Cable guy visits Fukushima tsunami zone

DC was shaken by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake this week, but the actual damage was minimal. Back in June, your humble Cable guy surveyed the damage from a much more devastating earthquake, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Northern Japan on March 11, which was followed by a devastating tsunami.

We visited Toyoma Ward, Iwaki City, in Fukushima prefecture, about 50 km from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, on June 11. Exactly three months after the quake hit, the scenic beach town was still completely in shambles. Not one house along the shoreline remained intact and not one plot of land had been cleared, much less rebuilt on.

What we found in Iwaki City was a community that had hope of rebuilding their lives, despite the loss of all their possessions, many of their loved ones, and with almost no help from the Japanese government. The following photos show the damage of a real earthquake and the tsunami that followed it, as well as the determination of  the community to forge ahead.

We traveled with the Japanese aid organization SHARE FUKUSHIMA, which brought 100 volunteers to help clean up Iwaki City and raised $10,000 for the town. The trip was organized by Daisuke Tsuda, a young Japanese blogger-journalist who set up the entire day’s events, which included a concert, solely through Facebook and Twitter. Our participation was facilitated by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

View the entire photo essay: One small town in Fukushima