Video Review: "The Last Farmer In Fukushima’s Post-Nuclear Wasteland" By VICE INTL (Japan)

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Fig. Naoto Matsumura

This is a schematic picture. For real image, the reader can visit the mirror. co site:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/gallery/naoto-matsumura-5338343

In the video, Naoto Matsumura, a resident of Fukushima, refuses to evacuate the nuclear disaster area. He remains with the animals left behind after the 2011 accident. If he were to leave, all the animals—dogs, cats, cows, horses, and ostriches—would perish.

The following is a part of what he says (translation by the author):

“At night, there’s no sound, no cars running, no people, no electricity, no water, no gas, no nothing. Feeling of suddenly being alone remains indescribable. It’s like an unspoken emotion that settles in when solitude takes over. Loneliness doesn’t quite capture it.”

In another video [2], he explains the time he fed the abandoned  animals (translation by the author).

“These animals had probably gone more than 10 days without eating anything. When I gave them food, they looked at me as if to say, 'Is it really okay for us to eat this?'"

Despite his actions, Matsumura is not an animal rights activist. In a separate video, he clarifies that his decision is not based on any religious belief.

I highly recommend watching the video to observe Matsumura’s demeanor, hear his words in the Tohoku accent, and interpret his body language.

Much more details about him can be found in the German Wikipedia [2].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs-q-2893uw&t=10s

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXOGtiMZXtM

("Thirteen years since the Great East Japan Earthquake: The conviction of a man who continued to live in his hometown despite evacuation orders | Fukushima Monologue 2011-2024 | NHK")

[3]https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Matsumura

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