Meet the “radioactive” man who returned to Fukushima to feed the animals that were left behind
The tragedy of the Fukushima disaster in Japan left a trail of untold human suffering but as people fled from the radioactive area, the animal population was left behind. One man, however, has not forgotten. Former construction worker, Naoto Matsumura, is the only person brave enough to live in the exclusion zone to care for the four-legged survivors.
The 55-year-old is known as the “guardian of Fukushima’s animals”. He fled at first, but returned in 2011 to look for his own pets. Once there, he realised that so many animals needed his help and has stayed for four years. He is aware of the radiation he lives with on the daily basis, but he says he “refuses to worry about it.”
“They also told me that I wouldn’t get sick for 30 or 40 years. I’ll most likely be dead by then anyway, so I couldn’t care less,” he said.
The government has forbidden him to stay but that has not prevented Matsumura, who relies on donations to help feed the animals.
Find out more information and make donations at his blog.
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