years old, it means that a man planted it two generations earlier. And the tree
connects us with that person. […] But by cutting down trees to clean up, no-one
bothers to communicate with them. The tree is nothing more than an object. It’s cut
down, that’s all” [50]. The disaster depopulated territories, ripped society apart and
made any dialogue about what is and what is no longer, impossible.
4.3 The Resilience of Civil Society: A New Representation
of the Japanese Population
The consequences of Fukushima suggest a sacrificial system; a Japanese replica of
Chernobyl’s ‘nuclear Gulag’ [53, 54].
16 This extreme situation has led to rising
levels of criticism. A refugee publicly challenges the CEO of TEPCO, “It might not
look like much, but challenging a leader in this way is very rare in Japan” [36]. The
disciplined Japanese culture has cracked and the anti-nuclear movement has made
significant progress “in a country where demonstrations are extremely rare” [42].
The literature confirms that opposition to nuclear power, which appeared in Japan
in the 1970s, has strengthened since the Fukushima accident [56]. But documentaries do not only evoke a change in attitudes and behaviors. They also reflect the
surprise of seeing certain archetypes disintegrate. The French media has a particular
image of the Japanese population, which is recognized for its spirit of resignation in
the face of disaster [57]. The images shot after Fukushima paint a very different
picture of Japanese society. A new representation, highlighting the insubordination
of a part of the population, appeared on screens.
Documentaries also show the impact of the nuclear accident in France. “Since
Fukushima, the debate, which until then French society was only moderately
interested in, has taken on a new dimension” [58]. Nuclear Energy: the Human
Bomb shows images of anti-nuclear protests, “In France, for the first time, we see
that a serious accident is possible” [44]. In an interview, Alain de Halleux talks
about the reception of his documentary, NTR Nuclear: Nothing to Report (R.A.S
Nucléaire—Rien à signaler) [59]. His film, which received little attention in 2009,
was re-broadcast on the French television channel Arte on March 25, 2011 and
appears to have found its audience, “Now that a plant has blown up at Fukushima,
everybody’s asking questions about safety and suddenly, we’re finally paying
attention to warnings and emergencies” [60]. For Greenpeace, local officials realized that their town, even though it was located 30 km from a plant, was not
immune to accidents, “It’s this grass-roots change that we believe will lead to the
death of nuclear power in France” [58].
16
Japanese history is often viewed through this prism: the sacrifice of soldiers during the WW2, the
sacrifice of Okinawa for the installation of United States’ bases, the sacrifice of populations that are
allowed to reside in contaminated zones [55].
What Cultural Objects Say About Nuclear Accidents …
151
connects us with that person. […] But by cutting down trees to clean up, no-one
bothers to communicate with them. The tree is nothing more than an object. It’s cut
down, that’s all” [50]. The disaster depopulated territories, ripped society apart and
made any dialogue about what is and what is no longer, impossible.
4.3 The Resilience of Civil Society: A New Representation
of the Japanese Population
The consequences of Fukushima suggest a sacrificial system; a Japanese replica of
Chernobyl’s ‘nuclear Gulag’ [53, 54].
16 This extreme situation has led to rising
levels of criticism. A refugee publicly challenges the CEO of TEPCO, “It might not
look like much, but challenging a leader in this way is very rare in Japan” [36]. The
disciplined Japanese culture has cracked and the anti-nuclear movement has made
significant progress “in a country where demonstrations are extremely rare” [42].
The literature confirms that opposition to nuclear power, which appeared in Japan
in the 1970s, has strengthened since the Fukushima accident [56]. But documentaries do not only evoke a change in attitudes and behaviors. They also reflect the
surprise of seeing certain archetypes disintegrate. The French media has a particular
image of the Japanese population, which is recognized for its spirit of resignation in
the face of disaster [57]. The images shot after Fukushima paint a very different
picture of Japanese society. A new representation, highlighting the insubordination
of a part of the population, appeared on screens.
Documentaries also show the impact of the nuclear accident in France. “Since
Fukushima, the debate, which until then French society was only moderately
interested in, has taken on a new dimension” [58]. Nuclear Energy: the Human
Bomb shows images of anti-nuclear protests, “In France, for the first time, we see
that a serious accident is possible” [44]. In an interview, Alain de Halleux talks
about the reception of his documentary, NTR Nuclear: Nothing to Report (R.A.S
Nucléaire—Rien à signaler) [59]. His film, which received little attention in 2009,
was re-broadcast on the French television channel Arte on March 25, 2011 and
appears to have found its audience, “Now that a plant has blown up at Fukushima,
everybody’s asking questions about safety and suddenly, we’re finally paying
attention to warnings and emergencies” [60]. For Greenpeace, local officials realized that their town, even though it was located 30 km from a plant, was not
immune to accidents, “It’s this grass-roots change that we believe will lead to the
death of nuclear power in France” [58].
16
Japanese history is often viewed through this prism: the sacrifice of soldiers during the WW2, the
sacrifice of Okinawa for the installation of United States’ bases, the sacrifice of populations that are
allowed to reside in contaminated zones [55].
What Cultural Objects Say About Nuclear Accidents …
151