Billedserie 12.03.15 Kl. 12:38

Japan: Fire år efter tsunamiens dødelige bølger

Det er fire år siden, at katastrofen ramte Japan i form af en tsunami, der ødelagde både beboelsesområder, infrastruktur og tog tusinder af menneskeliv med sig. Denne billedserie sætter fokus på et land og en lokalbefolkning i fortsat sorg

Kristoffer Uhre Knattrup
Nationalsorg efter naturens destruktion: Japan mindes de døde og savnede præcis 4 år efter den fatale tsunami.
Nationalsorg efter naturens destruktion: Japan mindes de døde og savnede præcis 4 år efter den fatale tsunami.

For fire år siden tog naturens magter over. De enorme tsunamibølger forvoldte voldsom skade på Japans nordlige regioner. Omkring 18.000 japanere mistede livet, og knap 2.600 meldes stadig savnet. Mere end 250.000 japanere er stadig ikke vendt tilbage til deres hjem. Det skriver Ritzau.

Det arrede landskab volder stadig store problemer for de berørte indbyggere, fordi ødelæggelserne var så store. Blandt andet er en stor del af landets infrastruktur ødelagt. Mange beboelsesområder ligger stadig øde, og mange hektar marker er stadig ubrugeligt til opdyrkning.

En række mindeceremonier med et minuts stilhed er blevet holdt for ofre og pårørende i storbyer og i mindre byer i katastrofezonen, og en ceremoni i Tokyo blev ledet af kejser Akihito og kejserinde Michiko.

Katastrofen blev især uoverskuelig, da atomværket i Fukushima begyndte at lække radioaktive stoffer. De radioaktive stoffer begyndte hurtigt at sive ned i drikkevandet, som gjorde det giftigt. Atomudslippet udgør fortsat en markant risiko for befolkningen. 

Den radioaktive stråling er stadig mere end ti gange så høj i de berørte områder omkring atomkraftværket, end den var før katastrofen indtraf. Det skriver den amerikanske avis USA Today.

Se de stærke billeder nedenfor:

TO GO WITH Japan-disaster-accident-nuclear-anniversary, ADVANCER by Hiroshi Hiyama (FILES) This file photo taken on March 12, 2011 shows an aerial view of tsunami damage and flooding in Natori, Miyagi prefecture a day after the country was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami that milled some 19, 000 people. March 11, 2013 marks the second anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that sent huge a wall of water into the coast of Tohoku, splintering whole communities and ruining acres of pri....
TO GO WITH Japan-disaster-accident-nuclear-anniversary, ADVANCER by Hiroshi Hiyama (FILES) This file photo taken on March 12, 2011 shows an aerial view of tsunami damage and flooding in Natori, Miyagi prefecture a day after the country was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami that milled some 19, 000 people. March 11, 2013 marks the second anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that sent huge a wall of water into the coast of Tohoku, splintering whole communities and ruining acres of pri....
epa03616317 A picture made available 09 March 2013 shows a woman walking on a destroyed dock at a fishing port in Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, 14 February 2013. She collects seawood to make some money. Yamada lies about 600km north of Tokyo. As a result of the tsunami on 11 March 2011, 770 of about 17, 000 residents were either killed or recorded missing. Japan will mark the second anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on 11 March. According to the Nation....
epa03616317 A picture made available 09 March 2013 shows a woman walking on a destroyed dock at a fishing port in Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, 14 February 2013. She collects seawood to make some money. Yamada lies about 600km north of Tokyo. As a result of the tsunami on 11 March 2011, 770 of about 17, 000 residents were either killed or recorded missing. Japan will mark the second anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on 11 March. According to the Nation....
Tanks of radiation-contaminated water are seen at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 11, 2015. Wednesday marks the fourth year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis. Mandatory credit REUTERS/Kyodo (JAPAN) ATTENTION EDITORS - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE....
Tanks of radiation-contaminated water are seen at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 11, 2015. Wednesday marks the fourth year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis. Mandatory credit REUTERS/Kyodo (JAPAN) ATTENTION EDITORS - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE....
epaselect epa04307503 Workers construct ice wall to freeze highly toxic water at tsunami-crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, Japan, 09 July 2014. Tokyo Electric Power Co.(TEPCO) conducts to build frozen ice wall around the buildings of Units 1 to 4 at the tsunami-devastated nuclear power plant to stop radiation-contaminated water from flowing to the sea. TEPCO has been struggling with massive amounts of tox....
epaselect epa04307503 Workers construct ice wall to freeze highly toxic water at tsunami-crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, Japan, 09 July 2014. Tokyo Electric Power Co.(TEPCO) conducts to build frozen ice wall around the buildings of Units 1 to 4 at the tsunami-devastated nuclear power plant to stop radiation-contaminated water from flowing to the sea. TEPCO has been struggling with massive amounts of tox....
Officials in protective gear check for signs of radiation on children who are from the evacuation area near the Fukushima Daini nuclear plant in Koriyama in this March 13, 2011 file photo. The biggest earthquake to hit Japan on record struck the northeast coast, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, ships, cars and farm buildings on fire and caused the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Files (JAPAN - Tags: DISA....
Officials in protective gear check for signs of radiation on children who are from the evacuation area near the Fukushima Daini nuclear plant in Koriyama in this March 13, 2011 file photo. The biggest earthquake to hit Japan on record struck the northeast coast, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, ships, cars and farm buildings on fire and caused the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Files (JAPAN - Tags: DISA....
Members of Yoshisawa's farm (now called Farm of Hope) pray for 4th anniversary of the tsunami and nuke power plant Fukushima Dai-Ichi meltdown. But Also the cow killed by Tepco fault. Fukushima. Namie, JAPAN 11/03/2015/DATICHE_103810/Credit:DATICHE NICOLAS/SIPA/1503111050
Members of Yoshisawa's farm (now called Farm of Hope) pray for 4th anniversary of the tsunami and nuke power plant Fukushima Dai-Ichi meltdown. But Also the cow killed by Tepco fault. Fukushima. Namie, JAPAN 11/03/2015/DATICHE_103810/Credit:DATICHE NICOLAS/SIPA/1503111050
People shout slogans and display banners during a rally denouncing nuclear plants and criticizing the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) operating body, in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on March 11, 2015. Japan marked the fourth anniversary on March 11 of a quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many. AFP PHOTO / TORU YAMANAKA
People shout slogans and display banners during a rally denouncing nuclear plants and criticizing the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) operating body, in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on March 11, 2015. Japan marked the fourth anniversary on March 11 of a quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many. AFP PHOTO / TORU YAMANAKA
Japan's Emperor Akihito (R) and Empress Michiko walk in front of the altar for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami at the national memorial service in Tokyo March 11, 2015. Japan marked the fourth anniversary on March 11 of the quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many. AFP PHOTO / POOL / Toru Hanai
Japan's Emperor Akihito (R) and Empress Michiko walk in front of the altar for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami at the national memorial service in Tokyo March 11, 2015. Japan marked the fourth anniversary on March 11 of the quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many. AFP PHOTO / POOL / Toru Hanai
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends the national memorial service for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tokyo on March 11, 2015. Japan marked the fourth anniversary on March 11 of the quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many. AFP PHOTO / POOL / Toru Hanai
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends the national memorial service for victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tokyo on March 11, 2015. Japan marked the fourth anniversary on March 11 of the quake-tsunami disaster that swept away thousands of people and sparked a nuclear crisis, a tragedy that has left visible scars on the landscape and continues to wreak misery for many. AFP PHOTO / POOL / Toru Hanai
epa04657079 Namie fire brigade members are searching for missing at Ukedo area, about five km north of tsunami-crippled Tokyo Electric Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, in entry-restricted town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, 11 March 2015, on the fourth anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Namie town, close to Tokyo Electric Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, had the largest number of such deaths at 359. The plant suffered a tr....
epa04657079 Namie fire brigade members are searching for missing at Ukedo area, about five km north of tsunami-crippled Tokyo Electric Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, in entry-restricted town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, 11 March 2015, on the fourth anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Namie town, close to Tokyo Electric Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, had the largest number of such deaths at 359. The plant suffered a tr....