Fukushima Fiction

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46pm, one tectonic plate forced its way on top of another 45 miles (or 72 km) off the Eastern coast of Japan. It caused a 9.0 magnitude megathrust earthquake that lasted about six minutes.The Great East Japan Earthquake triggered a tsunami—a great wave—that may have reached heights up to 133 feet (more than 40 meters). The earthquake and tsunami also disabled the reactor cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing several reactors to meltdown.The government of Tokyo released official death numbers around the tenth anniversary of 3/11 in 2021. It reported 19,759 deaths. 6,242 injuries. And 2,553 missing. Most of the missing are presumed dead.Hundreds of thousands of people who evacuated the area still haven’t returned home—many never will.In this episode:Tohoku and its place in Japan's history and cultureThe response by Japanese writers to the 3/11 disasterHiromi Kawakami's life and work—especially her stories "God Bless You" and "God Bless You, 2011"Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. Donate to support Tohoku:Soso Volunteer (Japanese)Support Our Kids (Japanese)The Taylor Anderson Memorial Fund (English)Become an RJL supporter for ten minutes of bonus content.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)Please note that text messages are for feedback only. RJL can't respond directly.Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.Support RJL on Patreon.com.Buy your books from Bookshop.org.All content © 2025 Read Japanese Literature.