[…]
Immediately after the nuclear accident, Matsumura asked his close friend who somewhat ironically worked for TEPCO, if the situation was serious and whether there was cause for genuine concern. This so-called friend, despite having already rushed his own family far way from the site, replied, “No need to worry. I can see it all breezing over in a couple of days.” When Matsumura recalls this episode, it is difficult not to feel a pang of sadness for him as he adds, “Such heartlessness. In spite of all that happened, to continue the cold lies…”
n the beginning of the documentary, Mr. Matsumura, who lives in Tomioka in Fukushima, recalls the emotional trauma of being left alone after all the other residents had fled the area:
“The feeling of loneliness was so overbearing that it even numbed my sense of what it is to be lonely. Admittedly, acclimatizing to this new environment took me some time.”
He then recounts the reason for continuing to live in the hazard zone, commenting:
”I originally fled south, after the fourth reactor at Daichi exploded. Hoping to stay at my father’s house, I was bitterly disappointed after being turned away due to fears of radioactive contamination.”
Read more and watch the trailer of the film at Alone in the Red Zone: Fukushima Town’s Sole Resident Speaks Out in Harrowing Documentary
In Japanese:
