A child's sadness about Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster

こおりやまでは、げんぱつがあってかなしいです。
"It’s sad for me that there are nuclear plants near Koriyama."

Naoya is 8 and lives in Koriyama 34 miles (55km) west of the Fukushima accident site. He chose his materials very carefully and tested them to make sure the marks expressed his experience. He drew clouds, the sea, and Fukushima Daichi.

His situation
The levels of radiation in Koriyama are so high that most parents and schools are not allowing children to play outside at all, even though soil has been removed from many school grounds. They wear long sleeves and face masks when outside, and avoid the rain. They try to be careful about food and water. Koriyama is a city of 340,000 people.

Dark clouds of worry above the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors

こおりやまでは、げんぱつがあってかなしいです。
"It’s sad for me that there are nuclear plants near Koriyama."

Naoya is 8 and lives in Koriyama, Fukushima. 

His situation
The levels of radiation in Koriyama are so high that most parents and schools are not allowing children to play outside at all, even though soil has been removed from many school grounds. They wear long sleeves and face masks when outside, and avoid the rain. They try to be careful about food and water. Koriyama is a city of 340,000 people 60km west of Fukushima Daiichi.

Cutting the air: sword children

チャンバラで１かいあそんで見たら楽しかったから
"It was great fun for me to play with a wooden sword."
Itsuki, 7, Koriyama, Fukushima

Itsuki has drawn his friend playing at sword fighting with him during a summer camp designed to give children respite from high radiation areas

His situation
The levels of radiation in Koriyama are so high that most parents and schools are not allowing children to play outside at all, even though soil has been removed from many school grounds. They wear long sleeves and face masks when outside, and avoid the rain. They try to be careful about food and water. Koriyama is a city of 340,000 people 60km west of Fukushima Daiichi.

Fukushima Daichi monsters

 福島第一モンスター
ハルカは福島県郡山市在住の12歳の女の子。　彼女の絵からは、彼女がただ外で遊びたいことが見て取れる。　しかし福島第一原子力発電所のモンスターが彼女の思いを脅かしている。

彼女の置かれた状況
郡山市で検出された放射線レベルは非常に高く、学校のグラウンドの土を除去したとはいえ、ほとんどの親や学校は子供を外で遊ばせていない。子供達は外出時に長袖にマスク着用し、雨を避けている。そして食べ物や飲料水にも注意を払っている。郡山市は人口34万人、福島第一原発から60km西に位置している。

Haruka is 12 and lives in Koriyama, Fukushima. Her drawing shows her wishing she could just play, but she is menaced by monsters in the shape of the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant.

Her situation
The levels of radiation in Koriyama are so high that most parents and schools are not allowing children to play outside at all, even though soil has been removed from many school grounds. They wear long sleeves and face masks when outside, and avoid the rain. They try to be careful about food and water. Koriyama is a city of 340,000 people 60km west of Fukushima Daiichi.

Now the earth is anxious and troubled. What can we do about it? 今、地球はなやみつづけています。ぼくにいったいなにが出来るのだろう？

彼は10歳。福島県の柳津町に住んでいる。
He is 10 and lives in Yanaizu, Fukushima prefecture.

今、地球はなやみつづけています。ぼくにいったいなにが出来るのだろう？
His writing on the picture says "Now the earth is anxious and troubled. What can we do about it?!"

彼の置かれた状況
2011年3月11日に起こった原発事故に加え、この絵が描かれた数週間後には、郡山市から出た640トンもの高濃度汚染水が、自治体の希望に反して彼の住む村にこっそり遺棄されたとテレビが報じた。そして7月29日、豪雨により村は洪水に襲われた。
His situation
As well as living with the nuclear accident of 11th March 2011, a few weeks after this drawing was made it was reported on TV that 640 tons of highly radioactive sewage waste from Koriyama had been secretly dumped near his village against the wishes of the council.Then on 29th July, a major flood  hit the valley.

Anger at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

He is 9 and lives in Kaneyama-machi, Fukushima prefecture. As well as living with the nuclear accident ongoing since 11.3.11, two weeks after making this drawing his house was flooded by the Tadami river, damaging everything on the first floor.