREADING TO NEARBY
MELTDOWN, SPREADING TO NEARBY TOWNS AND BEYOND.
TOWNS AND BEYOND. THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS NEAR THE
THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS NEAR THE PLANT, ORDERED TO EVACUATE.
PLANT, ORDERED TO EVACUATE. LIKE FUTABA, ONLY TWO MILES
LIKE FUTABA, ONLY TWO MILES AWAY.
AWAY. THIS WAS MAIN STREET.
THIS WAS MAIN STREET. ONCE HOME TO ALMOST 7,000
ONCE HOME TO ALMOST 7,000 PEOPLE, IT’S NOW A GHOST TOWN.
PEOPLE, IT’S NOW A GHOST TOWN. THE LAST PLACE IN FUKUSHIMA,
THE LAST PLACE IN FUKUSHIMA, STILL UNINHABITED.
STILL UNINHABITED. NOW, ONLY WILDLIFE LIVE HERE.
NOW, ONLY WILDLIFE LIVE HERE. THE DANGER IS LARGE AREAS OF
THE DANGER IS LARGE AREAS OF FIELDS AND FORESTS HAVEN’T BEEN
FIELDS AND FORESTS HAVEN’T BEEN DECONTAMINATED.
DECONTAMINATED. LIKE THIS -- OUR RADIATION
LIKE THIS -- OUR RADIATION MONITOR RAISES THIS ALARM.
MONITOR RAISES THIS ALARM. LEVELS TOO HIGH FOR PEOPLE TO
LEVELS TOO HIGH FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE.
LIVE HERE. FORMER RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN
FORMER RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN COMING BACK TO THE EXCLUSION
COMING BACK TO THE EXCLUSION ZONE WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION.
ZONE WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION. TAKING PICTURES, INITIALLY
TAKING PICTURES, INITIALLY KEEPING RECORD FOR FRIENDS AND
KEEPING RECORD FOR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
NEIGHBORS. NOW, HOLDING ON TO MEMORIES.
NOW, HOLDING ON TO MEMORIES. OFF MAIN STREET, ANTONY SHOWS ME
OFF MAIN STREET, ANTONY SHOWS ME WHERE HE USED TO LIVE.
WHERE HE USED TO LIVE. SO, THIS IS HOME?
SO, THIS IS HOME? >> THIS WAS HOME.
>> THIS WAS HOME. >> Reporter: BACK THEN, HE HAD
>> Reporter: BACK THEN, HE HAD TO LEAVE FAMILY PHOTOS BEHIND.
TO LEAVE FAMILY PHOTOS BEHIND. >> THIS IS DANIEL.
>> THIS IS DANIEL. THIS IS ONE OF MY SISTER’S KIDS.
THIS IS ONE OF MY SISTER’S KIDS. HE’S AT UNIVERSITY NOW.
HE’S AT UNIVERSITY NOW. >> Reporter: HE MADE FUTABA HIS
>> Reporter: HE MADE FUTABA HIS HOME.
HOME. NOW, FUKUSHIMA TOLD HIM WHAT
NOW, FUKUSHIMA TOLD HIM WHAT HOME REALLY MEANS.
HOME REALLY MEANS. >> STUFF ISN’T IMPORTANT.
>> STUFF ISN’T IMPORTANT. IT’S THE LIFE THAT WAS HERE
IT’S THE LIFE THAT WAS HERE BEFORE THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
BEFORE THAT WAS IMPORTANT. >> Reporter: I CAN SEE YOU’RE IN
>> Reporter: I CAN SEE YOU’RE IN TEARS.
TEARS. >> NOT QUITE.
>> NOT QUITE. BUT ALMOST, YEAH.
BUT ALMOST, YEAH. >> Reporter: IMMEDIATELY AFTER
>> Reporter: IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE, PEOPLE TOOK
THE EARTHQUAKE, PEOPLE TOOK SHELTER AT THE SCHOOL, WHERE
SHELTER AT THE SCHOOL, WHERE PHILLIP TAUGHT.
PHILLIP TAUGHT. THEY SLEPT ON FLOORS,
THEY SLEPT ON FLOORS, MATTRESSES, STILL STREWN AROUND.
MATTRESSES, STILL STREWN AROUND. THIS IS NOW FUTABA SCHOOL.
THIS IS NOW FUTABA SCHOOL. 50 MILES AWAY.
50 MILES AWAY. PHILLIP AND ANTONY TEACH THEM
PHILLIP AND ANTONY TEACH THEM ENGLISH AND ABOUT HOME.
ENGLISH AND ABOUT HOME. THE CHILDREN, REFUGEES, FROM THE
THE CHILDREN, REFUGEES, FROM THE RADIATION.
RADIATION. WE TRAVELED TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT
WE TRAVELED TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT ITSELF FOR A RARE TOUR.
ITSELF FOR A RARE TOUR. FIRST, WE’RE GIVEN PERSONAL
FIRST, WE’RE GIVEN PERSONAL RADIATION MONITORS.
RADIATION MONITORS. AFTER THE MELTDOWN IN 2011, THE
AFTER THE MELTDOWN IN 2011, THE AREA WAS SO TOXIC, WORKERS HAD
AREA WAS SO TOXIC, WORKERS HAD TO WEAR HAZMAT SUITS.
TO WEAR HAZMAT SUITS. SINCE THEN, THE PLANT HAS BEEN
SINCE THEN, THE PLANT HAS BEEN STABILIZED.
STABILIZED. IT IS STUNNING THAT I CAN STAND
IT IS STUNNING THAT I CAN STAND HERE WITH SO LITTLE PROTECTIVE
HERE WITH SO LITTLE PROTECTIVE GEAR ON.
GEAR ON. THE MELTED CORE OF THE REACTORS,
THE MELTED CORE OF THE REACTORS, JUST THERE.
JUST THERE. DEEP INSIDE, THIS VIDEO FILMED
DEEP INSIDE, THIS VIDEO FILMED BY ROBOTS SHOWS THE MELTED CORE,
BY ROBOTS SHOWS THE MELTED CORE, STILL RADIOACTIVE.
STILL RADIOACTIVE. OUTSIDE, OUR RADIATION METER
OUTSIDE, OUR RADIATION METER MEASURING 85 PER HOUR AND MORE,
MEASURING 85 PER HOUR AND MORE, THE HIGHEST OF OUR TRIP.
THE HIGHEST OF OUR TRIP. SAFE FOR SHORT PERIODS.
SAFE FOR SHORT PERIODS. FOR US TO TAKE AN EVEN CLOSER
FOR US TO TAKE AN EVEN CLOSER LOOK, A LITTLE MORE PROTECTION
LOOK, A LITTLE MORE PROTECTION IS NEEDED.
IS NEEDED. ARE YOU SURE IT’S SAFE?
ARE YOU SURE IT’S SAFE? >> YES, SAFE.
>> YES, SAFE. >> Reporter: FROM HERE, YOU CAN
>> Reporter: FROM HERE, YOU CAN STILL SEE THE SCARS FROM 2011.
STILL SEE THE SCARS FROM 2011. AT THE BEGINNING, WE WERE
AT THE BEGINNING, WE WERE STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN THE
STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN THE DISASTER, SAYS AKIRA ONO, A
DISASTER, SAYS AKIRA ONO, A SENIOR EXECUTIVE.
SENIOR EXECUTIVE. WE HOPE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT
WE HOPE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE
WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. BUT THEY STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO
BUT THEY STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO DISPOSE OF THE MELTED CORE.
DISPOSE OF THE MELTED CORE. AND 400 OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOLS
AND 400 OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOLS OF WATER USED TO COOL IT, SEALED
OF WATER USED TO COOL IT, SEALED IN THESE TANKS.
IN THESE TANKS. ONE DAY, FUTABA’S FAMILIES HOPE
ONE DAY, FUTABA’S FAMILIES HOPE THEIR CHILDREN WILL RETURN.
THEIR CHILDREN WILL RETURN. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR HOMETOWN?
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR HOMETOWN? >> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: AND THAT THESE
>> Reporter: AND THAT THESE EMPTY STREETS COME TO LIFE
EMPTY STREETS COME TO LIFE AGAIN.
AGAIN. A HOME THAT THEY’VE NEVER
