Damage Done: The Real Reasoning Behind the Earthquake's Destruction

You may have heard an interesting word this past year: Fukushima. This name identifies the nuclear power plant that destroyed thousands of citizens’ lives along Japan’s Tohuku Coast on March 11, 2011. Things went wrong when a category 9 earthquake evoked a tsunami, producing monstrous waves that crashed down on the coast. The earthquake, which activated a seismic fault dangerously close to the power plant, became the country’s worst thus far, and the results of the earthquake were even worse. The earthquake, tsunami, and resulting nuclear disaster destroyed Japan’s culture, nuclear industry, and people, both physically and mentally. The Fukushima Daiichi power plant incident killed 600 citizens more than one year ago, but people still experience emotional and physical damage today. Although we can blame the natural ways of the world, people mainly fault the government and media. These authority figures failed to alert the public in a timely manner, and failed to keep technology up to date before the irreversible damage was done. Although reactions have improved since previous disasters, the government and media failed to handle the Fukushima Daiichi disaster promptly and correctly, and created a far greater disaster than necessary.

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On March 11, 2001, disaster struck Japan’s Tohuku coast. Citizens were forced to run and permanently relocate as waves came crashing down on their homes, their belongings, and their memories. That day, lives were damaged and too many were lost. According to a study based on 6,000 other earthquakes, “the earthquake caused a seismic fault close to the nuclear plant to reactivate” (Antinuclear). This reactivation caused the plant’s cooling systems to break down, resulting damage, leaking nuclear power, and exposing many to harmful radiation. The radiation waves reached thirty kilometers away and continued to spread long after the incident. The government evacuated citizens from about twenty kilometers away, but it was nearly impossible to quell all resultant damage.

Meteorologists fell short starting at the beginning of the incident, in their initial discovery of the earthquake off the Tohuku coast. They failed to pick up on the earthquake until it was fifty kilometers away, lessening the possible response time of the area’s citizens. Considering past events such as Chernobyl, a similar nuclear disaster which occurred in 1986 Ukraine, the Fukushima Daiichi plant and Japanese Meteorological Agency geologists should have been better prepared and better able to come across the category nine monster that would soon destroy an entire town (JMA). The JMA, whose job it is to prevent and mitigate natural disasters, caused abundant and detrimental damage to the entire world. Other power plants located around the country and world should look at this disaster with caution, rather than continue their practices as usual. The Fukushima Daiishi disaster made the world once again put effort into the safety and security of the nuclear industry. 

In Japan specifically, many nuclear power plants still exist. While the disaster failed to destroy the industry entirely, nuclear power plants now more than ever need to crack down on their technology and security methods, as things are just getting worse. The earth may be unpredictable, but science today is advanced enough to prevent danger and keep citizens informed earlier to prepare and find safety. The technological mistakes are very much to blame for the danger during the tsunami and nuclear crisis. According to a Solid Earth recent publication, this earthquake has increased the country’s chance of future disasters. The European Geosciences Union revealed, “While the scientists can’t predict when an earthquake in Fukushima Daiichi will occur, they state that the ascending fluids observed in the area indicate that such an event is likely to occur in the near future. They warn that more attention should be paid to the site’s ability to withstand strong earthquakes, and reduce the risk of another nuclear disaster.” This information is slightly obvious, considering the damage done by the nuclear disaster recently, but it also emphasizes better management and its importance.

While most would partially blame the government for all damage done, some have gone to the extent to state that the nuclear disaster was man-made (Senju H.). In March of 2011, as the public’s anxiety grew, so did the nuclear plant’s attempt to hide the truth. The public was shielded from the truth about the intensity of the earthquake itself in addition to being unaware of the dangers of the nuclear power. According to an article in The Nation by Banana Yoshimoto, the Tokyo Electric Power Company is to blame. This company, which controls the Fukushima power plant, attempted to reveal the truth and kept citizens in the dark at the peak of their concern. Citizens were told that the earthquake was not a large threat, giving them false hope and less time to prepare for what was actually to come. The media additionally gave misleading information to the public, making them believe the earthquake was a lower caliber, and only revealing the truth once it became too late. While this clearly benefited no one in the long run, hopefully the companies in charge have learned their lesson and will keep the public more informed.

It is questionable whether the location will ever recover, and we know the people certainly never fully will. The society that once existed on the Tohuku Coast has been destroyed, never to return to its original state. While the people have scattered to various locations; the beautiful lands and beaches that once existed on the coast now dark and desolate. The uplifting and spiritual people are now precautionary and afraid instead. The past may have been a time of serenity and culture, but “today the cities of Japan are as brightly lit at night as an operating room, and some complain that the traditional beauty of the country has already disappeared” (Yoshimoto, 24).

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While the article in Nature may look upon the responses to the disaster in some sort of positive light, nothing justifies the intentional secrecy of the power plant and the media, which both effectively created a far worse disaster than necessary. In the article the author states, “...many more lives would have been lost had it not been for the work of scientists, engineers, emergency officials and a well-prepared populace.” True- things could have been worse, but was the populace really well-prepared? The evidence I have collected has led me to believe otherwise- as the people really were uninformed. Technology did not detect the earthquake quickly enough. The nuclear plant was unable to withstand the situation's pressure. Despite the past extreme earthquakes, the JMA still underestimated the earthquake’s potential. Although it may sound extreme, the disaster could have been entirely avoided if not for this secrecy and lack of technology. Because even the JMA and other important companies weren’t prepared, the citizens certainly could not be either. Having this level earthquake under its belt, the area is now prone to even worse natural disasters. The country has much to prepare for and must do its best to fix its communication problems which have harmed them in the past. The situation has proven how communication is key, and one can never be too careful. If the Tokyo Electric Power Company had revealed information sooner, greater precautions could have been taken. If the government had not sugar-coated the situation, citizens could have left sooner. If the earthquake was detected before it was only 50 feet away, the entire area could have evacuated. But the problems with the meteorological industry and the nuclear industry resulted in lost lives and too much damage done. If the citizens of Japan didn’t feel the increasing sense of urgency before, they should feel it now. Things will only get worse and the government and media must improve their ways. As stated in an article in Fortune Magazine, “The epic disaster at Fukushima Daiichi represents failure at almost every level, from how the Japanese government regulates nuclear power, to how TEPCO managed critical details of the crisis under desperate circumstances” (Powell and Takayama). For such advanced times in both geological technology and communication, these failures are revolutionary.

Works Cited

After Japan's Latest Earthquake, Government's Response Improves

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Senju H. A Man-Made Disaster. The Nation (New York, N.Y.). 2011-09-01;293:23.
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