Current Affairs

Just over a week ago, the last of Japan’s 54 nuclear power plants was shut down; a process that took almost 14 months.

Primarily they were taken offline to conduct safety tests, but huge public opposition also played its part. A role that will be even more of a factor in the future when it comes to deciding which, if any of the reactors, should be restarted.

Unusually rare and vocal protest that it’d be nice to think could next be aimed directly at Tepco, the corrupt culprit behind the meltdown. Then there’s the ageing and faceless suits that are running Japan, as well as running it into the ground. Not to mention the equally old men who provide jobs for the boys, and not the girls.

Unfortunately, however, it’s hard to see any of that happening, and this fist may sadly be the only one raised to fight the powers that be.

Over the weekend, Japan’s last operating nuclear plant was shut down, leaving the country without atomic power for the first time since 1970. A move that for a large number of people means job done — at last.

When walking round Tokyo’s entertainment districts, or struggling once again to get on a horribly packed train, it’s hard to imagine that the country’s population is getting smaller. Yet shrinking it most certainly is, with fewer kids and more old people tipping the country towards a worrying imbalance.

A demographic shift that could well result in more scenes like this — one that offers us a look back into the past, as well as forward into an uncertain future.

How many homeless there are in Tokyo is impossible to say, but there are a lot. Not as many as some cities, of course, but probably more than many people would imagine. Quite a few more in fact.

Those in the know also say the numbers are rising, although such suggestions are unnecessary, as even a cursory glance around many of the capital’s parks and open spaces confirm this to be the case. Where there was once solitary, makeshift accommodation, has now turned into what would best be described as encampments, and the sight of those on the streets appears to have become more damaged — not to mention desperate.

But just like many things in Tokyo, instead of being dealt with or even debated, it’s almost deftly ignored.

It is hard to believe that a year has already passed since the earth moved, the sea turned into a monster and a large corporation’s negligence all combined to quite literally shake Japan to its foundations.

But a year is a long time, and a visit to the devastated region several months ago, along with recent coverage of the affected areas, prove that the clean-up is well underway, with an enormous amount of debris now cleared.

The process of rebuilding, however, is a very different matter indeed, and there’s genuine doubt as to whether some towns will ever return to life again — even more so those in the exclusion zone. A large area that will sadly not see human habitation again during the lives of many of its former residents.

Yet for someone living in Tokyo, simply trying to imagine getting over the horrors of the earthquake and tsunami is difficult, but coupled with the ongoing uncertainties of radiation, it’s a life that is utterly impossible to grasp. The effects of which, both physical and psychological, many thousands of people will have to somehow deal with for decades to come.

A disaster that, unlike the forces the earth unleashed, could clearly have been averted. Cutting corners when building a convenience store or reforming a property is often all well and good, but the arrogance/greed/incompetence (delete where applicable) of doing the same thing with an ageing nuclear power plant is beyond reprehensible. The shadowy truth of which, along with everything that actually happened, will hopefully one day rise to the murky surface.

But just like in these few, awkward paragraphs, the ongoing saga of Fukushima Daiichi now often dominates the story of March 11, and in doing so is in danger of ignoring the continued suffering of those directly caught up in the events of that fateful day 12 months ago. A massive number of people who, from personal experience and TV footage, deserve far more respect — both for what they’ve been through, and how they have dealt with it. As one way or another, with or without assistance, life has to go on.