Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
A devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011 triggering a crisis inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. This 2012 documentary reveals how close the world came to a nuclear nightmare.
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In the desperate hours and days after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the fate of thousands of Japanese citizens fell into the hands of a small corps of engineers, firemen and soldiers who risked their lives to prevent the Daiichi nuclear complex from complete meltdown. FRONTLINE tells the story of the workers struggling frantically to reconnect power inside the plant’s pitch-dark and highly radioactive reactor buildings; the nuclear experts and officials in the prime minister’s office fighting to get information as the crisis spiraled out of control; and the plant manager who disobeyed his executives’ orders when he thought it would save the lives of his workers.
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Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.
These men who worked in unimaginable conditions to control the radiation and prevent a meltdown are heroes, not just to Japan but to the world. They should be honored by all as such.
Prevent a meltdown there were 3 that day at fuku
They were,, I have a feeling that some,, at least some died later but the facts weren't released ... If so,, it accents their bravery imo...
Thank you. You said it like I wanted to say it.
that's some gorgeous and incredible virtue signaling as well as staitng the blatantly obvious... nice pull there Debs
That’s a fact. Even the men that were part of Chernobyl suffered a horrible month of radiation. With it being 800 times stronger then the atomic bomb dropped in Japan. Although what’s so messed up we’re the engineers that passed each reactor knowing that by hitting Azid 5 was just like pulling the trigger on a nuclear bomb. From the lies that Russia tells it’s people is the main reason why they will never win this war over Ukraine. I think anyone that harms women and children will answer to God one moment in there existence.
The prime minister handled the situation incredibly well. When he realized he wasn't being told the entire truth, he went there himself. He was responsible for the entire country, he needed to know exactly what was going on, and when that wasn't happening he took it into his own hands
Unfortunately, many Japanese believe that Prime Minister Naoto Kan is the number one cause of the nuclear accident. 1, when he visited the nuclear power plant, he summoned and cursed local staff (including the director of the nuclear power plant) who were desperately responding to prevent a hydrogen explosion. If it weren't for this call, at least the explosion would have been avoided. 2, he interfered with the injection of seawater into the reactor, which had begun to melt. He delayed the meeting without attending the necessary meeting and did not give permission for the necessary action. Therefore, the director had no choice but to rebel and inject it without permission. 3, he tried to slaughter the information. For example, he did not disclose a simulation that accurately predicted how radiation would spread, saying, "Because the people are likely to be frightened," and set a wide range of concentric evacuation areas without any grounds. As a result, he was forced to evacuate far away to unrelated people. Also, when a nuclear security expert went on a tour of the nuclear power plant and learned that the administration's methods weren't working, he tried to force to arrest expert to prevent expert from appearing on TV and criticizing the government. 4, he participated in the training assuming a Chernobyl accident-level nuclear accident the previous year as the prime minister, but in the actual accident, he ignored it and took unscrupulous measures. In Japan, there is a mechanism in which politicians who have accumulated specialized knowledge create and present the optimal plan for politicians, and politicians choose the better one from them and execute it, but he is his own at the time of the accident. Regarding nuclear power plants in the party (his party was created for the purpose of winning elections by social activists), a large number of "committees" gathering amateur politicians were formed and discussions were useless. If it worked according to the old training, the accident would have been suppressed a little more. In addition, their party came to power with the goal of "eliminating all nuclear power plants," but in reality the old nuclear power plants (including the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station) that were planned to be abolished for the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide. I was forced to operate it. And when the government was chased after the accident, he was attacking the current ruling party, which was the opposition party at the time, saying, "We have opposed the nuclear power plant!" (By the way, before the accident, he was criticized by the opposition for illegally receiving money from foreigners, but this was made irresistible by the earthquake.) Naoto Kan used to be a good social activist. Many Japanese think that such a tragedy would have been suppressed a little if he had not formed a Democratic Party as a politician and remained a social activist. (I'm sorry that the text is difficult to understand because I used Google Translate.)
He handled it way better than Russia
And now they want to dump the water to the ocean. So irresponsible
@@nap1215 There are some misunderstandings, so I will supplement them. 1, The government that is trying to drain treated water is not the party of Naoto and others. Naoto's political parties were so incompetent that they couldn't do anything and the people were disappointed, so they lost power in the election one year after the accident. Now Naoto and others are irresponsibly insisting, "Don't drain treated water! Oppose nuclear power plants! Cooperate with China and Russia!", Which is becoming more and more annoying to the people. 2, The water that is about to be discharged is not "contaminated water" that cools the reactor linearly, but "treated water" that has the same radiation dose as nature by removing radioactive substances to the limit. Currently, a large amount of this treated water is stored in old tanks on the premises of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. However, there is no more land to prepare tanks anymore, and if the old tanks are not replaced, the treated water will overflow and mix with radioactive substances and become contaminated water again when an earthquake strikes. Therefore, we are now trying to carry the treated water, which has been stored for a long time, to a place farther away from the nuclear power plant (which may be contaminated again if it is close) and throw it away.
@@nap1215 Well let’s hear your ideas on what to do with it.
The ingenuity the workers had to rig up all the car batteries long enough to get some instruments working is amazing.
If they're flying in the PM, why didn't they get some portable generators in there!? Surely, they have some hardware stores not damaged!!
"I had to do it for my daughter" That was the most loving statement ever.
That must be what the mayor of Futaba thought as he was evacuating his family while reassuring the residents that the situation was under control.
"He left his family" Such a crap sentence. He saved what was left of it, allowed his daughter to make a family. What the guy said was spot on - "The living are more important than the dead"
AKA Let the dead bury the dead.
@@artlopes9463 Excellently put
Exactly! There is nothing we can do to the deceased people, their lives already stopped at that moment... but for the living ones, there is still a great life ahead of them... life must continue despite the pain and difficulties... good that he heed that advice...
Yes, this. He prioritised the health and happiness of his living daughter over his own grief and need for closure. If that isn't "Dad Goals", I don't know what is.
Awe, he wanted to find his baby, wife, father.... Its so sad he never got to have a funeral for the little one....only a memorial service. He and his older daughter are honouring the lives of his "lost to the sea" family... Tragedy 💞✌🙏
I lived in Okinawa when the earthquake tsunami happened. My unit deployed the next day and started humanitarian missions immediately. It’s the only thing I did in my military career that I believe was worth it.
You have my eternal gratitude for your job. These kinds of things aren't in vain.
one thing is enough!
You are a hero!
Interesting…want a job in the states?
Amen brother I was also there Onboard Uss John s McCain operation tamadachi ships Motto Fortune Favors The Brave stationed out of Yokosuka Japan. 2005-2012
I live in Tokyo Japan. I remember this day like it was yesterday. The Earthquake was horrible. I was trapped in my 2nd floor bedroom only days after returning from the hospital for a major surgery on my Cervical spine. I could hardly move. I had to ride it out as my family evacuated our house. At least they are safe I thought. Then the news of the nuclear plants melt down radiation was broadcasting on the news. We knew it was serious. I am American, but my family is Japanese. I would stay and die with my family if that was our fate. Now after many years I appreciate life more than ever. Every day is a blessing.
ok
How did you convince them to leave you? It was the right thing & no intention of trolling. It must have been an intense conversation. The most intense.
I wanna troll this person @@DriveLaken
Courage doesn't mean you have no fear, it means doing what must be done despite the fear. And those firefighters and plant workers and chopper pilots were some of the most courageous people ever IMO. At times, you must simply do what is right, no matter the cost. Much was learned from this disaster but in the end, there is only so much we can do to keep mother nature at bay.
The one cannot be courageous or brave if he doenst have a sense of fear. Fearless cannot be brave
@@georgeizziednu7983 exactly.
True. My wife and I cried when we heard about those brave souls. God bless them.
Yewsszz oxoi
Remember they weren’t saving imminent lives, they knew damn well what would be the cause if it were taken care of, it really displays the selfishness these people had
Those firefighters were beyond courageous. So, so much respect to them.
The prevailing wind saved them.
firefighters did the job when no one else did. that should have been the military
And again, just like in Chernobyl, they sent in the firefighters instead of the engineers... infuriating.
everyone involved here was a damn hero. they risked their lives knowing the future of their country and indeed their whole region of the world hung in the balance. firefighters in general are heroes, for proof see the forest fires in california or 9/11 or this or any other situation where they readily risk their lives for others.
Bushido
the workers who went in to vent the reactors and the Firemen who laid hoses from the ocean to the fuel ponds were very brave men indeed.
And it wouldn't have been neccessary for them to be brave if TEPCO used their brain when building the damn thing.
@@lucasgamezz140 we're all human and even the engineers or designers. It usually takes something drastic to create reason for drastic defense.
@@ltipst2962 nah bro they have been warned for over a litteral year that this could likely happen (the last response they fucking did was place a fucking door like bruh)
Brave men, delivered to You, the viewer, first on PBS.
I didn’t realize just how bad this could have been. I have tremendous respects for all the people involved to get the situation under control.
Not possible it could have been worse. Even if all workers walked away, they still would have had three melted reactors and no one would have died from radiation.
@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk If all the workers had walked away the containment vessel would have exploded and rendered one third of Japan uninhabitable
@@groboclone Nope, that's the beauty of the design of the containment vessels. Even Chernobyl with no containment vessel didn't make the area uninhabitable.
@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk Too bad you weren't there to tell them about it. It would be a great relief for everyone.
@@alexpetrov8871 They could look up the information, just like anyone could have.
I bow to the guys who risked it all. To venture inside and try to save the day, demands respect and thanks.
the dad and his personal distaster broke my heart. i love how he acted in favor of his surviving daughter and appears to be such a good father in the end despite battling his own grieving and uncertainties. and the quote about looking at the sea that took their families from them ah:(( so beautifully sad
Belize central america I'm from and i agree totally !! It made me cried a the end!! Nuclear power is dangerous
there wasnt a good answer to that one. he had to make an impossible decision.
The village major probably saved them... but the loss must be unbearable. hopefully he can always remember his love.
When did this happen?
@@janetmarmaro8269 11th of march 2011 (it´s in the description😉)
I'm absolutely heartbroken for that father who was hunting for his wife, father and youngest daughter. He did everything in his power to find them. I grieve with him and all the other parents, sons, daughters and grandparents, whose families were ripped apart that day by the tsunami. It's a living nightmare to see your entire town and everyone you know in it destroyed within a matter of hours. Truly horrific, and I can't even fathom the mental toll it has taken on the people of Futaba and Fukushima.
🤣🤣🤣 yeh good one wasn’t it
The tsumani killed thousands. The nuclear power plant did not.
@@theyracemesohardchair What does that even mean in the context of this person's comment?
@@theyracemesohardchair whats so funny 😐 you know that will piss people off
What a brave scientist, pilot, fire-fighters, and all the people that were trying to fix this complex issue. There were just heroes. My respects for Japanese people. God bless you all.
isn't this Dangerous? I love how they didn't do anything about it🤣🤣🤣
" My generation built these nuclear plants. So we have to take responsibility for them. We can't dump this on the next generation." - Kazuko Sasaki, a 72-year-old grandmother who has volunteered to help clean up the Fukashima nuclear plant
The Japanese Prime Mister made the right choices. Having to resign was unfair. All those people that worked to save the plant from exploding are heroes, every last one of them.
The prime minister and many other powerful people were responsible for the disaster. Him resigning is the smallest justice possible.
@@FireOccator he was not responsible at all, the company and whoever allowed them to ignore the safety problems are to blame. He made the best decisions available to him in an impossible situation that was not caused by him. He did not cause the earthquake nor the following tsunami. He also most likely had zero input into the placement and safety features of the power plant.
@@christinehede7578 He was responsible for letting the agencies become captured.
@@FireOccator what!
@@FireOccator Do I hear bullshit?
I can't imagine going to work and my wife and daughter disappear in natural disaster with no answers on their whereabouts. That is worse than finding their remains.
The workers and firemen are heroes! Thank you to them 12 years later! All of you were so brave. God bless all of you and your country.
this is all so sad but that picture of his youngest daughter Yuna absolutely broke my heart. i hope everyone affected can find some peace
I’m Japanese, and I was ten years old in this disaster. This documentary reminds me of the fear that I felt then. Also, it told me that unnamed heros enabled us to live in peaceful life now
It must have been terrifying. How are you now? Do earthquakes bring it all back? I’m in New Orleans and since Katrina, hurricanes still trigger a lot of us.
@@uwcb1 I'm fine, thank you. I have lived in Tokyo more than 10 years. In Tokyo and its surrounding area , the 2011 disasters brought more psychological damages than physical's, such as panic buying mineral water and foods caused by feat of further quakes and Fukushima Daiichi incident . Also, my friends say watching news of tsunami and nuclear disasters then make them unstable.
I hope you live a long and happy life.
At least you lived to talk about it, Stay Safe 👍
When very bad things like this happen, its always good to look for the helpers. Whenever I hear anything about radiation or nuclear, I always think of the brave Japanese and Russians who gave their lives to protect us and save the world.
TEPCO executives should have been the ones forced into the reactors to vent them.
They were comfortably sitting in Tokyo
I was telling my friend at the time who lived in Tokyo, don't beleive what Tepco is telling you, you are not safe. She told me was making it up, when the reactor shit the bed and all that we know now, she can't say it to me now. I'm glad she's safe but i'm terribly sorry for what happened to the people of Japan, that was inexcusable negligence.
What did the executives do wrong?
@@jaybartgis5148 They didn't enforce the plant from tsunamis properly even though they had been told to do so three years earlier, later they lied to the minister about being able to vent out the plant when it was impossible to do so without energy
@@spacejasontodd Sounds like they wasted alot of valuable time when they should have asked for govt to help them sooner.
Incredibly well done documentary, as expected with PBS. Firefighters around the world don't get enough credit for what they do everyday, much less during extraordinary events like this. Can't imagine being an employee of Tepco and being stuck between wanting to leave a melting down plant and knowing the fate of Japan may rest in your hands. It would be interesting to see a follow up on this story by PBS, given it's been over 10 years since the incident.
It was already a predetermined outcome of the fate of the people of Japan even without anyone at the plant. That's why they designed containment vessels.
I'd like to know how exactly the Prime Minister "mishandled" the crisis (as his critics said) and was forced to resign. Seems to me like he did the best job he could realistically do in that situation and that TEPCO did all of the mishandling, and I don't mean their workers.
Given what we in the US have seen of REAL mismanagement, I agree with you: The PM looks like the soul of leadership. Why did they criticize him for going to the disaster site? Would they prefer he throw paper towels (or a tantrum)?
He did not send any floating ghost , samurai , animal god giants , anime girls or boys , did not used any weeb to die in there , did not cut his finger , did not used the area to run a battle royal . Its how politics works . No matter what happens , opponents blame you.
I'm under the impression that at the time, his critics didn't know the full story of what was going. As usual with politicians, they just base everything on initial reports and then grand stand like they can do an better job.
I think by mishandling they meant keeping the disaster from the public and covering up its severity
Pal, called scapegoat, innocent people go to jail all the time for other’s crimes. Fetching numbers and money to have a prison system.
The Prime Minister was an honorable man, dealt a losing hand, and made the right calls. He has my total respect.
Right like I don’t get why they basically fired him
@@randomleni lol he resign coz of health issues
I have full respect for this man. Though I despise the men that before him had not listened to safety problems acknowledged before. Peoples that weren't responsible of neglecting these are ones that should have been severe consequences, even after knowing the aftermath.
I think the doco showed him in a pretty good light. There is far more to the political story than this showed. From memory it took them a about week if not a bit more to tell the world exactly what was really going on even though we could all see the plant exploding. But i do agree he seemed like a very honourable man making decisions zero people would like to make
@@randomleni totally agree...he acted with wisdom and integrity. Glad that he was included in this documentary.
Those who volunteered to vent the reactors - unimaginable bravery.
We should not need heroes to generate electricity.
To be honest, I cannot blame their minister for how he reacted, and in a way, Tepco seemingly was doing all it could. Even if they were giving up hope, it'd be a similar response to most of us. I'm most impressed at the bravery that the fire fighters showed, as they quite literally had never even prepared for such a situation probably, and yet they worked efficiently and methodically instantly on the moment's notice. It is very respectable since it was like nobody was able to make a good plan until they showed up and decided to risk it all.
Well one thing most peaple dont recognize is, in Japan only confirmed informations are published out. Meanwhile here its about who will relase breaking news first, often at cost of accuracy of information presented,...
A very poignant story. Though I do not like politicians, I think the Prime Minister did his best. He did what he thought was right. He showed leadership in an unbelievably difficult situation. I'm further impressed that he participated in this report. A sad situation for all.
I agree. But in this day and age, someone must bear the brunt of the blame, and it usually is the one in the most powerful position. Personally, I think that a rather high wall surrounding the plant may have helped, but then, I'm not an engineer, so.......
@@jeffreyhancock8831 Early on in the video they said the power plant's sea wall had failed its test two years prior to the meltdown. Sorry for bad english
totally agree with you
Indeed, he is a very honorable man for his handling of such an immensely difficult situation.
@@jeffreyhancock8831 there is another plant a couple miles downshore that was completely fine after the earthquake and tsunami, because their seawall was adequate.
"When I had heard that the diesel generators had been destroyed, I couldn't square that, with reality." The way that he worded that was deeply haunting because he clearly thought about it so much, he distilled a million emotions, thoughts, fears, and rationalizations into a single statement.
Because he knew that if a NPP loses its connection to the grid and the diesel generators disaster is imminent.
I can’t believe they don’t have a plan B, C and D when you build plants in Earthquake and Tsunami zones.
@@Mom_sBasement biggest problem was not building the emergency generators well above the 5m above water level. Crysis probably averted.
@@Gabriel-yd4bq Totally agree. There had to be some meeting when they built the place where someone brought up a tsunami scenario. Safety shortcuts probably due to money, like it always is....
@@crocodile1313 There was a meeting. There was a tsunami scenario. Just NOT an Earthquake+tsunami scenario, which is rare
Hats off to the brave men and women who prevented a larger disaster from happening. I hope that all those who lost loved ones find peace
I didn’t see any women in the plant?
Don’t be so woke and afraid of offending people there’s literally no women in the plant at all
@@UpinsmokeXVI There were female employees at the plant. Do you think the video captures every single person who worked there at the time?
it’s time to admit you guys replying to this are just losers, especially if you’re old enough to comment here in the first place, bc not only is it irrelevant to say there’s no women in the video bc pbs obviously not putting every single soul that contributed to the efforts of this disaster in one 55-min video, there Are women in the video. there are about three shots showing women workers sat in the control room before they downgraded to the skeleton crew. one of the people recording the video of where the vent valves are post-disaster is a woman - you can hear her talking quite clearly. and some of the people shown in hazmat suits at various points in the video look to be women, also. additionally, a few comments away from you is a well-documented quote from an elderly woman who volunteered to be clean-up crew. all that stretching to avoid admitting that Many many people - inevitably including women - risked so much and worked so hard to, as david said, prevent larger disaster. there’s no sensible excuse as to why you’re going out of your way to dismiss that fact. and you want to not look like a weirdo???
Living at other side of the globe i offer my deep condolences for the families of this disaster and respect for the courage of the brave sons of Japan. Specifically those firefighters and pilots. 🙏
Frontline is just the best at documentaries. No one comes close.
Facts
This guys voice too
Errol Morris and Ken Burns do but they're mostly historians while Frontline does top notch current stuff. Definitely quality.
Ken Burns comes close but hes on the same side as PBS tho
Exactly, Frontline is simply amazing. I just watched their documentary on poverty in America.
Knowing that u will increase the risk of cancer but still standing in the protection of japan and world? Just speechless
The crews at Chernobyl were just as brave. Assuming they were told the truth about what was happening, that is. And that's a big assumption for the USSR.
@@greggrobinson5116 yeah exactly they were great also and huge respect for both crews
@@greggrobinson5116 There is some footage that surfaced recently from the soviets documenting the cleanup (hoping they can portray this as a soviet victory). The guys with the shovels doing the cover up were told they will likely die.
you know its bad when the place that makes power, runs out of power
I had no idea the raw courage of the nuclear plant workers. They are heros on another level. They deserve Japans highest honours. 🎖
I did not grasp the severity of what happened in this disaster. Thank god for all those who participated in resolving the problem, you did life-saving work.
The problem is not resolved. Radiation can last millennia. Last I heard, they were planning to dump millions of gallons of radioactive water into the Pacific. Radaition has continuoulsy invaded the environment.
It will never be resolved. It will continue until the end of time
@@turkeydoctor5546 they did a hell of a better job than the soviets in 1986.
@@pipeqez911 that's total BS.
Chernobyl did not have containment, which did not help. Fukushima still leaks radioactive substances.
The Japanese Prime Minister did his job, under the most extreme pressure he was man enough to make decisions, knowing that the whole country and possibly further afield would be contaminated, it's tough at the top, a shame he had to resign.
Exactly my thoughts. It's not the critique that counts, what counts is the man in the arena.
Liberal Democratic Party nepotistic retired politicians running Tepco. Kan and the democrats are blamed, and presto, Abe is back in charge.
this smells like sanitized propaganda,as if it was all really cleaned up. hidden effects continue to prop up,even decontamination workers mistreated & covered up rn.
Did his job?? Maybe, but whoever passed the planning approval for the plant's tsunami defenses which should have been at least double the height they were, should be held responsible for this
He kept the true nature of the disaster hidden from the world. Had he not done that, there would have been much more help and a lot less suffering and death.
The Chernobyl disaster captivated when I learnt about nuclear fusion in physics at school (early 2000s). Such a horrific disaster, and such a terrible cover up, yet now we have the stories from those brave survivors and those who risked their lives to save us all. We all hope that our government has learnt from these disasters and that’s why there was much criticism at the time on Japan’s government for trying to water down how severe Fukushima was. As with Chernobyl, it is the brave people on the ground that we pay tribute to that risked their lives. Not just those featured here, but many more involved in the cleanup.
People were not trained. It was a hail Mary all the way.
@@jannamyers6792 the scientists had training (and raised concerns about the condition of the reactor and safety protocols) but the first responders didn’t.
Hey.. it was a free gift from the People of America to abrogate Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings under the "Nuclear Science for Peace Program" ... The Japanese would NEVER have taken on Nuclear Power on their own after seeing the effects of the bombs. General Electric should be there hanging by their necks.... or helping the clean up at least. Note to aMurkans... it's pronounced NuuCleeeAAArr not NukeYoular.... learn how to read.
Oh baloney the Japanese knew what they were getting into with nuclear power. Many there are opposed to it but many are not.
@@transistor754 America is responsible for many millions of deaths worldwide over the last century, they either bake the pie or put not just their finger in the pie but their whole uninvited and unwarranted fist in the pie. America and their wholesome "Christian" society is where the evil one Satan resides.
The contamination went out to sea and even reached the west coast. Imagine if three reactors would’ve melted down! The entire world was saved by those brave workers. Glad the U.S. looked into it. I remember the news reports. I live in CA and was worried about the winds bringing a potential fallout cloud over here.
Three reactors did melt down and no one on the planet was injured by radiation. You watch too many movies.
US only took a drone footage and placed a camera 20 miles far from the nuclear reactor. Everything on ground was actually done by the Japanese. US could not stop drugs flowing into its borders leave alone preventing a nuclear melt down.
Naahh you overreacting,..first meltdown aint that scary, All in all. Situation was handled well, given situation. (having 3 out of 6 reactors in cold shutdown during accident helped a lot) I love when somebody scream contamination reachet here and there ,... well what levels? Minimal, barely measurable. its even more funny from country that contaminated entire world by testing Nukes all around...
"The living are more important than the dead." One of the greatest quotes in the history of man. And it took a disaster like this.
Polo 0lal 09a
But no one died from Fukushima radiation.
@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk It was about the people who died from the tsunami....
@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk You're apparently a little slow...pay attention please
@@rockchalk9078 Read the title of the video Lame Brain; "Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown". And of course no one died from the meltdown. Duh.
may all of the victims Rest In Peace. best wishes to all of our brothers and sisters in Japan, from Nuuk, Greenland.
IIRC only one person even died as a direct result of the meltdown since it occurred, yet we act as if the 18,000 who died in the earthquake and tsunami are second fiddle to the meltdown.
@@infini_ryu9461 Official figures show that there have been 2313 disaster-related deaths among evacuees from Fukushima prefecture. Disaster-related deaths are in addition to the about 19,500 that were killed by the earthquake or tsunami.
@@KenKobayashiRasmussen Yes, and the absolute majority were elderly, because the Japanese government ripped people out of hospitals and elderly from their homes. It was a completely irresponsible evacuation caused by the government. I wouldn't argue against that. As for people who died from the radiation, it was trivial. Radiophobia in Fukushima killed more than the incompetence of Soviets in Chernobyl, that should tell you something.
@@infini_ryu9461 Chernobyl numbers can’t be trusted.
@@clairerobinson7658 Well, until you have all the best minds on the subject saying differently, I'll listen.
What metal are these men made of? It is not the absence of fear but the conviction to stand for more than just yourself. Salute to all these people who went in to save the people and country.
Mother nature likes to remind us who's in charge. We are merely guests on this amazing planet. Events like these are heartbreaking and humbling.
A politician willing to go the very site of the disaster to find out what is really going on and DO something about it... and they force him to resign. Rather depressing to see extreme ignorance so widespread, nowhere is safe. They should have sent the TEPCO executives into the reactor... and left them there, for science of course.
FOR SCIENCE!
True
For science of coarse! Anything goes as long as it’s for educational purposes….
Same thing happened to President Carter. He went to 3 mile island nuclear power plant when it was in crisis. Thankfully the container did not explode. People make fun of him because he was a peanut farmer, but he was actually a nuclear engineer in navy. So he could actually understand and ask intelligent questions and understand the answers, including making suggestions.
@@00chla50 another reason why jimmy carter is an underrated president
The fisherman saving his boat was incredibly brave!
Over 40 ft. Waves!!!
He was also very intelligent, the boat was safer out on the water than in the dock. He took his best chance.🖤🇨🇦
@@markcoupe5748 LOL🖤🇨🇦
It was either get to higher ground or get to sea before the waves reach shallower areas. Several boats at sea were able to safely deal with the waves. Once the waves begin to drag bottom and crest, there is little hope of escaping to sea. (Unless you are on an aircraft carrier or another large vessel)
No bravery about it. He did exactly what he should have to save his boat. A boat is always better off at sea, on the open water, than being battered around by the breaking waves, other vessels, and debris near shore. This is why the Navy, Coast Guard, or anyone else with a large enough vessel, worldwide, always head to sea if possible before such situations. With a hurricane, for example, the goal is to get out far enough to skirt around the worst of the storm. In this case, the goal is just to get away from the shore.
Condolences to all affected by these events. The brave souls who labored unceasingly in response will not be forgotten.
Amazing work telling stories from different perspective. Sad situation overall but thankful for heroic acts exhibited
There was another TEPCO plant that also suffered issues due to this series of events. If you use salt water on these kind of reactors then it's a death sentence for them and they could never be made operational again. TEPCO forbade plant workers at both sites from pumping salt water in to manage cooling. At the other plant workers ignored that order when they realised they would lose adequate cooling and then containment if they didn't use the only water they could harness ( sea water). That plant, whilst loosing one of it's reactors didn't explode. Let that sink in a moment. Just to be clear I am NOT blaming the workers at Fukushima who acted admirably, i'm blaming the management of the company that placed profit and bank balance above all else. The fact they are still trying to silence those workers and holding their jobs as ransom speaks volumes.
If I remember they wanted to sack the guy as well but the blockback was so feirce they had to keep him. I think he later *accepted* a payout and full pension to walk away but the pr damage was already done.
Thee wereld intofusion tritium deuterium helium 4 etcetera Mao Tay salontafel roneinst
American designed reactor, nobody talks about the fact that it was poorly designed for earthquakes in this region
@@vwbusguy How about this…..Don’t build a nuclear power plant near the ocean in a country that sits on the Pacific ring of fire. Really? Who is the genius that came up with that idea?
@@richardcranium3417 Why? They worked perfectly till a double whammy of godlike bad luck, and the other cores have fucnctioned since
A representative from the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said "Meltdown" and was shut out from the press conference by the government.
I worked at the nuclear plant in Ibaraki, a bit further south of Fukushima. Luckily it was not badly affected by the tsunami . I had left there one month before the tsunami. I did know many of the guys that risked their lives helping in the Fukushima disaster. So brave and so sad. Most of them had families. My heart will always go out for them.
@@transistor754 You write bull crap. You obviously do not understand Japan or the nuclear industry in Japan. Go and research properly before making pathetic statements.
@@simonf1786 2 minutes research and 30 seconds reading, do you think you can manage that? "Overcoming popular resistance" wikipedia "Nuclear Power in Japan". (I know... but it's all verifiable history) In 1954, the Operations Coordinating Board of the United States National Security Council proposed that the U.S. government undertake a "vigorous offensive" urging nuclear energy for Japan in order to overcome the widespread reluctance of the Japanese population to build nuclear reactors in the country. Thirty two million Japanese people, a third of the Japanese population, signed a petition calling for banning hydrogen bombs.[28] Journalist and author Foster Hailey wrote an op-ed piece published in The Washington Post where he called for adopting a proposal to build nuclear reactors in Japan, stating his opinion that: "Many Americans are now aware...that the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan was not necessary....How better to make a contribution to amends than by offering Japan...atomic energy."[29] For several years starting in 1954, the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other U.S. government agencies ran a propaganda war targeting the Japanese population to vanquish the Japanese people's opposition to nuclear power
@@transistor754 A gift 😅🤣 really, do you not know thar the Japanese have paid GE a great deal of money and continue to pay mow for servicing the sites. I know because I worked in the sites. How about you, did you only work behind your computer at your home or what are you?
@@simonf1786 I am a Licensed Radiation worker (20mSv) and I maintain a (small) 3MeV Linear Accelerator. I recently participated in a Neutron Bombardment Experiment. I still hold the Japanese were co-erced into Nuclear Power and "obliged" by the allies to pay for the GE (UK) installations, as the above article says, by the CIA and other interested parties. (They were on form even back then.) I understand that as a Nuclear Power Station worker you have a vested interest in making Nuclear Power look safe. My issue is not with the technology but with the mining, transportation and waste disposal of Nuclear Fuel and the proliferation thereof.
@@transistor754 The UK instillation is now off line permanently and has been shut down for many years. I do not hold that Japan was coerced into nuclear power. Indeed it was essential to rebuild Japan. If you ever lived in Japan, you would know that it is a very hot (no punt intended) topic and so many Japanese are scared of it, especially after the Fukushima disaster.
Award winning video, you don't get better than front line. A heroically dangerous event the whole world is grateful.
That tingle down your spine is your soul recognzing the importance of what you are doing would make a great difference in many lives
Pretty bold for a documentary to skip over the main parts of the story. Like how there was an order not to dump sea water into the reactor in fear of damages to the reactor
Save Japan but don't tamper with property of Tepco!
Frontline is trash,minstrels thinks it’s informative, lol
Precisely: the plant director, Yoshida, reportedly disobeyed upper management and cooled the reactor using sea water. Yoshida died of cancer shortly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
@@pleiadiblu2365 I didn’t know he died… it was upsetting before but now it’s just enraging that they would just completely ignore talking about that brave, brilliant, selfless man’s actions. Disgusting.
And dont forget how japanese goverment tried to under play level of danger while fearing to take any responsibilities. Other countries were ready to send help while japan was only THINKING about how to deal with plant. They wasted days on that. Also they want to dump toxic water from reactor into the ocean now,
So many people lost their loved ones in this horrible event. This is such a touching reporting, I can feel the dad's pain, he went through so much, losing so many family members but staying strong for the daughter he still had. God bless all these heroes.
No, they did not. There was only 1 death that could be attributable to the nuclear plant. Unless by the event you mean the evacuation, then yes, over 2000 was killed by the evacuation.
@@StrazdasLT they are talking about the tsunami, the one that killed several thousand people....
@@StrazdasLT amazing that people are absolutely not paying attention.
Thank you for all you do PBS!
Those men that went in are heros for sure. They put their lives in harm's way to save so many they didn't even know. The Japanese people have a resolve and moral code not even comparable to the rest of the world. Those men deserve some sort of reward for their gallantry. Like some kind of metal of honor, monetary compensation, and free heath care for them selves and family for the rest of their lives.
I applaud and respect the Prime Minister! He showed true strength and compassion for lives all across the globe. He should have never been criticized for doing something so courageous.
With circumstances he had absolutely no control over. His thoughts and dedication to his people was phenomenal. This was something no one had faced before and he saved the world from a catastrophe that can't even be imagined by his dedication, so I don't understand why he was made to resign.
The issue isn’t the idea of nuclear energy itself, had the emergency generators been installed on the roof tops as in many commercial buildings where flooding is deemed a risk Fukushima would probably never had entered our collective consciousness
Weren't they in the basement because of protection against earthquakes, but the room wasn't waterproofed? The wall not being tall enough seems like a better explanation (Onagwa's was and it suffered less damage even though it was closer to the epicenter).
@@namename9998 its like you cant think of everything that can go wrong ;)
Other detail is the venting needing electricity, I guess most of the most likely reasons you will need to vent will include electricity being out.
I guess they hoped to have at least a little electricity from emergency batteries but the tsunami disagreed
I read somewehre that originally the plant was to be built at a higher elevation to avoid disasters like this, but Japan has its own nuclear mafia who arbitrarily decided to build it at a lower elevation for the cost.
Big corporations always look for anyway to save a dollar. If they built a larger sea wall and listened to the government and built it instead of reviewing it this all could of been prevented. To all those who went in and prevented any further disaster are heroes and I have nothing but respect for them. To the victims of this horrible disaster and loss of everything may you be blessed and held safe. Thank you for your sacrifice you saved not only Japan but the world.
The penny pinching executives are really to blame! They knew a hundred year event would breach their safety measures, yet they did nothing, and we all pay the price! How could such lousy foresight be placed in charge of something so dangerous!!?
Even confronted by a natural catastrophe, the nuclear plant workers still prioritized fixing the plant even if it means risking their lived. Hopefully, they are still acknowledged up to this day for their sense of responsibility and bravery.
The containment vessels saved lives, not the people. Three reactors completely melted down. The people could have simply walked away and the outcome would have been no different.
I am in awe of the bravery of people in the face of danger. There are many people who would lay down their lives for the sake of others. Altruistic and admirable.
Amen
Very true. Well said.
It’s not altruistic if it saves your own hide.
Another great piece by frontline. I am in awe of the people involved in averting the disaster from getting so much worse. I wish them good health into the future and thank them for their sacrifice
2:28: 🌊 The Fukushima nuclear disaster was caused by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that flooded the plant, leading to a meltdown. 7:45: 🌊 The Fukushima nuclear plant faced a series of failures after being hit by a tsunami, leading to a potential explosion and the release of radioactivity. 16:49: 😱 The prime minister orders the venting of the reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, risking the lives of workers to prevent a catastrophic explosion. 25:00: ⚠ The Fukushima plant engineers feared that the reactor core had exploded, but it was actually a hydrogen explosion in the roof of the reactor building. 32:51: 😰 The Fukushima Fifty, led by plant manager Yoshida, were locked down in the central control room as the radiation levels were dangerously high and the reactors were unmanned. 40:12: ⚠ Firefighters risk their lives to spray water into the fuel pools at Fukushima Dai-ichi. 47:43: 💔 The most dangerous phase of the crisis is over, but the prime minister resigns and TEPCO faces bankruptcy. Recap by Tammy AI
Thank you
No, not entirely true. Incompetence by TEPCO Executives were primarily to blame. Because the company was run by idiots.
Tepco and the banks financing it were saved with taxpayer money. Prime minister Kan was forced to resign as he was insisting on closing nuclear power plants, including the Omaezaki klunker.
I remember watching the news as they described the workers going in to vent the reactor, and praying for their wellbeing. I just hope plans now exist worldwide to better handle the situations at their various stages, as well as, improvements in construction and equipment.
Please bear in mind what it took to take Fukushima down; one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history, and then a tsunami.
At Fukushima the quake was strong but not nearly as strong as the epicenter.
Yup but now it's down what's gonna stop it.
I interpret this comment as also a way of saying that people shouldn't condemn nuclear power, and to understand that it is a valuable energy source and is typically safe under most conditions. Especially if proper preventative precautions and planning is implemented.
@@isaac7724 I have read it as this as well, people in my country tend to condemn it because of Chernobyl and Fukushima right after, completely ignoring that the type of reactor at Chernobyl was already falling from grace when it was built, because of it's reasonably unstable nature and the high amounts of fuel it required and high manufacturing costs due to the big containment vessel. With Fukushima people tend to conflate the people who lost their lives due to the tsunami with radiation deaths. Yes there could've been a global disaster if some things were not taken care off in the way they were, but even with everything that happened, no one directly died from radiation exposure like in Chernobyl.
My heart bleeds for those that lost family, relatives, livelihoods. 😢Basically everything; but kept their dignity throughout: My respect for the Japanese people’s in the face of a massive disaster is great.
This is about the nuclear disaster, not the tsunami. Only 2 of the 20,000 people who died that day died at the power plant.
@@krashd And those two died of drowning. No one died from radiation even after 10 years.
we get it, youre a good person
One of the best Frontlines! What a harrowing story of Bravery and Perseverance!
This was a nightmare for so many people and for those who lost their loved ones I can even imagine how painful it had to be. My heart and prayers are with all those beautiful hard working people even though it’s been years since that happened I know for them it’s still clear in their memories like it just happen. God Bless them all.
They should've built those backup Generators on High Ground, not right by the Ocean.
They should have called some Russians LOL
@@egtaha Or Obi Wan Kenobi.
@Allen Tokyo GE wanted to put them on the roof..But something with local noise regulations prevented that..
When the plant’s location was first selected in the 60s, it was a cliff 33-35 meters above the ocean. GE then thought TEPCO would be built the plant on that cliff, so the placement of the backup diesel generators in the basement was alright. What GE didn’t anticipate was that TEPCO, in order to conserve construction money and ease construction difficulties, reduced the cliff from 35 meters to 10 meters above sea level. This documentary failed to mention TEPCO was actually wanted not once but at least three times about the inadequate safety measures against tsunami. A few months after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, TEPCO was warned that their sea wall was not high enough. In 2006, a group of researchers again warned TEPCO about their 5.5 meter high sea wall was not enough to stop a tsunami similar to the one in 2004. Finally, in 2009, a final warning was sent to TEPCO to raise their sea wall. They didn’t listen, and then Fukushima happened.
Then the interconnects would have been washed away like all the other infrastructure.
The prime minister and those firefighters just deserve a medal of honor and recognition. Incredible bravely in the face of unimaginable danger. Hats off to them. They deserve a standing ovation
In 2016, they found the remains of his missing daughter near where his father was found.
My respect and gratitude to all who helped during the disaster I didn’t realize how bad it was the news only says so much to the public.
To say that the Japanese people are brave is an under statement. Whether in battle or in this situation they have shown themselves to be heroes to their people.
Just ants. NPCs
Your likes are at 69 😏
And by “heroes,” you mean sheep. 👌🏾
The were there first suicide squads in ww2 just think of they hadn’t surrendered how bad Japan would be we were gonna drop 4 nukes on them a month because that was our current production levels at the time. Basically it’s we will beat you into submission by all means. A wild time even then you would think the CNPP would be a solid lesson of cutting corners on power plants will always end badly. I’m just an American idiot and I see that storing all generators in lower levels in a tsunami prone country is just asking for it
GE didn't ignore calls to update the plant.
The fisherman who sailed into the waves... I know he knew what he was doing, and it does seem a valid maneuver, but still that took a lot of courage, as there is *always* a chance of not making it over the top of the wave, engine cuts out from getting swamped, etc.. You can be as highly trained and/or experienced as can be and still, things can and will go wrong. From my perspective, it is an especially epic thing to do, as even though I spent about a little less then half of my 50 years out on the Great Lakes of Michigan, bodies of water are not my favorite place. Even though I've spent a lifetime always near a lake, both deep water and inclement weather ( especially when out on said water ) have an embarrassing ability to unnerve me, they have such a grip of terror on me, I honestly would sooner play Russian roulette rather then go out on the water in rough chop. Whatever that Gentleman saw when he reached the wave... that would, for me, be akin to staring at a black hole approaching Earth, or seeing some ancient cosmic horror. Wind and wave, and what lives down in the dark, are often the main topics of unpleasant dreams I frequently have. That Dude is THE Bull of the Woods, the big Hoss, bar NONE!
Nah bro he's just Japanese smh
If he lost his boats he'd rather be dead anyways. That's his livelihood.
I love everything about your comment. From your writing to your praise of the sailor, your post is beautiful.
Lake Michigan nearly claimed us once. Storm just rolled out of nowhere and churned the lake up like nothing I've seen before. I can only imagine what it's like to climb over a 40 footer.
Shoot better then staying and waiting. Smart
Thank you so much. This is one of the, if not the best documentary about the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Holy cow, courageous people who risked their lives I cannot begin to imagine
Why was the backup generators located in a basement below sea-level? The plant was built next to the ocean? Genius engineering.
And if they were built on ground level and then hit by an attack you'd be here calling them idiots for not putting them in the basement. Everything is obvious in hindsight.
@@FluffyFluffles nah, hind sight my tukus. Building them on fault lines *at all* is plain stupid.
@@FluffyFluffles Why bother putting the control room in an elevated earthquake-proof vault if the generators needed to run it are in the basement 50 feet from the most well-known seismically active tsunami-prone water on the planet?
@@FluffyFluffles Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but still, the failure to place those generators in safe buildings was inexcusable. They had been warned about such dangers in the past. I seem to recall that an underground generator room had already experienced flooding at least once before 2011.
@S P The plant was built next to the ocean because these old reactor designs need access to large quantities of water. Backup generators were still located below sea level because Tepco kept ignoring safety recommendations. I think they installed a reinforced door in one of the underground generator rooms, thinking it would be enough. It's bad enough that these old reactor designs (which lack passive cooling systems) are still in operation... If, on top of it, the managing companies fail to observe safety recommendations, they're basically digging their own graves.
"Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later the debt is paid". Valery Alekseyevich Legasov
Valery Alekseyevich Legasov (Russian: Валерий Алексеевич Легасов; 1 September 1936 - 27 April 1988) was a Soviet inorganic chemist and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. He is now mainly remembered for his work as the chief of the commission investigating the Chernobyl disaster.
Basic problem in this world. Only the truth counts. Can't be better said than in this quote.
@@17N. thanks for this info
And...his tapes were not the end all be all cornucopia of truth that the hbo series would have you believe....let’s not forget he was a lifelong part member.
Thank you for sharing this message for historic reasons you must know that are friends in Japan 🇯🇵
Hey.. it was a free gift from the People of America to abrogate Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings under the "Nuclear Science for Peace Program" ... The Japanese would NEVER have taken on Nuclear Power on their own after seeing the effects of the bombs. General Electric should be there hanging by their necks.... or helping the clean up at least. Note to aMurkans... it's pronounced NuuCleeeAAArr not NukeYoular.... learn how to read.
There are many heroes in this grim story but those firefighter's are simply legendary.
I became teary eyed at the end, this is terrible, so many people were lost in the tsunami, so many lives taken away and so many others changed forever. I hope they all find peace… I can’t even imagine their grief TEPCO has, in my opinion, really badly reacted to this disaster and not only that, but the safety protocols were not up to part. I think they are to be held responsible for a lot of the damages and lives affected. I remember the news when I was 10 years old, it was so scary and so surreal, how could something like this be happening? The Prime Minister did his best with what he had, he made very hard choices and although he didn’t tell everything that was happening, most of what he did was right and he didn’t sit on his ass. Those who fought during these days have my respect, their courage is beyond imaginable. Looking at the footage, it’s so scary and sad…
@@transistor754 disgusting comment go away friendless worm
Sorry you had to see his comment above. It is scary and sad. They're heroic and have my respect too.
In this case, escape was not an option. Fighting was the only way
To those men and women that risked their lives for the rest of the planet, thank you, from the very essence of my being. I appreciate your humanity and selflesness. There are not enough words in my vocabulary to make you undestand how greatful I am for your actions. May the rest of your life be filled with happieness and ease.
When the firefighter said” His wife cried, I almost cried.” That was crushing.
Ironic how a situation caused by water, could also be “fixed” with water.
PBS is one of the last channels that hasn't become propaganda. Mad respect!
Owned by the Democratic party
I completely disagree. They push so much left wing stuff. It makes it hard to believe that public broadcast stations also push an agenda. Shame too. Even the NPR is completely useless for actual non biased material. Completely unbiased news or programming doesn't exist anymore.
I can't believe I just read that... and you call yourself "Outlaw"
Pffft! Bwa haha!
Wrong
the workers, soldiers and firefighters are true heroes
Well put together
That's so sad about his family. He lost his father, wife and youngest daughter all at once.
Still leaders build nukes! Mad leaders!
Thank you very much for uploading this!
May God Bless these wonderful brave people. RIP ALSO
Without power, they were hand flying that entire plant. God's blessing on you all.
Finally, an update! Thanks PBS!
You know why they uploaded this? Because Japan is releasing contaminated water into the ocean and the world media is ignoring this. It's a indirect way to let people know.
@@drewsfjord I've heard there's a far greater risk of desaster than has already happened !
@@drewsfjord reminder the bikini's this japonnen fishing boat contaminatie nagasaki hiroshima auto roneinst
when i heard it on the radio from my island Tonga, i didn't quite get hold of the threat of the nuclear plant was bringing then its showing here on the video. wow, just amazing the sacrifices, the difficult choices those Japanese heroes had to take, from the Prime Minister to all the engineers, firefighters, pilots everybody! I hope you all live a happy life
What sacrifices? No one died.
@@StrazdasLT they sacrificed their safety. They were scared shitless but they chose not to run away. That's the real sacrifice.
I recently rewatched chernobyl with friends and I've become infatuated by nuclear engineering and the disasters people have had to solve. I had no idea Japan had to deal with this after the tsunami. I desperately hope that these companies can be held accountable to take every measure to ensure defense mechanisms and emergency systems do not fall out of spec. The damage it can cause is insurmountable. We need the safety to be taken very seriously as we'll need nuclear energy to solve the energy crisis and climate. That being said I'm so glad at the efforts of those that kept the situation from becoming even worse. Teared up watching this.
The containment buildings were the actual defense mechanism that saved the day, not the workers, that's why on one died from radiation at Fukushima, but many did at Chernobyl which has none.
Nearly had such an incident at Sellafield in UK England. People tend to forget this now
Chernobyl was due to soviet rbmk reactors with no saftey systems,operators where not even trained that the reactor had possitive void coefficent and it didnt even have a contaiment building, and fukusihma was due to 40 year old reactors+natural disaster, so stop spreading myths that nuclear power is dangerous!
I can imagine how icy the feeling in the control room must have been when they realized that there had been an explosion.
So heart breaking. Always the average joe stuffers the most. In the end executive at tepco was acquitted and the company was only fined 3.5 million dollar
@Indy Sanders they should’ve been fined whatever the current U.S. national debt is
@@tomnaughton You do know this is Japan, right? They're not paying any money to the US.
@@aryanbhuta3382 I never said that. I said they should’ve been fined however much the current US national debt is
@@tomnaughton That's not the bad part, They are releasing all the contaminated water in the ocean. Japan is a weird country, They actually wanted to hold parts of the Olympics here.
This reactor is an old US model forced to buy from the US government. This is why no Japanese knew how to fix the problem when it occurred. This is the truth but it is so political that nobody can talk in public.
Stunning! Another amazing watch from Frontline
Fantastical PBS
The workers who stayed at the plant are heroic.