Fukushima Review – A devastating account of disaster and denial in the 2011 nuclear disaster | film

TThis terrifying story of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, caused by a catastrophic tsunami, is retold by British director James Jones and Japanese co-director Megumi Inman. It was a natural and man-made disaster that left 20,000 people dead and another 164,000 displaced from the region, some of whom have no hope of returning. The quake damaged cooling systems that prevent collapses and caused three near-terrific explosions, bringing the country close to a disaster that would have threatened its very existence. Amazingly, the ultimate disaster was ultimately averted only through high-tech action such as a committed fire brigade spraying thousands of tons of water on exposed fuel rods.

The film immerses us in the harrowing story moment by moment, accompanied by interviews with key players of the time – most notably nuclear plant employee Ikuo Aizawa, a shift supervisor and de facto leader of the “Fukushima 50” (actually 69 people) who became legendary in Japan and abroad for their courage in self-sacrifice, surviving in a terrifying reactor when everyone was evacuated.

Perhaps it could have provided us with more context and less immediate drama, especially more background information on the plant’s dismal corporate owners, Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, which shut down a nuclear plant in 2007 after an earthquake, with the resulting loss of profits. But downplaying the drama would be foolish, given the shock of the disturbing events. Archival footage of the tsunami spreading across fields and farmland in Japan is deeply disturbing; “Nightmare” is a word used casually, but it is appropriate here.

The Japanese spirit had suffered a unique shock due to the nuclear issue in 1945, and Fukushima marked the beginning of an old wound; Barack Obama’s offers of help were received with caution, and the film suggests that some people of a certain age may have suspected some kind of opportunistic power grab in an emergency, such as Douglas MacArthur’s post-war rule. There is something frighteningly military about the company’s need for volunteers to form a so-called “suicide squad” to vent the reactors to prevent pressure build-up.

As far as comparisons to the Chernobyl disaster go, it comes down to one reactor; Fukushima had six of them ready to explode. Before I watched this film, I assumed that modern democracy in Japan would have meant at least a little more transparency than the stiff and malicious Soviet officials. But maybe not. Tepco has not yet released a full history of exactly what went wrong and what discussions took place at the time. In any case, the politicians themselves were largely keen to cover themselves by temporarily shifting the blame to TEPCO.

The most compelling witness here is New York Times Tokyo bureau chief Martin Fackler, who gives us a vivid account of the official chaos and confusion – and the fact that Tepco had already received a report indicating that the Fukushima plant was vulnerable to an earthquake and did nothing. It is interesting in terms of corporate acquiescence to the “safety myth,” an article of faith in industry that leads not only to vigilant and innovative efforts to improve safety, but rather to icy rejection of anyone who questions current safety provisions. Doing so would have been a betrayal of the industry and could damage your career.

Perhaps it is inevitable to leave the bigger questions open. Fossil fuels are causing a slow-motion catastrophe for the planet – in fact, not that slow – while nuclear fuels do not cause climate change, but they could cause an immediate catastrophe. Is the answer simply what the industry says? More and better safety? Or can other renewable energy sources fill the gap? Either way, this is an interesting film.