I had a chance to visit the 20-kilometer radius area in Fukushima, where the TEPCO nuclear power plant evacuated residents after its initial explosion.

The evacuation order has just lifted a few days prior to.

A year has passed, but the scene I saw was frozen in time.

The houses were still abandoned.

Will there be a day for the residents to return?

I encountered a man standing still, lost in thought, in front of his used-to-be home.

This is the reality the nuclear power plant has brought upon us.

I thought I missed this year’s cherry blossom, however I lucked out and caught its ephemeral beauty in Fukushima, where the full bloom comes a little bit later than Tokyo.

5 . 15 . 2012 at 10:41