Saturday, April 13, 2013

The "Snake's Pillows" of Fukushima

Before I left the evacuated village of Iitate for the last time during this trip to Fukushima, Mr. Watanabe, a former resident of Iitate, guided me to a place in the woods where the "mizu-basho" (nicknamed "Snake's Pillow" in English) were starting to flower in the marsh.



"I wish they would colour the radiation so we could see where it is and avoid it," is something I have heard countless times while speaking with people in Fukushima.

The natural beauty of Fukushima, like here in the mountains of Iitate, is deceptive.  The "Snake's Pillows" are gorgeous, but they hide an invisible venom.

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