15-year anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident

Today marks the 15-year anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident,

Japan’s worst civilian nuclear disaster. The consequences of this event
have been far-reaching for Japanese society. In addition to massive
evacuations, huge economic costs, and uncertainties regarding the future of
Japan’s energy, the disaster also led to tense debates about the impacts
of radioactive exposure. Unfortunately, one particular official narrative
has gained momentum in defining the effects of this disaster: For far too
long, reports produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Scientific
Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) have argued that the
levels of radiation released during the disaster were too low to pose major
health risks. In fact, they even argued that the more serious sources of
harm were the anxiety and psychological problems associated with the fear
of radiation. This kind of discourse has been repeated throughout the
years. For instance, Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA,
claimed in 2020 that “No one died from radiation at Fukushima” and the
World Nuclear Association still states that “There have been no deaths or
cases of radiation sickness from the nuclear accident.” These comments
are not particularly surprising, especially since they come from
organizations that promote the beneficial and safe aspects of nuclear
energy. However, there are many problems with saying that no one died from
radiation after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Beyond the statistical
difficulties in putting a number to the deaths in Fukushima—something
that is always complex in the aftermath of nuclear tragedies—there are
three specific shortcomings behind the recurring statements that “no one
died from radiation exposure” after Fukushima. These shortcomings are
associated with the nature of chronic and long-term exposure to low-dose
radiation, cases of “indirect” deaths, and an obsession with
quantitative metrics. At Fukushima people were not exposed to doses high
enough to lead to immediate, irreversible damage and subsequent death. With
lower doses, it can be very hard to make a clear case of
cause-and-effect—aka “causation”—between exposure and the potential
death of an individual. The second problem with the “no one died from
radiation at Fukushima” trope is that the nuclear accident caused
numerous indirect deaths, which are deaths resulting from secondary health
effects (not radiation per se). For instance, after the reactors’
meltdown, many people had to be evacuated to avoid harmful radiation
exposure. During this evacuation, numerous ill and elderly individuals
succumbed. Third, the phrase “no one died from radiation at Fukushima”
overly focuses on the quantitative aspects of radiation casualties—i.e.,
the number of deaths—which obfuscates how nuclear violence can still
destroy the normal life of numerous citizens, who will keep bearing the
scars of this disaster.

 Bulletin of Atomic Scientists 11th March 2026 

 https://thebulletin.org/2026/03/counting-the-dead-at-fukushima/