Fukushima 50

When the magnitude 9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake struck off the coast of the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan at 2:46 PM on March 11, 2011, it caused a massive tsunami that soon reached the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In Fukushima 50, as waves penetrate the facilities, shift supervisor Toshio Izaki (Koichi Sato) assesses the overheating reactors while coordinating with plant manager Masao Yoshida (Ken Watanabe), who mediates with Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power Company) headquarters amidst micro-management and government inaction. Based on Ryusho Kadota’s book On the Brink and directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu in a thrilling interpretation of real-life events, “Fukushima 50” is the name media reports used to describe the workers who stayed behind to avert a catastrophe of global magnitude. Reunited since co-starring in Unforgiven (JC 2014), Sato and Watanabe provide heartfelt tribute to the people of Fukushima.

“We shall never forget what happened in March 2011, we shall never forget what happened in Fukushima.” —Ryuichi Sakamoto

Available streaming territory: U.S. only

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