When the earthquake, followed by the tsunami, hit Fukushima, Japan, in 2011, it caused a nuclear disaster that had the population of 200,000 fleeing to get out.
The government evacuated the area ASAP, and most residents were given little time to get even their most precious items.
Raging waters disabled the power supply and cooling system of three reactors at the power plant. A nuclear accident occurred on March 11, 2011. The back-to-back catastrophic events took the lives of 19,300 people and is considered the most severe nuclear accidents since Chernobyl.
That left tens of thousands of pets; cats, dogs, rabbits, etc…..and farm and ranch animals; cows, pigs, horses, etc….to fend for themselves in a nuclear radioactive zone.
Not to mention the freezing winters.
But without food and water, and locked in houses and fenced pens, there was little chance of survival.
The government allowed animal welfare organizations to enter, wearing hazmat suits, to retrieve as many animals as they could in December of 2011, before the worst of the winter hit.
But thousands were left behind.
Only two men stayed behind in the fall-out.
Naoto Matsumura and Sakae Kato remained.
With a purpose.
And what a purpose.
To care for all the animals left behind.
Both businessmen, they gave up everything from their old life rather than seeing other living beings starve and perish.
They both live alone….besides dozens and dozens of animals….in different areas of the city.
Both are well within the 13 mile radioactive danger zone around the damaged and lethal reactor.
From goodnewsnetwork....
Matsumura left the city at first, but returned shortly after for his own animals. Once returned, the now 55-year old realized that everyone else’s pets and livestock were still there, so he began taking care of a broad community of animals including pigs, cats, dogs, ponies, ostriches, and cows.
When he first evacuated, some of his family outside of the exclusion zone told him he couldn’t stay with them due to the risk of contamination. The refugee camps outside the area were filling up fast, and Matsumura felt everything was too much of a hassle.
He went back inside the exclusion zone and realized local pet dogs had not eaten in several days. After it became clear no-one was coming back to the neighborhood, he went around unchaining dogs from trees, letting cows out of their barns, and feeding anything that needed it, earning him the moniker the ‘Guardian of Fukushima’s Animals’.
Naoto looks after most of the larger animals.
And he has had supporters of his works donate funds for the animals needs this past decade, to help do what he does.
Kato is the cat whisperer.
He lives with almost a hundred, and cares for many many more.
He spends seven thousand a month to have food and medicine brought in, from the sale of his business and from his life savings.
His family is, to put it mildly, disapproving of his new life, but Kato regards this as his life’s mission and purpose.
“I want to make sure I am here to take care of the last one.”
This is all technically illegal, but the government has for the most part left them to their own devices
No running water or electricity, they get their water from streams and the electricity from generators.
They are aware of the radiation that their bodies are accumulating, but as Naoto says, “I refuse to worry about it.”
He was tested at the University of Tokyo and was found to have the highest level of radiation in all of Japan.
He has not developed cancer or leukemia after a decade, and so far all is well.
And Kato, “If I had to die, I decided that I would like to die with these guys.”
This one from VICE is in-depth, and really explains things…. Naoto’s reasonings, family, loneliness, radiation, loss....so well.
What more to say about these two special souls that have given their lives for the meekest and weakest?
Except that we send you both our love, appreciation and gratitude on your holy mission.
Francis of Assisi lives within them.
I thought i would close this with a song Paul wrote about his beloved dog, Martha.
The love of his life.
Pardon me my whimsy.