At this point in my trip I have seen many places and met many people. For many that I met there is no going home. For some that is because their town was destroyed. For some it is because their house was destroyed. But, for those from certain parts of Fukushima it is because they aren't allowed home.

I know in terms of chronological order this is going to throw off my blogging but it's on my mind. I have a lot of things from the Iwate and Miyagi area that I haven't even touched on. But, at this moment it is far from my mind.

I visited Fukushima, Japan with a closed mind. Nuclear disaster - geopolitics - and a story overshadowing the human tragedy up North - that was how I felt. Fukushima had wiped out the tsunami story from the western news; a primary reason for me trip. The nuclear disaster is the sexy news story - it is easy to rile people up over it. But, I had forgotten the people. Even with my own stated goal of putting a face to the stories from Japan; I had forgetting the people of Fukushima. They opened my eyes by being frank and blunt. Something that does not come naturally to them. They told me that they are no good at talking. But, they spoke and told me things that raised the hair on the back of my neck.

Hibakusha (which I suppose translates to Person Injured by Radiation) is a term that is not used lightly in Japan. When I was in college there was a guy who used to give me a hard time whenever I gave him a hard time by saying "Didn't we bomb you?" I could have punched him in the nose but it was so ignorant that I couldn't even be bothered.

Those who are Hibakusha from the war have a special legal status; as do their children. For better or worse they are separate and unequal. They are given different (and I gather better) medical care and I believe there are other considerations. But, it is a badge that you do not want to show. You are the undesirable. I'm not sure I understand it per se; but I know there is a stigma.

So, when my father mentioned the people of Fukushima being hibakusha I was offended. It was a term I had no intention of even thinking about before I went to meet these people. I am tempted to draw parallels with other things like racist names, et cetera but I think you get the idea. You don't call people you don't know Hibakusha lightly. It wouldn't be a term I would want to use.

What I could not anticipate was that the people themselves are hibakusha and call themselves such. I did not know that some had been covered by radiactive ash. I did not expect them to have to carry a slip of paper indicating that they are not radioctive (in effect - the paper says "the results of the tests were negative." It was your passport into the evacuation centers.

Sadly there are some terrible things going on with regards to discrimination against these people. Speaking to a realtor when they ask where you are from and hear "Fukushima" suddenly they don't have any apartments available.

But being from Fukushima is like being from Massachusetts. It is a wide area. There is ocean and there are mountains. But, they are all being painted with the same brush in the media. Businesses who rely on tourism hours away from the power plant are failing. They have no radiative fallout. They are in almost a different climate than the coastline.

Fukushima is a beloved place for everyone I met. No one has said they want to leave. But, in their heart of hearts some are starting to wonder. Will they ever go home?

For those who are unaware; the police are not permitting people to enter the mandatory evacuation zone. Money is tight. Lodgings are dubious and it has been over 3 months from the accident. Some, like Mr. Shiga from Namie, Fukushima, pictured near the barrier above, will never go home because his house was simply washed away. He barely escaped. Now with a 3 year old mortgage and no house to sell nor buyers for his land what does he have? His insurance would not cover a Tsunami. He is lucky - he still has a job. He can take care of his children. His company has not reduced salaries yet though the sales have been cut dramatically. As he told me; the bank needs him more than he needs the bank. (Ed: I met two Mr. Shiga's - unrelated - only one pictured here)

What then of Kaya? A 5th grader from Futaba who has already moved once during the school year. Her family brought nothing more than the clothes on their backs. She lived within 10km of the Fukushima plant that exploded. Many lost even the clothes they were wearing because they had been contaminated by radiation. Can you imagine what that would feel like. Stripping your clothes off as you stand in a medical line being metered by a stranger; it is a terrible thing. Only then to be handed a little slip of paper saying this person is safe. For Kaya the future is uncertain; she must move again within the next 2 months as her allowed primary evacuation center time runs out.

More to come