The Heart of Japan

Fukushima became a household name after the nuclear reactor meltdown caused by the Great East Japan earthquake in 2011. Of all the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, from an economic standpoint, Fukushima was perhaps the most devastated, having to contend with being branded as ‘contaminated’. Even as some of the affected areas begin to reopen, many of the displaced residents are choosing not to return to their homes, and tourism is at an all time low.

This month I had the opportunity to visit Kawamata Town which is a small town in Fukushima that was partially evacuated for almost 7 years after the disaster. The evacuation order was finally lifted last year, with the local school reopening this April. However, only 15 students have returned to the school so far.

Yamakiya Unified School is a joint elementary and junior high school. The school building is almost brand new, featuring some of the best building design I have ever seen in a public school in Japan. What’s more, the school has an indoor pool, smart boards in every classroom, tablets for every student, and a brand new library. Since it is a combined elementary and junior high school, the school curriculum includes joint classes between the elementary and junior high school students, allowing for more interaction with a variety of age groups. And yet, the school has a very grim outlook. Within four years all of the students will graduate.

For anyone who has visited a public school in Japan, you can probably understand my sentiment when I say what a waste this is. Public schools in Japan tend to be old and kind of sad looking buildings which have little to no technology or resources. This school is one of the most decked out and well-designed schools in the country, and yet it will probably be closed within four years.

Unfortunately, this situation is not only limited to Kawamata Town. Many small countryside schools are starting to suffer from the extreme population decline and tendency of young people to move to larger cities in Japan. While the overcrowded mega cities of Osaka and Tokyo continue to grow more and more uncomfortable, small towns across the country are fast becoming ghost towns. Local governments are trying all different sorts of initiatives to try to attract more people, some even going to extremes such as offering free housing to anyone who is willing to settle down in the area, however few have seen positive results. 

The Japanese government has been talking for years about moving the central government offices, or even changing the capital of Japan in an attempt to more evenly distribute the population, but thus far no action has been taken. All the while, these ghost towns are becoming more and more prevalent across the nation. 

And yet, even facing certain extinction, the spirit of the townspeople in Kawamata seems to remain strong. While visiting Yamakiya Unified School, I had the pleasure of listening to an English speech written by one of the junior high school students. He talked about his experience of studying at a different school and how happy he was to finally be able to return to Yamakiya after seven years. His words shined with love for his small town and school pride. The town has also started new initiatives such as growing anthurium flowers without the use of soil in an attempt to overcome the negative image of Fukushima. These flowers will hopefully be used as decorations and gifted to athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games. The resilience and hardworking nature of the people was inspiring to see. 

Every time I visit the local regions of Japan, I am reminded of how much I love the countryside. I hope that somehow these towns will find a way to continue on, for that in my opinion is where you can find the true heart of Japan.


Autumn is a beautiful time of year to visit Fukushima.
Anthurium flowers grown in polyester. 

I got to try my hand at traditional silk weaving. 

An elementary school that closed down in Kawamata Town is now used as an art gallery to display the works of local artists. 

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