EXHIBITION

  1. English
  2. Exhibition | The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum

 

The museum’s collection comprises approximately 290,000 items related to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear disaster. They include photographs of areas before the disaster and materials describing the lives of evacuees at the time of the disaster and thereafter. Of these, about 200 items are on permanent display in the exhibition room.

In addition to physical items and videos featuring testimony from survivors, which convey the damage that was caused by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, there are also touch panel displays, models, and more, enabling you to deepen your understanding of this unprecedented multi-disaster.

Click here for current exhibitions and events

FAQ

Q

How long does it take to see the museum?

A
  • It should take you about an hour to see everything at the museum. But besides the exhibits, there are explanatory texts to read and videos to watch, as well as video testimonies from survivors, so some visitors spend several hours here.

Q

Can we use cameras freely in the museum?

A
  • Cameras can be used in areas other than the Prologue Theatre and the exhibition area.
    Please note that livestreaming using Zoom or YouTube and the recording of lengthy videos is prohibited in the exhibition space.

For questions regarding facility tours, click here.

Exhibits

01

Prologue
（Prologue Theatre）

A video introducing you to the exhibition is displayed on a set of seven huge screens. The narrator is actor Toshiyuki Nishida, a Fukushima native, and over actual footage and animations, he describes everything from the construction of the nuclear power plant, the events of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, and the evacuation of residents, to the reconstruction of the prefecture and the decommissioning of the plant.

02

The Beginning of the Compound Disaster

This allows you to travel through time from life prior to the disaster to the onslaught of the earthquake and tsunami and the occurrence of the nuclear accident. In the pre-disaster section, you will learn about the culture and life of the Soso district and how it was connected with the nuclear power plant. And in the post-disaster section, there are actual artifacts that testify to the force of the tsunami, a video explaining the causes of the nuclear accident, and a model of the Tokyo Electric Power Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as it looked just after the accident.

03

The Immediate Response
to the Nuclear Accident

It communicates the confusion in the immediate aftermath of the nuclear accident and the trials of lives spent moving from one evacuation site to another. Also described are the reactions both at home and overseas and the support that was provided. A big-screen video shows actual images from the first week after the disaster, while exhibits convey the harsh experiences of hospital in-patients who also had to evacuate. As such, you can get a feel for the tension that existed at the time.

04

The voices of Fukushima

And you can experience the various emotions felt by Fukushima residents as their tranquil lives were turned upside down by the nuclear accident as though you were feeling them yourself. The content is broadly divided into four categories, such as “separation from families and community life and experiences of change” and “sudden departure from happy school life,” and it is conveyed through a combination of video testimony and displays of mementos.

05

The Long-term Impact
of the Nuclear Disaster

You can learn about the ongoing impact of the nuclear disaster. There are also visual materials and explanatory videos from experts about decontamination efforts involving the removal of the scattered radioactive material, action to halt the spread of baseless rumors, and initiatives to assist long-term evacuees and safeguard their health.

06

Striving for Revitalization

The museum offers a picture of how Fukushima is overcoming hardship and taking on the challenge of reconstruction. Other exhibits include explanations of the decommissioning work being conducted at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a town-planning simulator with which you can create an ideal city, and the disaster response robot “MISORA.”

Outdoor exhibition

Outside, meanwhile, a firetruck is on display, but it is almost unrecognizable due the battering it took from the tsunami. It was discovered close to the site of the museum. Its twisted form lets you imagine the might of the tsunami. Also on show is full-size replica of the text panel from a nuclear power PR sign that was installed in the town of Futaba before the nuclear accident.