This is Japan Desk Scotland’s 14th Fukushima documentary, based on interviews carried out in Fukushima in July 2025.
At the time of Fukushima nuclear accident of March 2011, Fukushima University didn’t have a research group on nuclear issues nor facilities to measure radioactivity. Some Fukushima University scientists, however, voluntarily measured air radiation dose rates and made this radiation map. In 2013 Fukushima University sent up the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity (IER).
Kenji Nanba is IER’s current Director. He describes the retirement of Alexei Konoplev and Hirofumi Tsukada in March 2025 as the major event of IER in 2024/25. Alexei’s research and other post-Chernobyl research on environmental radioactivity inspired Nanba and others to initiate research in Fukushima. Tsukada’s work on radio caesium in soil provided the basis for Japan’s post-Fukushima agricultural policy. Their retirement may mark the end of an era.
Toshihiro Wada (fisheries science) explains the difference between marine fish and freshwater fish in dealing with radio caesium. Yoshitaka Takagai (analytical chemistry) talks his work on speeding up the analysing of radioactive elements in order to help the decommissioning of the troubled Fukushima reactors.
Together with decommissioning, decontamination of the affected area has been Japan’s main activities. Kencho Kawatsu talks how the decontamination work was started. He has shown us Tomioka Town every year to show the progress of decontamination work. The decontamination has two challenging issues: the significant amount of radioactive soil removed as part of decontamination, and forests remaining contaminated.
There are people who started to live or work in the affected areas. Chicano Suzuki came from Tokyo to run a pop-up bakery in Tomioka Town. Manabu Kondo commutes daily from Iwaki City to Namie Town to maintain and develop further Oobori Soma Ware. Takashi Moriyama came from Tokyo to Minamisoma City to increase ‘convenience’ in people’s daily life.
Miyuki Sasaki continues her work at a nuclear-related organisation to develop emergency monitoring system for a future nuclear accident. Kenji Nanba talks why he studies micro-organisms, and compares radio caesium with micro-organisms.
Interviewed guests in order of appearance: Toyoaki Endo, Kenji Nanba, Hirofumi Tsukada, Toshihiro Wada, Yoshitaka Takagai, Kencho Kawatsu, Norihito Harada, Ryo Sugimoto, Shuhei Iwasaki, Kimiaki Saito, Takayuki Takahashi, Vasyl Yoschenko, Chiyano Suzuki, Manabu Kondo, Takashi Moriyama, and Miyuki Sasaki.
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Camera: Fumi Nakabachi
Music: Oli Jan and Invanc
Directed and edited by: Yushin Toda
Produced by Fumi Nakabachi and Yushin Toda, Japan Desk Scotland
61 minutes
In Japanese with English subtitles
© 2026 Japan Desk Scotland
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This is part of Japan Desk Scotland’s documentary films production, and has been screened as follows:
(1) on Sunday 28 June 2026 at Kelvin West Church, Glasgow, Scotland.