Four years have passed
since the Tohoku triple
disaster. A powerful
earthquake, massive
tsunami and nuclear
meltdown changed Japanese
communities.
KITV4's Paul Drewes shows
us what still needs to be
done before Fukushima
will finally be back to
normal.
The devastating tsunami
did more than just level
buildings and homes, it
also drove people away
from Fukushima. 3:33
"japanese have a deep
attachment to the land
and the home, and its
really hard to uproot
yourself and move away"
Marian Moriguchi, a
Fukushima resident, is
back in Hawaii for a
visit. She says many
residents moved away
because the land is still
not safe. 1:39 "there
are still certain kinds
of foods we cannot
consume, like shitaki
mushrooms, spring
vegetables and bamboo
shoots" After clearing up
many of the damaged
buildings, work is
underway to clear out
contaminated soil.
Radioactive dirt and
water are being packed up
- to be put in a safe
place. Radiation levels
have been going down, but
the number of thyroid
cysts and cancers is
going up -- according to
some sources. 2:08 "we
see an increase in
children with thyroid
cancer, very similar to
that of chernobyl" As
this film about the after
effects of Fukushima
shows -- personal geiger
counters have become a
part of everyday life.
5:56 when it rains, the
radiation will go down,
but when the winds blow
the radiation will go up
again That uncertainty
over the safety of the
community has kept some
residents from returning.
It has also kept visitors
away. roy 9:42 as far as
the people of fukushima
are concerned they would
like to have more
visitors come and spend
money to help recovery
efforts It has been four
years since the Tohoku
triple disaster and it
will be even longer
before Fukushima and
other communities return
to normal. 4:58 it's a
long road ahead of us,
the recovery will be very
slow
Moriguchi says safety
concerns have also split
families. One member will
work and live in areas
with higher levels of
radiation, while the
others will stay away.
Clearing the
contamination will help
to reunite those
