The Untold Stories of a Nuclear Disaster
How the children of Fukushima are still impacted today
In the past couple months, we have all been living in fear of the coronavirus. This seemingly invisible pathogen has led to many stay-at-home orders, changing the way we run our lives completely. The uncertainty of everything has taken a toll on all of us. For adults, this means that we have been working from home, having video calls instead of hanging out with friends, and living a much less social life than usual. For children, this has meant having school online, not seeing their friends, and altogether a scary and confusing experience. We are, of course, encouraged by the idea that things will get better.
Now imagine instead of a virus that shows its symptoms within two weeks, something that may never reveal itself until years down the line. Something that is not passed through person to person contact, but that permeates the air, the ground, the food, and essentially every aspect of our lives. This would bring about a whole other kind of fear, one that is deeply seeded and that may not lead to any sort of panic over toilet paper or hand sanitizer, but one that brings about a deeper worry for the future of your life and your children’s. This is the fear of those who endured the Fukushima incident.
In March 2011, a 15-meter tsunami following a major earthquake disabled the power supply and cooling of three nuclear reactors in Fukushima. The effects of the nuclear fallout are still seen today among many people of Fukushima. Though most families were evacuated out of the most dangerous areas, radiation still caused much fear. Most children have been kept indoors for most of their lives for fear of the radiation. They constantly ask if there is radiation in their food before feeling safe enough to eat it. Without normal childhood activities like playing outside and riding bikes, they lack strength and coordination. Parents tell their kids to “avoid touching the outside air”. These children often have short tempers and high stress levels, and due to the way that they have grown up, do not have the motivation to do anything.
In the US, it is normal to receive therapy and counseling services after undergoing a traumatic experience. This process allows us to process on a deeper level what we have gone through and to move forward in a healthy and aware manner. We can learn what the individual is going through and develop healthier ways to cope. Childhood trauma can result from anything that disrupts a child’s sense of safety and when unresolved, can lead to fear and helplessness that carries on into adulthood, often resulting in depression, anxiety, and a sense of detachment from others.
Unfortunately, therapy is still very stigmatized in Japan. People are hesitant to talk about it and afraid to admit that they need it. Perhaps they may not even know that therapy is available or that they need it. Calling for the need to change this, Noritoshi Hirakawa, a contemporary artist, saw this as an issue for the well-being of the children of Fukushima and decided to take action to help. He founded Today is the Day, a foundation dedicated to raising money and support for the affected children of Fukushima through art and art therapy.
Through this foundation, Hirakawa, along with LaSalle College of the Arts, started the Miracle Kutchie Experience, a two-week art retreat exchange program that uses art therapy and workshops to address the trauma of these children. In this two-week trip to Singapore, the children visit Sentosa and the Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands and take part in different activities involving art therapy, self-expression, and cultural enrichment. Singapore was chosen because mental health is more widely understood and supported than it is in Japan. Additionally, Singapore is safe and clean, and there is a large Japanese expat population willing to volunteer for the program and host the kids. These children each took part in private art therapy sessions for 90 minutes a day, where they can explore their own emotions and express them through art. At the end of the two weeks, they get to exhibit their work together. The program hopes to ease the lives of the children and to give them something meaningful to enjoy despite their struggles.
For many of the children who have taken part in the Miracle Kutchie Experience, the program has been extremely impactful. There are sustaining relationships between the kids as well as with facilitators. They are more comfortable exploring art and are more willing to participate. It has not only brought them joy and fun experiences, but also healing from their past trauma. For 12-year-olds Yuji Kurata and Kaito Moue, this program is something they look forward to each year. Many of the children are happier and different from when they started, and have developed powerful ways to cope with their trauma.
Although Hirakawa is primarily an artist, he was not limited by his career in his capacity to help others. He saw that a group of people were in need, and he used his skills and network to create something that would affect these kids greatly. He hopes that the concept of this program can be used in other countries and organizations to help people heal. Art therapy is a very useful and effective way to help children cope, allowing themselves to express their internal and mental issues in an open-ended and nonjudgmental way.
As we look at the impact of one artist and his initiative to help the children impacted by a nuclear disaster, we should be inspired to look at our own lives and what we can contribute to the world. When we think about art, our first thought would not be that it could help kids cope with trauma. However, Noritoshi used his creativity and his passion to change the lives of these children.
As an aspiring therapist and mental health advocate, I was captivated by this story. I had not much contemplated the power of art in helping to process trauma and emotions, and this made me realize that healing can be found in so many different forms. Oftentimes, we feel limited by our resources or our careers in what we can do, but in reality, we can use what we already have to help others in small ways. It becomes easy to think, “If I were richer, or if I were involved in a non-profit organization, then I can make an impact”. The truth is, even in our own small corners of the world, we can make a difference, as long as we put our minds and hearts to it.
Joanna Hao is a behavior interventionist working with children on the autism spectrum. She hopes to continue pursuing psychology and advocate for mental health. Outside of work, she plays sports, watches shows, and attempts to learn new instruments.
