Fukushima

Fukushima exists as three disasters layered on one map: earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. The March 2011 earthquake triggered a tsunami that overwhelmed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's backup generators, causing three reactor cores to melt down and releasing radioactive contamination across the prefecture. The triple disaster killed thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands, and created an exclusion zone that remains partially evacuated fourteen years later.

The economic impact was severe but surprisingly transient. Research shows per capita income dropped 14.4% over two years, then recovered. The prefectural strategy focused on four pillars: renewable energy (ironic given nuclear's failure), manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. But the numbers reveal ongoing damage: cultivated land decreased by 10,000 hectares; 30,000 fewer people farm as primary income. As of February 2025, nearly 30,000 people remain in temporary accommodations.

The cleanup will last decades. In November 2024, TEPCO removed 0.7 grams of melted fuel debris from Reactor 2—the first removal in 14 years, with an estimated 880 tons remaining across three reactors. Completion is projected for 2050. Cleanup costs: ¥35-80 trillion ($330-750 billion). By 2026, Fukushima's narrative bifurcates: recovery story for renewable energy advocates, cautionary tale for nuclear expansion. Japan just approved restarting Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world's largest nuclear plant. Fukushima's lesson is still being written.