Fukushima Review: A Devastating Account of Disaster and Denial
The terrifying story of Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, triggered by a cataclysmic tsunami, is powerfully retold in a new documentary by British film-maker James Jones and Japanese co-director Megumi Inman. This film provides a tense return to the disaster, foregrounding the heroism of the 'Fukushima 50' while raising urgent questions about corporate secrecy and nuclear safety.
The Catastrophe Unfolds
It was a natural and human-made disaster that left 20,000 people dead and a further 164,000 displaced from the area, many with no prospect of return. The earthquake damaged the cooling systems designed to prevent meltdowns, causing three near-apocalyptic explosions that brought the nation perilously close to a catastrophe threatening its very existence. Incredibly, the ultimate calamity was averted not by high-tech solutions, but by the committed efforts of a fire brigade spraying thousands of tons of water on the exposed fuel rods.
Heroism and Horror
The film plunges viewers into the awful story moment-by-moment, featuring interviews with key players from the time. Prominently, nuclear plant employee Ikuo Izawa, a shift supervisor and de facto leader of the 'Fukushima 50'—actually 69 individuals—who became legendary in Japan and beyond for their self-sacrificial courage. They remained in a nightmarish reactor when everyone else had been evacuated, showcasing immense bravery.
Corporate Failures and Secrecy
While the film could have provided more context on the plant's corporate owners, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), it effectively highlights their dismal record. Tepco had closed a nuclear plant in 2007 after an earthquake, leading to profit losses, yet failed to act on reports indicating Fukushima's vulnerability. The archive footage of the tsunami spreading across Japan's fields and farmland is deeply disturbing, aptly described as a 'nightmare'.
Historical Trauma and Comparisons
The Japanese soul had been uniquely traumatised by nuclear issues since 1945, and Fukushima reopened an old wound. Offers of help from figures like Barack Obama were received warily, with hints that some suspected opportunistic emergency takeovers. The film draws chilling comparisons to military operations, such as the need for volunteers for a 'suicide squad' to vent reactors. Unlike the Chornobyl disaster, which involved a single reactor, Fukushima had six ready to blow, underscoring the scale of the threat.
Lack of Transparency
Before watching this film, one might assume Japan's modern democracy would ensure more transparency than the sclerotic Soviet apparatchiks of Chornobyl. However, Tepco has still not released a full history of what went wrong or the discussions that took place. Politicians were also eager to cover themselves by tentatively blaming Tepco, adding to the layers of denial.
Insights from Witnesses
The most robust witness in the documentary is Martin Fackler, the New York Times's Tokyo bureau chief, who provides a crisp account of official chaos and bungling. He notes Tepco's adherence to the 'safety myth', an industry article of faith that discourages questioning existing safety provisions, viewing such actions as disloyalty that could damage careers.
Broader Implications
The film leaves larger questions open for debate. Fossil fuels cause slow-motion catastrophe to the planet, while nuclear fuel does not contribute to climate change but poses risks of instant calamity. Is the answer simply more and better safety measures, as the industry claims, or can other renewables fill the gap? Either way, this gripping documentary forces viewers to confront these critical issues.
Fukushima is out in the UK and US from 20 February, offering a compelling and necessary revisit to one of history's most significant nuclear disasters.
