Fukushima ghost towns pictured five years after nuclear disaster

07/12/2016 / By fukushima

It has been five years since reactor four went in to meltdown at the Fukushima Nuclear Power plant, triggered by a huge tsunami and earthquake that devastated Japan.

(Article by Toby Meyjes)

The nuclear disaster led to the imposition of a 20 mile evacuation zone, similar to that seen in Chernobyl, more than 25 years earlier.

Many of the towns that lay within it, have remained almost untouched since.

Determined to see the evidence for himself, photographer Keow Wee Loong ignored the need for special permit and crept in to the exclusion zone overnight.

New pictures from inside Fukushima 'Well this is the devastating effects of using nuclear energy. resident lives in fukushima will never be the same again... the radiation leak at red zone by the fukushima daichi power plant is damaging the environment and marine life?????? in the pacific ocean , say no to nuclear energy today. [SHARE THIS PHOTO OUT TO SPREAD THE AWARENESS OF THE DANGER IN USING NUCLEAR ENERGY]' https://www.facebook.com/uglykiwi/media_set?set=a.1108392955906984.1073741934.100002088711813&type=3 http://imgur.com/a/KabxJ

The nuclear disaster led to the imposition of a 20 mile evacuation zone (Picture: Barcroft Media/ Keow Wee Loong)

Many of the towns that lay within the exclusion zone, have remained almost untouched since. (Picture: Barcroft Media/ Keow Wee Loong)

Photographer Keow Wee Loong ignored the need for special permit and crept in to the exclusion zone overnight. (Picture: Barcroft Media/ Keow Wee Loong)

These pictures were taken at Okuma,Futaba and Namie (Picture: Barcroft Media/ Keow Wee Loong)

These pictures, taken at Okuma,Futaba and Namie, were the result.

Explaining what it was like to enter the red zone, Loong said he could feel a ‘burning sensation’ in his eyes and noticed a ‘thick chemical smell in the air’.

‘Everything is exactly where it is after the earthquake struck,’ he said.