October 29, 2015

Photo exhibit profiles lives of animals in Fukushima nuclear no-go zone

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/features/news/20151029p2a00m0na012000c.html

Once domesticated animals such as pigs and cows still roam free in the no-go zone along the coast near the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, and an upcoming photo exhibit will offer visitors a glimpse of these animals' lives without their human masters.

The photos -- on display Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University in Musashino, Tokyo -- were snapped by Kumiko Otani, a member of a veterinarians' and farmers' group that cares for and does research on cows in the nuclear accident evacuation zone. Otani, who works for a Tokyo advertising agency, has been helping care for animals in the zone and doing other support work since just after the reactor meltdowns in March 2011, taking photos all the while.

The 26 images include the skeletons of cows left in their paddocks and pigs wandering through deserted residential neighborhoods, each photo reminding the viewer of the nuclear accident's harsh realities.

"I share the frustrations of the farmers, and want to continue to participate in the research being done" in the evacuation zone, Otani commented.

The exhibition will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, and admission is free.