Comparing Japan's tsunami stricken areas now with then

Last week I got back from Japan where I undertook a trip to the same locations where I spent time shooting in the immediate aftermath of the devastating tsunami last year. My aim was to see how the region was coping and to try and get some "now and then" comparison shots.

The earthquake itself did surprisingly little damage considering its extreme violence, a testament to the fantastic building codes that exist in Japan. Areas inland which received the most extreme shaking appear totally normal and unaffected, it's only when you near the coast that the apocalyptic scenes exist due to the tsunami.

The country continues to get rocked by major aftershocks. My wife and I were woken by the whole house swaying and creaking one evening, another one made our in-car GPS unit go beserk with warnings as we were driving north to the disaster zone and the day after we left a major swarm of aftershocks hit them. Must play havoc with the nerves of the survivors.

I wish I could have done more preparation and set up exact recreations of the original frames I shot however a last minute location scouting gig the days before I left prevented me from doing that. All the original shots are up here on P5 and I've just uploaded the "one year on" shots.

Please let me know what you think:



Japan Tsunami Devastation - Comparing Now With Then

James

Great work man. I know this kind of work can be troubling, but the world should understand these things and you are providing an important service.

Thanks Physics!

Often I'm shooting totally harmless and beautiful natural events but every now and again something really nasty crops up which makes it all the more important to try and document.

James

James, how did you mobilize yourself during April 2011? Did you rent a car? Taxi?
Thanks.

Hi Wideweb.

I rented car from Niigata on the Sea of Japan side of N Honshu then drove up and across the island to the tsunami region in the NE. Very beautiful and snowy drive!

In Japan you need an international driver's license to rent cars.

James.

Thanks for the detailed response. Did you have any concern regarding the radiation?

Nope, since at the time I had insider information from my wife and the company who she works for who had enlisted the services of nuclear physicists and experts to get the low down on what was going on! Outside of immediate Fukushima Daiichi area there was little risk!