Japan’s nuclear power plants are strung along the country’s coasts to secure the large amount of water necessary for cooling the reactor cores. They are often built away from urban areas, which is generally put down to land constraints and the ease of obtaining “local understanding.”

There are people who believe that the problems of regional Japan, including financial difficulties and depopulation, can be resolved by attracting nuclear power plants. They talk about dreams of nuclear stations contributing to the energy supply, creating jobs, and boosting the economy.

However, the memoir “Ano Hi kara Okotta Koto” (“What happened from that day,” published by Haru Shobo) by staff from three hospitals in Fukushima Prefecture vividly depicts how this narrative drastically changes in the face of disaster.