🗺️ Tohoku Earthquake Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum東日本大震災・原子力災害伝承館

The East Japan Great Earthquake Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum is a facility dedicated to commemorating the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, which triggered the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Located in Futaba Town, Fukushima Prefecture, which experienced an unprecedented compound disaster, the museum was opened in 2020. It serves as an information dissemination institution, widely sharing the experiences and lessons learned from the nuclear disaster both domestically and internationally. The exhibition begins in a theater format, featuring seven screens, including one on the ground, displaying videos that chronicle life before the disaster, the earthquake, the tsunami, the subsequent nuclear power plant accident, and the evacuation of residents. The presentation is organized chronologically, showcasing a large number of photographs and videos, accompanied by immersive commentary. It conveys the various thoughts of the prefectural residents through testimonies of those whose stable daily lives were abruptly taken away by the nuclear accident, as well as items filled with memories. The exhibition concludes with displays regarding the future direction of Fukushima, including reconstruction efforts. Additionally, the memorial museum serves as a venue for workshops that host speakers and field investigations for groups, regularly holding talks by disaster survivors who act as transmitters of their experiences.

The exhibition showcases "physical materials" that depict the brutal conditions during the disaster, combined with digital content featuring "testimony videos," allowing visitors to truly feel the situation during the earthquake. Through sharing experiences of the earthquake and evacuation in "narratives from the transmitters," along with on-site investigations (which require an additional fee), the seminars provoke deep reflection. The exhibition displays the state of the nuclear power plant after the incident, the long-term large-scale evacuation of residents, and the impact of radiation on the lives of the prefecture's citizens, along with a wealth of accident-related information. Not only within the museum, but visitors can also see the current appearance and state of Fukushima along the way. The exhibition content highlights not only the "shadow" of Fukushima, which suffered from the nuclear disaster, but also focuses on the "light" of overcoming difficulties and adversity, and the challenge of recovery.