Japan still coming to terms with Fukushima

The triple disaster on March 11, 2011 caused the death of 19,000 people. First, a strong earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami. The natural disasters led to the partial meltdown of numerous reactors at the Daiichi power station in Fukushima prefecture. It was the worst nuclear catastrophe since the tragedy of Chernobyl in 1986.

Recent estimates show that the disasters in Fukushima, Japan, are going to end up costing a lot more than previously estimated. In November, 2012 Daiichi plant operator TEPCO disclosed that compensation to the victims and cleanup operations could go up to nearly 100 million euros. The power company estimates that the cleanup of Daiichi could take about 40 years.

The "Super-Giraffe" has been put to work for cleanup and decontamination operations. The machine measures 2.25 meters by 80 centimeters. It can carry a maximum of 150 kilograms and can reach a length of up to 8 meters with its extendable arm. The remote-controlled robot will be working in areas that are not accessible to humans.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a visit to the plant site around the end of 2012 said the disaster was "an unprecedented challenge," but that the situation was "under control." The Japanese government was heavily criticized after the catastrophe for its crisis management and information policy.

Yukio Edano, the chief government spokesman, gave numerous press conferences to keep the public informed in March 2011. The information given, however, underplayed the gravity of the tragedy. Very little hard facts were initially provided at all. This was the conclusion reached in summer 2012 by an independent committee of experts set up by the government.

TEPCO fared even worse according to the committee's inquiry. The utilities company not only tried to deliberately obstruct the investigation but also tried to misinform the public and cover up the actual scale of damage.

Bags full of radioactive waste at an interim storage in Fukushima: Reminders of the March 11 tragedy. TEPCO admitted that it had not been adequately prepared for natural disasters. The company was nationalized in July 2012 to save it from bankruptcy.

A small baby gets his thyroid checked. How great are the long-term health risks? A recent WHO report showed that the risk of cancer was only slightly higher in high emission zones. An international doctors' organization, on the other hand, estimated there would be an additional 80,000 cases of cancer due to the radiation.

Emissions are still very strong in some places, even in residential areas. Greenpeace Geiger counters show emissions over 10 microsieverts per hour at a playground in Fukushima at the end of February. At that level, Germany's limit of one milisievert per year would be reached in just four days.

Naoto Matsumara takes his herd to graze everyday - as if nothing ever happened. But something did change after March, 2011. He is now all by himself - aside from his 50 cows and 2 ostriches. He decided to stay in the exclusion zone around the nuclear plant. Around 160.000 people had to abandon their homes and most of them will never return.