Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

A devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011 triggering a crisis inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. This 2012 documentary reveals how close the world came to a nuclear nightmare.
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In the desperate hours and days after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the fate of thousands of Japanese citizens fell into the hands of a small corps of engineers, firemen and soldiers who risked their lives to prevent the Daiichi nuclear complex from complete meltdown. FRONTLINE tells the story of the workers struggling frantically to reconnect power inside the plant’s pitch-dark and highly radioactive reactor buildings; the nuclear experts and officials in the prime minister’s office fighting to get information as the crisis spiraled out of control; and the plant manager who disobeyed his executives’ orders when he thought it would save the lives of his workers.
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Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

Пікірлер: 4 800

  • @luckymuddypaw
    @luckymuddypaw2 жыл бұрын

    The prime minister handled the situation incredibly well. When he realized he wasn't being told the entire truth, he went there himself. He was responsible for the entire country, he needed to know exactly what was going on, and when that wasn't happening he took it into his own hands

  • @user-dr1le1ei8d

    @user-dr1le1ei8d

    Жыл бұрын

    Unfortunately, many Japanese believe that Prime Minister Naoto Kan is the number one cause of the nuclear accident. 1, when he visited the nuclear power plant, he summoned and cursed local staff (including the director of the nuclear power plant) who were desperately responding to prevent a hydrogen explosion. If it weren't for this call, at least the explosion would have been avoided. 2, he interfered with the injection of seawater into the reactor, which had begun to melt. He delayed the meeting without attending the necessary meeting and did not give permission for the necessary action. Therefore, the director had no choice but to rebel and inject it without permission. 3, he tried to slaughter the information. For example, he did not disclose a simulation that accurately predicted how radiation would spread, saying, "Because the people are likely to be frightened," and set a wide range of concentric evacuation areas without any grounds. As a result, he was forced to evacuate far away to unrelated people. Also, when a nuclear security expert went on a tour of the nuclear power plant and learned that the administration's methods weren't working, he tried to force to arrest expert to prevent expert from appearing on TV and criticizing the government. 4, he participated in the training assuming a Chernobyl accident-level nuclear accident the previous year as the prime minister, but in the actual accident, he ignored it and took unscrupulous measures. In Japan, there is a mechanism in which politicians who have accumulated specialized knowledge create and present the optimal plan for politicians, and politicians choose the better one from them and execute it, but he is his own at the time of the accident. Regarding nuclear power plants in the party (his party was created for the purpose of winning elections by social activists), a large number of "committees" gathering amateur politicians were formed and discussions were useless. If it worked according to the old training, the accident would have been suppressed a little more. In addition, their party came to power with the goal of "eliminating all nuclear power plants," but in reality the old nuclear power plants (including the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station) that were planned to be abolished for the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide. I was forced to operate it. And when the government was chased after the accident, he was attacking the current ruling party, which was the opposition party at the time, saying, "We have opposed the nuclear power plant!" (By the way, before the accident, he was criticized by the opposition for illegally receiving money from foreigners, but this was made irresistible by the earthquake.) Naoto Kan used to be a good social activist. Many Japanese think that such a tragedy would have been suppressed a little if he had not formed a Democratic Party as a politician and remained a social activist. (I'm sorry that the text is difficult to understand because I used Google Translate.)

  • @andycoslet6479

    @andycoslet6479

    Жыл бұрын

    He handled it way better than Russia

  • @nap1215

    @nap1215

    Жыл бұрын

    And now they want to dump the water to the ocean. So irresponsible

  • @user-dr1le1ei8d

    @user-dr1le1ei8d

    Жыл бұрын

    @@nap1215 There are some misunderstandings, so I will supplement them. 1, The government that is trying to drain treated water is not the party of Naoto and others. Naoto's political parties were so incompetent that they couldn't do anything and the people were disappointed, so they lost power in the election one year after the accident. Now Naoto and others are irresponsibly insisting, "Don't drain treated water! Oppose nuclear power plants! Cooperate with China and Russia!", Which is becoming more and more annoying to the people. 2, The water that is about to be discharged is not "contaminated water" that cools the reactor linearly, but "treated water" that has the same radiation dose as nature by removing radioactive substances to the limit. Currently, a large amount of this treated water is stored in old tanks on the premises of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. However, there is no more land to prepare tanks anymore, and if the old tanks are not replaced, the treated water will overflow and mix with radioactive substances and become contaminated water again when an earthquake strikes. Therefore, we are now trying to carry the treated water, which has been stored for a long time, to a place farther away from the nuclear power plant (which may be contaminated again if it is close) and throw it away.

  • @douglasskaalrud6865

    @douglasskaalrud6865

    Жыл бұрын

    @@nap1215 Well let’s hear your ideas on what to do with it.

  • @DeborahRosen99
    @DeborahRosen992 жыл бұрын

    These men who worked in unimaginable conditions to control the radiation and prevent a meltdown are heroes, not just to Japan but to the world. They should be honored by all as such.

  • @macalister8881

    @macalister8881

    Жыл бұрын

    Prevent a meltdown there were 3 that day at fuku

  • @micnorton9487

    @micnorton9487

    Жыл бұрын

    They were,, I have a feeling that some,, at least some died later but the facts weren't released ... If so,, it accents their bravery imo...

  • @davidtwining4059

    @davidtwining4059

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you. You said it like I wanted to say it.

  • @slowery43

    @slowery43

    Жыл бұрын

    that's some gorgeous and incredible virtue signaling as well as staitng the blatantly obvious... nice pull there Debs

  • @jasonfalcon4052

    @jasonfalcon4052

    Жыл бұрын

    That’s a fact. Even the men that were part of Chernobyl suffered a horrible month of radiation. With it being 800 times stronger then the atomic bomb dropped in Japan. Although what’s so messed up we’re the engineers that passed each reactor knowing that by hitting Azid 5 was just like pulling the trigger on a nuclear bomb. From the lies that Russia tells it’s people is the main reason why they will never win this war over Ukraine. I think anyone that harms women and children will answer to God one moment in there existence.

  • @gotindrachenhart
    @gotindrachenhart Жыл бұрын

    Courage doesn't mean you have no fear, it means doing what must be done despite the fear. And those firefighters and plant workers and chopper pilots were some of the most courageous people ever IMO. At times, you must simply do what is right, no matter the cost. Much was learned from this disaster but in the end, there is only so much we can do to keep mother nature at bay.

  • @georgeizziednu7983

    @georgeizziednu7983

    Жыл бұрын

    The one cannot be courageous or brave if he doenst have a sense of fear. Fearless cannot be brave

  • @gotindrachenhart

    @gotindrachenhart

    Жыл бұрын

    @@georgeizziednu7983 exactly.

  • @garylefevers

    @garylefevers

    6 ай бұрын

    True. My wife and I cried when we heard about those brave souls. God bless them.

  • @johnpug94

    @johnpug94

    6 ай бұрын

    Yewsszz oxoi

  • @JohnnysChingaderas

    @JohnnysChingaderas

    Ай бұрын

    Remember they weren’t saving imminent lives, they knew damn well what would be the cause if it were taken care of, it really displays the selfishness these people had

  • @AccidentallyOnPurpose
    @AccidentallyOnPurpose Жыл бұрын

    The ingenuity the workers had to rig up all the car batteries long enough to get some instruments working is amazing.

  • @piotrw3954
    @piotrw39542 жыл бұрын

    "He left his family" Such a crap sentence. He saved what was left of it, allowed his daughter to make a family. What the guy said was spot on - "The living are more important than the dead"

  • @artlopes9463

    @artlopes9463

    2 жыл бұрын

    AKA Let the dead bury the dead.

  • @Heavysscreams

    @Heavysscreams

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@artlopes9463 Excellently put

  • @aquariusaquarius1280

    @aquariusaquarius1280

    2 жыл бұрын

    Exactly! There is nothing we can do to the deceased people, their lives already stopped at that moment... but for the living ones, there is still a great life ahead of them... life must continue despite the pain and difficulties... good that he heed that advice...

  • @viennperidot1119

    @viennperidot1119

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes, this. He prioritised the health and happiness of his living daughter over his own grief and need for closure. If that isn't "Dad Goals", I don't know what is.

  • @i.m.demarco2324

    @i.m.demarco2324

    2 жыл бұрын

    Awe, he wanted to find his baby, wife, father.... Its so sad he never got to have a funeral for the little one....only a memorial service. He and his older daughter are honouring the lives of his "lost to the sea" family... Tragedy 💞✌🙏

  • @weavernutz22
    @weavernutz222 жыл бұрын

    I lived in Okinawa when the earthquake tsunami happened. My unit deployed the next day and started humanitarian missions immediately. It’s the only thing I did in my military career that I believe was worth it.

  • @jothain

    @jothain

    2 жыл бұрын

    You have my eternal gratitude for your job. These kinds of things aren't in vain.

  • @udirt

    @udirt

    Жыл бұрын

    one thing is enough!

  • @misschio8559

    @misschio8559

    Жыл бұрын

    You are a hero!

  • @NoticerOfficial

    @NoticerOfficial

    Жыл бұрын

    Interesting…want a job in the states?

  • @garylima515

    @garylima515

    Жыл бұрын

    Amen brother I was also there Onboard Uss John s McCain operation tamadachi ships Motto Fortune Favors The Brave stationed out of Yokosuka Japan. 2005-2012

  • @MichaelClark-uw7ex
    @MichaelClark-uw7ex11 ай бұрын

    "I had to do it for my daughter" That was the most loving statement ever.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    3 ай бұрын

    That must be what the mayor of Futaba thought as he was evacuating his family while reassuring the residents that the situation was under control.

  • @moshack
    @moshack Жыл бұрын

    I live in Tokyo Japan. I remember this day like it was yesterday. The Earthquake was horrible. I was trapped in my 2nd floor bedroom only days after returning from the hospital for a major surgery on my Cervical spine. I could hardly move. I had to ride it out as my family evacuated our house. At least they are safe I thought. Then the news of the nuclear plants melt down radiation was broadcasting on the news. We knew it was serious. I am American, but my family is Japanese. I would stay and die with my family if that was our fate. Now after many years I appreciate life more than ever. Every day is a blessing.

  • @SuperSreggin

    @SuperSreggin

    4 ай бұрын

    ok

  • @DriveLaken

    @DriveLaken

    Ай бұрын

    How did you convince them to leave you? It was the right thing & no intention of trolling. It must have been an intense conversation. The most intense.

  • @Hugh-Janus69420

    @Hugh-Janus69420

    Ай бұрын

    I wanna troll this person ​@@DriveLaken

  • @turhakuolla6078
    @turhakuolla60782 жыл бұрын

    the dad and his personal distaster broke my heart. i love how he acted in favor of his surviving daughter and appears to be such a good father in the end despite battling his own grieving and uncertainties. and the quote about looking at the sea that took their families from them ah:(( so beautifully sad

  • @carlislepanting5219

    @carlislepanting5219

    2 жыл бұрын

    Belize central america I'm from and i agree totally !! It made me cried a the end!! Nuclear power is dangerous

  • @volkswagenginetta

    @volkswagenginetta

    Жыл бұрын

    there wasnt a good answer to that one. he had to make an impossible decision.

  • @udirt

    @udirt

    Жыл бұрын

    The village major probably saved them... but the loss must be unbearable. hopefully he can always remember his love.

  • @janetmarmaro8269

    @janetmarmaro8269

    Жыл бұрын

    When did this happen?

  • @frankverschaetzing

    @frankverschaetzing

    Жыл бұрын

    @@janetmarmaro8269 11th of march 2011 (it´s in the description😉)

  • @Angelica_Rodriguez39
    @Angelica_Rodriguez392 жыл бұрын

    Those firefighters were beyond courageous. So, so much respect to them.

  • @louisoddone992

    @louisoddone992

    2 жыл бұрын

    The prevailing wind saved them.

  • @hugovera1540

    @hugovera1540

    2 жыл бұрын

    firefighters did the job when no one else did. that should have been the military

  • @StaK_1980

    @StaK_1980

    2 жыл бұрын

    And again, just like in Chernobyl, they sent in the firefighters instead of the engineers... infuriating.

  • @elijahmasquelier1238

    @elijahmasquelier1238

    2 жыл бұрын

    everyone involved here was a damn hero. they risked their lives knowing the future of their country and indeed their whole region of the world hung in the balance. firefighters in general are heroes, for proof see the forest fires in california or 9/11 or this or any other situation where they readily risk their lives for others.

  • @benquinney2

    @benquinney2

    2 жыл бұрын

    Bushido

  • @mntoaz8840
    @mntoaz8840 Жыл бұрын

    I didn’t realize just how bad this could have been. I have tremendous respects for all the people involved to get the situation under control.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    Жыл бұрын

    Not possible it could have been worse. Even if all workers walked away, they still would have had three melted reactors and no one would have died from radiation.

  • @groboclone

    @groboclone

    10 ай бұрын

    @@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk If all the workers had walked away the containment vessel would have exploded and rendered one third of Japan uninhabitable

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    10 ай бұрын

    @@groboclone Nope, that's the beauty of the design of the containment vessels. Even Chernobyl with no containment vessel didn't make the area uninhabitable.

  • @alexpetrov8871

    @alexpetrov8871

    8 ай бұрын

    ​@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk Too bad you weren't there to tell them about it. It would be a great relief for everyone.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    8 ай бұрын

    @@alexpetrov8871 They could look up the information, just like anyone could have.

  • @medievalmusiclover
    @medievalmusiclover Жыл бұрын

    What a brave scientist, pilot, fire-fighters, and all the people that were trying to fix this complex issue. There were just heroes. My respects for Japanese people. God bless you all.

  • @raven4k998

    @raven4k998

    Жыл бұрын

    isn't this Dangerous? I love how they didn't do anything about it🤣🤣🤣

  • @felixthecleaner8843
    @felixthecleaner88432 жыл бұрын

    the workers who went in to vent the reactors and the Firemen who laid hoses from the ocean to the fuel ponds were very brave men indeed.

  • @lucasgamezz140

    @lucasgamezz140

    Жыл бұрын

    And it wouldn't have been neccessary for them to be brave if TEPCO used their brain when building the damn thing.

  • @ltipst2962

    @ltipst2962

    Жыл бұрын

    @@lucasgamezz140 we're all human and even the engineers or designers. It usually takes something drastic to create reason for drastic defense.

  • @eb924

    @eb924

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@ltipst2962 nah bro they have been warned for over a litteral year that this could likely happen (the last response they fucking did was place a fucking door like bruh)

  • @TheClassicLamb

    @TheClassicLamb

    8 ай бұрын

    Brave men, delivered to You, the viewer, first on PBS.

  • @christinehede7578
    @christinehede75782 жыл бұрын

    The Japanese Prime Mister made the right choices. Having to resign was unfair. All those people that worked to save the plant from exploding are heroes, every last one of them.

  • @FireOccator

    @FireOccator

    2 жыл бұрын

    The prime minister and many other powerful people were responsible for the disaster. Him resigning is the smallest justice possible.

  • @christinehede7578

    @christinehede7578

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@FireOccator he was not responsible at all, the company and whoever allowed them to ignore the safety problems are to blame. He made the best decisions available to him in an impossible situation that was not caused by him. He did not cause the earthquake nor the following tsunami. He also most likely had zero input into the placement and safety features of the power plant.

  • @FireOccator

    @FireOccator

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@christinehede7578 He was responsible for letting the agencies become captured.

  • @christinehede7578

    @christinehede7578

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@FireOccator what!

  • @bmhater1283

    @bmhater1283

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@FireOccator Do I hear bullshit?

  • @LindaStevensBZ
    @LindaStevensBZ5 ай бұрын

    I bow to the guys who risked it all. To venture inside and try to save the day, demands respect and thanks.

  • @michaelsease3844
    @michaelsease38442 жыл бұрын

    TEPCO executives should have been the ones forced into the reactors to vent them.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    2 жыл бұрын

    They were comfortably sitting in Tokyo

  • @Enonymouse_

    @Enonymouse_

    2 жыл бұрын

    I was telling my friend at the time who lived in Tokyo, don't beleive what Tepco is telling you, you are not safe. She told me was making it up, when the reactor shit the bed and all that we know now, she can't say it to me now. I'm glad she's safe but i'm terribly sorry for what happened to the people of Japan, that was inexcusable negligence.

  • @jaybartgis5148

    @jaybartgis5148

    2 жыл бұрын

    What did the executives do wrong?

  • @spacejasontodd

    @spacejasontodd

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jaybartgis5148 They didn't enforce the plant from tsunamis properly even though they had been told to do so three years earlier, later they lied to the minister about being able to vent out the plant when it was impossible to do so without energy

  • @XLTBlarg

    @XLTBlarg

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@spacejasontodd Sounds like they wasted alot of valuable time when they should have asked for govt to help them sooner.

  • @Mattreyu199
    @Mattreyu1992 жыл бұрын

    I'd like to know how exactly the Prime Minister "mishandled" the crisis (as his critics said) and was forced to resign. Seems to me like he did the best job he could realistically do in that situation and that TEPCO did all of the mishandling, and I don't mean their workers.

  • @ChrisGurin

    @ChrisGurin

    2 жыл бұрын

    Given what we in the US have seen of REAL mismanagement, I agree with you: The PM looks like the soul of leadership. Why did they criticize him for going to the disaster site? Would they prefer he throw paper towels (or a tantrum)?

  • @shahabmos5130

    @shahabmos5130

    2 жыл бұрын

    He did not send any floating ghost , samurai , animal god giants , anime girls or boys , did not used any weeb to die in there , did not cut his finger , did not used the area to run a battle royal . Its how politics works . No matter what happens , opponents blame you.

  • @Venezolano410

    @Venezolano410

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm under the impression that at the time, his critics didn't know the full story of what was going. As usual with politicians, they just base everything on initial reports and then grand stand like they can do an better job.

  • @spacejasontodd

    @spacejasontodd

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think by mishandling they meant keeping the disaster from the public and covering up its severity

  • @smartprocesssolutions748

    @smartprocesssolutions748

    2 жыл бұрын

    Pal, called scapegoat, innocent people go to jail all the time for other’s crimes. Fetching numbers and money to have a prison system.

  • @jimanderson1589
    @jimanderson1589 Жыл бұрын

    The workers and firemen are heroes! Thank you to them 12 years later! All of you were so brave. God bless all of you and your country.

  • @kemblephotography
    @kemblephotography Жыл бұрын

    Incredibly well done documentary, as expected with PBS. Firefighters around the world don't get enough credit for what they do everyday, much less during extraordinary events like this. Can't imagine being an employee of Tepco and being stuck between wanting to leave a melting down plant and knowing the fate of Japan may rest in your hands. It would be interesting to see a follow up on this story by PBS, given it's been over 10 years since the incident.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    Жыл бұрын

    It was already a predetermined outcome of the fate of the people of Japan even without anyone at the plant. That's why they designed containment vessels.

  • @BrokeredHeart
    @BrokeredHeart2 жыл бұрын

    I'm absolutely heartbroken for that father who was hunting for his wife, father and youngest daughter. He did everything in his power to find them. I grieve with him and all the other parents, sons, daughters and grandparents, whose families were ripped apart that day by the tsunami. It's a living nightmare to see your entire town and everyone you know in it destroyed within a matter of hours. Truly horrific, and I can't even fathom the mental toll it has taken on the people of Futaba and Fukushima.

  • @theyracemesohardchair

    @theyracemesohardchair

    2 жыл бұрын

    🤣🤣🤣 yeh good one wasn’t it

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    Жыл бұрын

    The tsumani killed thousands. The nuclear power plant did not.

  • @dracolique

    @dracolique

    Жыл бұрын

    @@theyracemesohardchair What does that even mean in the context of this person's comment?

  • @xxcrosssansxx2969

    @xxcrosssansxx2969

    Жыл бұрын

    @@theyracemesohardchair whats so funny 😐 you know that will piss people off

  • @kjoseph8135
    @kjoseph81353 жыл бұрын

    I’m Japanese, and I was ten years old in this disaster. This documentary reminds me of the fear that I felt then. Also, it told me that unnamed heros enabled us to live in peaceful life now

  • @uwcb1

    @uwcb1

    3 жыл бұрын

    It must have been terrifying. How are you now? Do earthquakes bring it all back? I’m in New Orleans and since Katrina, hurricanes still trigger a lot of us.

  • @kjoseph8135

    @kjoseph8135

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@uwcb1 I'm fine, thank you. I have lived in Tokyo more than 10 years. In Tokyo and its surrounding area , the 2011 disasters brought more psychological damages than physical's, such as panic buying mineral water and foods caused by feat of further quakes and Fukushima Daiichi incident . Also, my friends say watching news of tsunami and nuclear disasters then make them unstable.

  • @alanh1406

    @alanh1406

    3 жыл бұрын

    I hope you live a long and happy life.

  • @1painter4hire

    @1painter4hire

    3 жыл бұрын

    At least you lived to talk about it, Stay Safe 👍

  • @Pfromm007

    @Pfromm007

    3 жыл бұрын

    When very bad things like this happen, its always good to look for the helpers. Whenever I hear anything about radiation or nuclear, I always think of the brave Japanese and Russians who gave their lives to protect us and save the world.

  • @johnphilippides7629
    @johnphilippides7629 Жыл бұрын

    this is all so sad but that picture of his youngest daughter Yuna absolutely broke my heart. i hope everyone affected can find some peace

  • @MattDoesLife539
    @MattDoesLife539 Жыл бұрын

    " My generation built these nuclear plants. So we have to take responsibility for them. We can't dump this on the next generation." - Kazuko Sasaki, a 72-year-old grandmother who has volunteered to help clean up the Fukashima nuclear plant

  • @claudehall7889
    @claudehall78893 жыл бұрын

    I can't imagine going to work and my wife and daughter disappear in natural disaster with no answers on their whereabouts. That is worse than finding their remains.

  • @007vsMagua
    @007vsMagua3 жыл бұрын

    The Prime Minister was an honorable man, dealt a losing hand, and made the right calls. He has my total respect.

  • @randomleni

    @randomleni

    2 жыл бұрын

    Right like I don’t get why they basically fired him

  • @tsuna111

    @tsuna111

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@randomleni lol he resign coz of health issues

  • @jothain

    @jothain

    2 жыл бұрын

    I have full respect for this man. Though I despise the men that before him had not listened to safety problems acknowledged before. Peoples that weren't responsible of neglecting these are ones that should have been severe consequences, even after knowing the aftermath.

  • @feelincrispy7053

    @feelincrispy7053

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think the doco showed him in a pretty good light. There is far more to the political story than this showed. From memory it took them a about week if not a bit more to tell the world exactly what was really going on even though we could all see the plant exploding. But i do agree he seemed like a very honourable man making decisions zero people would like to make

  • @Dana9437

    @Dana9437

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@randomleni totally agree...he acted with wisdom and integrity. Glad that he was included in this documentary.

  • @ambition112
    @ambition1129 ай бұрын

    2:28: 🌊 The Fukushima nuclear disaster was caused by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that flooded the plant, leading to a meltdown. 7:45: 🌊 The Fukushima nuclear plant faced a series of failures after being hit by a tsunami, leading to a potential explosion and the release of radioactivity. 16:49: 😱 The prime minister orders the venting of the reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, risking the lives of workers to prevent a catastrophic explosion. 25:00: ⚠ The Fukushima plant engineers feared that the reactor core had exploded, but it was actually a hydrogen explosion in the roof of the reactor building. 32:51: 😰 The Fukushima Fifty, led by plant manager Yoshida, were locked down in the central control room as the radiation levels were dangerously high and the reactors were unmanned. 40:12: ⚠ Firefighters risk their lives to spray water into the fuel pools at Fukushima Dai-ichi. 47:43: 💔 The most dangerous phase of the crisis is over, but the prime minister resigns and TEPCO faces bankruptcy. Recap by Tammy AI

  • @Pepsipepper232

    @Pepsipepper232

    9 ай бұрын

    Thank you

  • @popokiobake

    @popokiobake

    4 ай бұрын

    No, not entirely true. Incompetence by TEPCO Executives were primarily to blame. Because the company was run by idiots.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    3 ай бұрын

    Tepco and the banks financing it were saved with taxpayer money. Prime minister Kan was forced to resign as he was insisting on closing nuclear power plants, including the Omaezaki klunker.

  • @burusho8488
    @burusho8488 Жыл бұрын

    Living at other side of the globe i offer my deep condolences for the families of this disaster and respect for the courage of the brave sons of Japan. Specifically those firefighters and pilots. 🙏

  • @definitelynotfbi119
    @definitelynotfbi1192 жыл бұрын

    "When I had heard that the diesel generators had been destroyed, I couldn't square that, with reality." The way that he worded that was deeply haunting because he clearly thought about it so much, he distilled a million emotions, thoughts, fears, and rationalizations into a single statement.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    2 жыл бұрын

    Because he knew that if a NPP loses its connection to the grid and the diesel generators disaster is imminent.

  • @Mom_sBasement

    @Mom_sBasement

    2 жыл бұрын

    I can’t believe they don’t have a plan B, C and D when you build plants in Earthquake and Tsunami zones.

  • @Gabriel-yd4bq

    @Gabriel-yd4bq

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Mom_sBasement biggest problem was not building the emergency generators well above the 5m above water level. Crysis probably averted.

  • @crocodile1313

    @crocodile1313

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Gabriel-yd4bq Totally agree. There had to be some meeting when they built the place where someone brought up a tsunami scenario. Safety shortcuts probably due to money, like it always is....

  • @Gabriel-yd4bq

    @Gabriel-yd4bq

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@crocodile1313 There was a meeting. There was a tsunami scenario. Just NOT an Earthquake+tsunami scenario, which is rare

  • @JohnMason8183
    @JohnMason81832 жыл бұрын

    A very poignant story. Though I do not like politicians, I think the Prime Minister did his best. He did what he thought was right. He showed leadership in an unbelievably difficult situation. I'm further impressed that he participated in this report. A sad situation for all.

  • @jeffreyhancock8831

    @jeffreyhancock8831

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree. But in this day and age, someone must bear the brunt of the blame, and it usually is the one in the most powerful position. Personally, I think that a rather high wall surrounding the plant may have helped, but then, I'm not an engineer, so.......

  • @pierreo33

    @pierreo33

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jeffreyhancock8831 Early on in the video they said the power plant's sea wall had failed its test two years prior to the meltdown. Sorry for bad english

  • @TreasureHuntingNana

    @TreasureHuntingNana

    2 жыл бұрын

    totally agree with you

  • @myheartisinjapan3184

    @myheartisinjapan3184

    2 жыл бұрын

    Indeed, he is a very honorable man for his handling of such an immensely difficult situation.

  • @hooviedoovie5220

    @hooviedoovie5220

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jeffreyhancock8831 there is another plant a couple miles downshore that was completely fine after the earthquake and tsunami, because their seawall was adequate.

  • @unit0137
    @unit0137 Жыл бұрын

    To be honest, I cannot blame their minister for how he reacted, and in a way, Tepco seemingly was doing all it could. Even if they were giving up hope, it'd be a similar response to most of us. I'm most impressed at the bravery that the fire fighters showed, as they quite literally had never even prepared for such a situation probably, and yet they worked efficiently and methodically instantly on the moment's notice. It is very respectable since it was like nobody was able to make a good plan until they showed up and decided to risk it all.

  • @marianmarkovic5881

    @marianmarkovic5881

    7 ай бұрын

    Well one thing most peaple dont recognize is, in Japan only confirmed informations are published out. Meanwhile here its about who will relase breaking news first, often at cost of accuracy of information presented,...

  • @dutchhoke6555
    @dutchhoke6555 Жыл бұрын

    Condolences to all affected by these events. The brave souls who labored unceasingly in response will not be forgotten.

  • @jortiz1451
    @jortiz14513 жыл бұрын

    Frontline is just the best at documentaries. No one comes close.

  • @Ben-ok2ue

    @Ben-ok2ue

    3 жыл бұрын

    Facts

  • @Ben-ok2ue

    @Ben-ok2ue

    3 жыл бұрын

    This guys voice too

  • @Perkelenaattori

    @Perkelenaattori

    3 жыл бұрын

    Errol Morris and Ken Burns do but they're mostly historians while Frontline does top notch current stuff. Definitely quality.

  • @bobbyhill5067

    @bobbyhill5067

    3 жыл бұрын

    Ken Burns comes close but hes on the same side as PBS tho

  • @michaelfell4167

    @michaelfell4167

    3 жыл бұрын

    Exactly, Frontline is simply amazing. I just watched their documentary on poverty in America.

  • @machinech183
    @machinech1832 жыл бұрын

    A politician willing to go the very site of the disaster to find out what is really going on and DO something about it... and they force him to resign. Rather depressing to see extreme ignorance so widespread, nowhere is safe. They should have sent the TEPCO executives into the reactor... and left them there, for science of course.

  • @ricktherockandroller

    @ricktherockandroller

    2 жыл бұрын

    FOR SCIENCE!

  • @Arichiluv3

    @Arichiluv3

    2 жыл бұрын

    True

  • @jtpeterson27

    @jtpeterson27

    2 жыл бұрын

    For science of coarse! Anything goes as long as it’s for educational purposes….

  • @00chla50

    @00chla50

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same thing happened to President Carter. He went to 3 mile island nuclear power plant when it was in crisis. Thankfully the container did not explode. People make fun of him because he was a peanut farmer, but he was actually a nuclear engineer in navy. So he could actually understand and ask intelligent questions and understand the answers, including making suggestions.

  • @sebastiankirby4651

    @sebastiankirby4651

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@00chla50 another reason why jimmy carter is an underrated president

  • @tuakilaumeamanu9383
    @tuakilaumeamanu9383 Жыл бұрын

    when i heard it on the radio from my island Tonga, i didn't quite get hold of the threat of the nuclear plant was bringing then its showing here on the video. wow, just amazing the sacrifices, the difficult choices those Japanese heroes had to take, from the Prime Minister to all the engineers, firefighters, pilots everybody! I hope you all live a happy life

  • @StrazdasLT

    @StrazdasLT

    Жыл бұрын

    What sacrifices? No one died.

  • @tuakilaumeamanu9383

    @tuakilaumeamanu9383

    Жыл бұрын

    @@StrazdasLT they sacrificed their safety. They were scared shitless but they chose not to run away. That's the real sacrifice.

  • @simonf1786
    @simonf1786 Жыл бұрын

    I worked at the nuclear plant in Ibaraki, a bit further south of Fukushima. Luckily it was not badly affected by the tsunami . I had left there one month before the tsunami. I did know many of the guys that risked their lives helping in the Fukushima disaster. So brave and so sad. Most of them had families. My heart will always go out for them.

  • @simonf1786

    @simonf1786

    Жыл бұрын

    @@transistor754 You write bull crap. You obviously do not understand Japan or the nuclear industry in Japan. Go and research properly before making pathetic statements.

  • @transistor754

    @transistor754

    Жыл бұрын

    @@simonf1786 2 minutes research and 30 seconds reading, do you think you can manage that? "Overcoming popular resistance" wikipedia "Nuclear Power in Japan". (I know... but it's all verifiable history) In 1954, the Operations Coordinating Board of the United States National Security Council proposed that the U.S. government undertake a "vigorous offensive" urging nuclear energy for Japan in order to overcome the widespread reluctance of the Japanese population to build nuclear reactors in the country. Thirty two million Japanese people, a third of the Japanese population, signed a petition calling for banning hydrogen bombs.[28] Journalist and author Foster Hailey wrote an op-ed piece published in The Washington Post where he called for adopting a proposal to build nuclear reactors in Japan, stating his opinion that: "Many Americans are now aware...that the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan was not necessary....How better to make a contribution to amends than by offering Japan...atomic energy."[29] For several years starting in 1954, the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other U.S. government agencies ran a propaganda war targeting the Japanese population to vanquish the Japanese people's opposition to nuclear power

  • @simonf1786

    @simonf1786

    Жыл бұрын

    @@transistor754 A gift 😅🤣 really, do you not know thar the Japanese have paid GE a great deal of money and continue to pay mow for servicing the sites. I know because I worked in the sites. How about you, did you only work behind your computer at your home or what are you?

  • @transistor754

    @transistor754

    Жыл бұрын

    @@simonf1786 I am a Licensed Radiation worker (20mSv) and I maintain a (small) 3MeV Linear Accelerator. I recently participated in a Neutron Bombardment Experiment. I still hold the Japanese were co-erced into Nuclear Power and "obliged" by the allies to pay for the GE (UK) installations, as the above article says, by the CIA and other interested parties. (They were on form even back then.) I understand that as a Nuclear Power Station worker you have a vested interest in making Nuclear Power look safe. My issue is not with the technology but with the mining, transportation and waste disposal of Nuclear Fuel and the proliferation thereof.

  • @simonf1786

    @simonf1786

    Жыл бұрын

    @@transistor754 The UK instillation is now off line permanently and has been shut down for many years. I do not hold that Japan was coerced into nuclear power. Indeed it was essential to rebuild Japan. If you ever lived in Japan, you would know that it is a very hot (no punt intended) topic and so many Japanese are scared of it, especially after the Fukushima disaster.

  • @scchicago5822
    @scchicago5822 Жыл бұрын

    Amazing work telling stories from different perspective. Sad situation overall but thankful for heroic acts exhibited

  • @clusterguard
    @clusterguard3 жыл бұрын

    may all of the victims Rest In Peace. best wishes to all of our brothers and sisters in Japan, from Nuuk, Greenland.

  • @infini_ryu9461

    @infini_ryu9461

    3 жыл бұрын

    IIRC only one person even died as a direct result of the meltdown since it occurred, yet we act as if the 18,000 who died in the earthquake and tsunami are second fiddle to the meltdown.

  • @KenKobayashiRasmussen

    @KenKobayashiRasmussen

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@infini_ryu9461 Official figures show that there have been 2313 disaster-related deaths among evacuees from Fukushima prefecture. Disaster-related deaths are in addition to the about 19,500 that were killed by the earthquake or tsunami.

  • @infini_ryu9461

    @infini_ryu9461

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@KenKobayashiRasmussen Yes, and the absolute majority were elderly, because the Japanese government ripped people out of hospitals and elderly from their homes. It was a completely irresponsible evacuation caused by the government. I wouldn't argue against that. As for people who died from the radiation, it was trivial. Radiophobia in Fukushima killed more than the incompetence of Soviets in Chernobyl, that should tell you something.

  • @clairerobinson7658

    @clairerobinson7658

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@infini_ryu9461 Chernobyl numbers can’t be trusted.

  • @infini_ryu9461

    @infini_ryu9461

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@clairerobinson7658 Well, until you have all the best minds on the subject saying differently, I'll listen.

  • @C2K777
    @C2K7772 жыл бұрын

    There was another TEPCO plant that also suffered issues due to this series of events. If you use salt water on these kind of reactors then it's a death sentence for them and they could never be made operational again. TEPCO forbade plant workers at both sites from pumping salt water in to manage cooling. At the other plant workers ignored that order when they realised they would lose adequate cooling and then containment if they didn't use the only water they could harness ( sea water). That plant, whilst loosing one of it's reactors didn't explode. Let that sink in a moment. Just to be clear I am NOT blaming the workers at Fukushima who acted admirably, i'm blaming the management of the company that placed profit and bank balance above all else. The fact they are still trying to silence those workers and holding their jobs as ransom speaks volumes.

  • @pakeshde7518

    @pakeshde7518

    2 жыл бұрын

    If I remember they wanted to sack the guy as well but the blockback was so feirce they had to keep him. I think he later *accepted* a payout and full pension to walk away but the pr damage was already done.

  • @ronaldvankuyk908

    @ronaldvankuyk908

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thee wereld intofusion tritium deuterium helium 4 etcetera Mao Tay salontafel roneinst

  • @vwbusguy

    @vwbusguy

    2 жыл бұрын

    American designed reactor, nobody talks about the fact that it was poorly designed for earthquakes in this region

  • @richardcranium3417

    @richardcranium3417

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@vwbusguy How about this…..Don’t build a nuclear power plant near the ocean in a country that sits on the Pacific ring of fire. Really? Who is the genius that came up with that idea?

  • @embersaffron5522

    @embersaffron5522

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@richardcranium3417 Why? They worked perfectly till a double whammy of godlike bad luck, and the other cores have fucnctioned since

  • @Svveet69
    @Svveet69 Жыл бұрын

    Hats off to the brave men and women who prevented a larger disaster from happening. I hope that all those who lost loved ones find peace

  • @GotoHere

    @GotoHere

    Жыл бұрын

    I didn’t see any women in the plant?

  • @UpinsmokeXVI

    @UpinsmokeXVI

    Жыл бұрын

    Don’t be so woke and afraid of offending people there’s literally no women in the plant at all

  • @ideuniqaxealot

    @ideuniqaxealot

    9 ай бұрын

    @@UpinsmokeXVI There were female employees at the plant. Do you think the video captures every single person who worked there at the time?

  • @ellsbellsbabyy

    @ellsbellsbabyy

    9 ай бұрын

    it’s time to admit you guys replying to this are just losers, especially if you’re old enough to comment here in the first place, bc not only is it irrelevant to say there’s no women in the video bc pbs obviously not putting every single soul that contributed to the efforts of this disaster in one 55-min video, there Are women in the video. there are about three shots showing women workers sat in the control room before they downgraded to the skeleton crew. one of the people recording the video of where the vent valves are post-disaster is a woman - you can hear her talking quite clearly. and some of the people shown in hazmat suits at various points in the video look to be women, also. additionally, a few comments away from you is a well-documented quote from an elderly woman who volunteered to be clean-up crew. all that stretching to avoid admitting that Many many people - inevitably including women - risked so much and worked so hard to, as david said, prevent larger disaster. there’s no sensible excuse as to why you’re going out of your way to dismiss that fact. and you want to not look like a weirdo???

  • @Highice007
    @Highice007 Жыл бұрын

    I had no idea the raw courage of the nuclear plant workers. They are heros on another level. They deserve Japans highest honours. 🎖

  • @Xfirefire
    @Xfirefire2 жыл бұрын

    I did not grasp the severity of what happened in this disaster. Thank god for all those who participated in resolving the problem, you did life-saving work.

  • @drewthompson7457

    @drewthompson7457

    Жыл бұрын

    The problem is not resolved. Radiation can last millennia. Last I heard, they were planning to dump millions of gallons of radioactive water into the Pacific. Radaition has continuoulsy invaded the environment.

  • @turkeydoctor5546

    @turkeydoctor5546

    Жыл бұрын

    It will never be resolved. It will continue until the end of time

  • @pipeqez911

    @pipeqez911

    Жыл бұрын

    @@turkeydoctor5546 they did a hell of a better job than the soviets in 1986.

  • @turkeydoctor5546

    @turkeydoctor5546

    Жыл бұрын

    @@pipeqez911 that's total BS.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    Жыл бұрын

    Chernobyl did not have containment, which did not help. Fukushima still leaks radioactive substances.

  • @EMS999ful
    @EMS999ful2 жыл бұрын

    The Japanese Prime Minister did his job, under the most extreme pressure he was man enough to make decisions, knowing that the whole country and possibly further afield would be contaminated, it's tough at the top, a shame he had to resign.

  • @Kunal-df9eu

    @Kunal-df9eu

    2 жыл бұрын

    Exactly my thoughts. It's not the critique that counts, what counts is the man in the arena.

  • @lylen2

    @lylen2

    2 жыл бұрын

    Liberal Democratic Party nepotistic retired politicians running Tepco. Kan and the democrats are blamed, and presto, Abe is back in charge.

  • @daniel3231995

    @daniel3231995

    2 жыл бұрын

    this smells like sanitized propaganda,as if it was all really cleaned up. hidden effects continue to prop up,even decontamination workers mistreated & covered up rn.

  • @kf8575

    @kf8575

    2 жыл бұрын

    Did his job?? Maybe, but whoever passed the planning approval for the plant's tsunami defenses which should have been at least double the height they were, should be held responsible for this

  • @joedufour8188

    @joedufour8188

    2 жыл бұрын

    He kept the true nature of the disaster hidden from the world. Had he not done that, there would have been much more help and a lot less suffering and death.

  • @davidchrist1037
    @davidchrist1037 Жыл бұрын

    Award winning video, you don't get better than front line. A heroically dangerous event the whole world is grateful.

  • @lilyrrichard236
    @lilyrrichard23611 ай бұрын

    Mother nature likes to remind us who's in charge. We are merely guests on this amazing planet. Events like these are heartbreaking and humbling.

  • @Herrera_70
    @Herrera_70 Жыл бұрын

    So many people lost their loved ones in this horrible event. This is such a touching reporting, I can feel the dad's pain, he went through so much, losing so many family members but staying strong for the daughter he still had. God bless all these heroes.

  • @StrazdasLT

    @StrazdasLT

    Жыл бұрын

    No, they did not. There was only 1 death that could be attributable to the nuclear plant. Unless by the event you mean the evacuation, then yes, over 2000 was killed by the evacuation.

  • @lt3880

    @lt3880

    Жыл бұрын

    @@StrazdasLT they are talking about the tsunami, the one that killed several thousand people....

  • @jamesheilman2634

    @jamesheilman2634

    10 ай бұрын

    @@StrazdasLT amazing that people are absolutely not paying attention.

  • @6120mcghee
    @6120mcghee2 жыл бұрын

    "The living are more important than the dead." One of the greatest quotes in the history of man. And it took a disaster like this.

  • @wesgatehouse1186

    @wesgatehouse1186

    2 жыл бұрын

    Polo 0lal 09a

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    2 жыл бұрын

    But no one died from Fukushima radiation.

  • @asordidreality

    @asordidreality

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk It was about the people who died from the tsunami....

  • @rockchalk9078

    @rockchalk9078

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk You're apparently a little slow...pay attention please

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@rockchalk9078 Read the title of the video Lame Brain; "Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown". And of course no one died from the meltdown. Duh.

  • @rarebird_82
    @rarebird_824 ай бұрын

    Those who volunteered to vent the reactors - unimaginable bravery.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    3 ай бұрын

    We should not need heroes to generate electricity.

  • @teacherhomieg
    @teacherhomieg11 ай бұрын

    The contamination went out to sea and even reached the west coast. Imagine if three reactors would’ve melted down! The entire world was saved by those brave workers. Glad the U.S. looked into it. I remember the news reports. I live in CA and was worried about the winds bringing a potential fallout cloud over here.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    10 ай бұрын

    Three reactors did melt down and no one on the planet was injured by radiation. You watch too many movies.

  • @Shunyas

    @Shunyas

    8 ай бұрын

    US only took a drone footage and placed a camera 20 miles far from the nuclear reactor. Everything on ground was actually done by the Japanese. US could not stop drugs flowing into its borders leave alone preventing a nuclear melt down.

  • @marianmarkovic5881

    @marianmarkovic5881

    7 ай бұрын

    Naahh you overreacting,..first meltdown aint that scary, All in all. Situation was handled well, given situation. (having 3 out of 6 reactors in cold shutdown during accident helped a lot) I love when somebody scream contamination reachet here and there ,... well what levels? Minimal, barely measurable. its even more funny from country that contaminated entire world by testing Nukes all around...

  • @robsan52
    @robsan522 жыл бұрын

    The fisherman saving his boat was incredibly brave!

  • @johndoe-ss9bz

    @johndoe-ss9bz

    2 жыл бұрын

    Over 40 ft. Waves!!!

  • @tamarrajames3590

    @tamarrajames3590

    2 жыл бұрын

    He was also very intelligent, the boat was safer out on the water than in the dock. He took his best chance.🖤🇨🇦

  • @tamarrajames3590

    @tamarrajames3590

    Жыл бұрын

    @@markcoupe5748 LOL🖤🇨🇦

  • @brianreed4527

    @brianreed4527

    Жыл бұрын

    It was either get to higher ground or get to sea before the waves reach shallower areas. Several boats at sea were able to safely deal with the waves. Once the waves begin to drag bottom and crest, there is little hope of escaping to sea. (Unless you are on an aircraft carrier or another large vessel)

  • @robinstewart6510

    @robinstewart6510

    Жыл бұрын

    No bravery about it. He did exactly what he should have to save his boat. A boat is always better off at sea, on the open water, than being battered around by the breaking waves, other vessels, and debris near shore. This is why the Navy, Coast Guard, or anyone else with a large enough vessel, worldwide, always head to sea if possible before such situations. With a hurricane, for example, the goal is to get out far enough to skirt around the worst of the storm. In this case, the goal is just to get away from the shore.

  • @ulugbektoshtemirov4068
    @ulugbektoshtemirov40682 жыл бұрын

    Knowing that u will increase the risk of cancer but still standing in the protection of japan and world? Just speechless

  • @greggrobinson5116

    @greggrobinson5116

    2 жыл бұрын

    The crews at Chernobyl were just as brave. Assuming they were told the truth about what was happening, that is. And that's a big assumption for the USSR.

  • @ulugbektoshtemirov4068

    @ulugbektoshtemirov4068

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@greggrobinson5116 yeah exactly they were great also and huge respect for both crews

  • @StrazdasLT

    @StrazdasLT

    Жыл бұрын

    @@greggrobinson5116 There is some footage that surfaced recently from the soviets documenting the cleanup (hoping they can portray this as a soviet victory). The guys with the shovels doing the cover up were told they will likely die.

  • @ash-is-napping
    @ash-is-napping Жыл бұрын

    The Chernobyl disaster captivated when I learnt about nuclear fusion in physics at school (early 2000s). Such a horrific disaster, and such a terrible cover up, yet now we have the stories from those brave survivors and those who risked their lives to save us all. We all hope that our government has learnt from these disasters and that’s why there was much criticism at the time on Japan’s government for trying to water down how severe Fukushima was. As with Chernobyl, it is the brave people on the ground that we pay tribute to that risked their lives. Not just those featured here, but many more involved in the cleanup.

  • @jannamyers6792

    @jannamyers6792

    Жыл бұрын

    People were not trained. It was a hail Mary all the way.

  • @ash-is-napping

    @ash-is-napping

    Жыл бұрын

    @@jannamyers6792 the scientists had training (and raised concerns about the condition of the reactor and safety protocols) but the first responders didn’t.

  • @transistor754

    @transistor754

    Жыл бұрын

    Hey.. it was a free gift from the People of America to abrogate Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings under the "Nuclear Science for Peace Program" ... The Japanese would NEVER have taken on Nuclear Power on their own after seeing the effects of the bombs. General Electric should be there hanging by their necks.... or helping the clean up at least. Note to aMurkans... it's pronounced NuuCleeeAAArr not NukeYoular.... learn how to read.

  • @chrisloesch1870

    @chrisloesch1870

    5 ай бұрын

    Oh baloney the Japanese knew what they were getting into with nuclear power. Many there are opposed to it but many are not.

  • @karenwelsh1705

    @karenwelsh1705

    3 ай бұрын

    @@transistor754 America is responsible for many millions of deaths worldwide over the last century, they either bake the pie or put not just their finger in the pie but their whole uninvited and unwarranted fist in the pie. America and their wholesome "Christian" society is where the evil one Satan resides.

  • @paperguns115
    @paperguns1152 ай бұрын

    Thank you for all you do PBS!

  • @sushiromifune7096
    @sushiromifune70962 жыл бұрын

    A representative from the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said "Meltdown" and was shut out from the press conference by the government.

  • @RyanMr6.7
    @RyanMr6.7 Жыл бұрын

    I applaud and respect the Prime Minister! He showed true strength and compassion for lives all across the globe. He should have never been criticized for doing something so courageous.

  • @maureenstevens6824

    @maureenstevens6824

    2 ай бұрын

    With circumstances he had absolutely no control over. His thoughts and dedication to his people was phenomenal. This was something no one had faced before and he saved the world from a catastrophe that can't even be imagined by his dedication, so I don't understand why he was made to resign.

  • @manbehindthebeard3213
    @manbehindthebeard3213 Жыл бұрын

    Those men that went in are heros for sure. They put their lives in harm's way to save so many they didn't even know. The Japanese people have a resolve and moral code not even comparable to the rest of the world. Those men deserve some sort of reward for their gallantry. Like some kind of metal of honor, monetary compensation, and free heath care for them selves and family for the rest of their lives.

  • @kathyrobinson62
    @kathyrobinson62 Жыл бұрын

    Big corporations always look for anyway to save a dollar. If they built a larger sea wall and listened to the government and built it instead of reviewing it this all could of been prevented. To all those who went in and prevented any further disaster are heroes and I have nothing but respect for them. To the victims of this horrible disaster and loss of everything may you be blessed and held safe. Thank you for your sacrifice you saved not only Japan but the world.

  • @namelessentity5851
    @namelessentity58512 жыл бұрын

    The fisherman who sailed into the waves... I know he knew what he was doing, and it does seem a valid maneuver, but still that took a lot of courage, as there is *always* a chance of not making it over the top of the wave, engine cuts out from getting swamped, etc.. You can be as highly trained and/or experienced as can be and still, things can and will go wrong. From my perspective, it is an especially epic thing to do, as even though I spent about a little less then half of my 50 years out on the Great Lakes of Michigan, bodies of water are not my favorite place. Even though I've spent a lifetime always near a lake, both deep water and inclement weather ( especially when out on said water ) have an embarrassing ability to unnerve me, they have such a grip of terror on me, I honestly would sooner play Russian roulette rather then go out on the water in rough chop. Whatever that Gentleman saw when he reached the wave... that would, for me, be akin to staring at a black hole approaching Earth, or seeing some ancient cosmic horror. Wind and wave, and what lives down in the dark, are often the main topics of unpleasant dreams I frequently have. That Dude is THE Bull of the Woods, the big Hoss, bar NONE!

  • @tonytresfg2323

    @tonytresfg2323

    2 жыл бұрын

    Nah bro he's just Japanese smh

  • @Matthew-yj9fk

    @Matthew-yj9fk

    2 жыл бұрын

    If he lost his boats he'd rather be dead anyways. That's his livelihood.

  • @samuelrizzari994

    @samuelrizzari994

    2 жыл бұрын

    I love everything about your comment. From your writing to your praise of the sailor, your post is beautiful.

  • @vasiliyshukshin7466

    @vasiliyshukshin7466

    2 жыл бұрын

    Lake Michigan nearly claimed us once. Storm just rolled out of nowhere and churned the lake up like nothing I've seen before. I can only imagine what it's like to climb over a 40 footer.

  • @faggianogeuiseppi5135

    @faggianogeuiseppi5135

    2 жыл бұрын

    Shoot better then staying and waiting. Smart

  • @kylanoble8669
    @kylanoble86693 жыл бұрын

    Pretty bold for a documentary to skip over the main parts of the story. Like how there was an order not to dump sea water into the reactor in fear of damages to the reactor

  • @u.v.s.5583

    @u.v.s.5583

    2 жыл бұрын

    Save Japan but don't tamper with property of Tepco!

  • @toejam7606

    @toejam7606

    2 жыл бұрын

    Frontline is trash,minstrels thinks it’s informative, lol

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    2 жыл бұрын

    Precisely: the plant director, Yoshida, reportedly disobeyed upper management and cooled the reactor using sea water. Yoshida died of cancer shortly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

  • @kylanoble8669

    @kylanoble8669

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@pleiadiblu2365 I didn’t know he died… it was upsetting before but now it’s just enraging that they would just completely ignore talking about that brave, brilliant, selfless man’s actions. Disgusting.

  • @robertnomok9750

    @robertnomok9750

    2 жыл бұрын

    And dont forget how japanese goverment tried to under play level of danger while fearing to take any responsibilities. Other countries were ready to send help while japan was only THINKING about how to deal with plant. They wasted days on that. Also they want to dump toxic water from reactor into the ocean now,

  • @Oblithian
    @Oblithian Жыл бұрын

    I remember watching the news as they described the workers going in to vent the reactor, and praying for their wellbeing. I just hope plans now exist worldwide to better handle the situations at their various stages, as well as, improvements in construction and equipment.

  • @nuny313
    @nuny313 Жыл бұрын

    This was a nightmare for so many people and for those who lost their loved ones I can even imagine how painful it had to be. My heart and prayers are with all those beautiful hard working people even though it’s been years since that happened I know for them it’s still clear in their memories like it just happen. God Bless them all.

  • @RobTheTrucker
    @RobTheTrucker2 жыл бұрын

    "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later the debt is paid". Valery Alekseyevich Legasov

  • @17N.

    @17N.

    2 жыл бұрын

    Valery Alekseyevich Legasov (Russian: Валерий Алексеевич Легасов; 1 September 1936 - 27 April 1988) was a Soviet inorganic chemist and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. He is now mainly remembered for his work as the chief of the commission investigating the Chernobyl disaster.

  • @forrestgump5959

    @forrestgump5959

    2 жыл бұрын

    Basic problem in this world. Only the truth counts. Can't be better said than in this quote.

  • @forrestgump5959

    @forrestgump5959

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@17N. thanks for this info

  • @Militaria_Collector

    @Militaria_Collector

    2 жыл бұрын

    And...his tapes were not the end all be all cornucopia of truth that the hbo series would have you believe....let’s not forget he was a lifelong part member.

  • @claudiafunez7125
    @claudiafunez71252 жыл бұрын

    I am in awe of the bravery of people in the face of danger. There are many people who would lay down their lives for the sake of others. Altruistic and admirable.

  • @captainpotato6856

    @captainpotato6856

    2 жыл бұрын

    Amen

  • @Scratchingforcash

    @Scratchingforcash

    2 жыл бұрын

    Very true. Well said.

  • @VoltairesRevenge

    @VoltairesRevenge

    Жыл бұрын

    It’s not altruistic if it saves your own hide.

  • @archangelum
    @archangelum11 ай бұрын

    One of the best Frontlines! What a harrowing story of Bravery and Perseverance!

  • @kathyprine4639
    @kathyprine4639 Жыл бұрын

    May God Bless these wonderful brave people. RIP ALSO

  • @diegus012
    @diegus012 Жыл бұрын

    Another great piece by frontline. I am in awe of the people involved in averting the disaster from getting so much worse. I wish them good health into the future and thank them for their sacrifice

  • @MenwithPurpose2012
    @MenwithPurpose2012 Жыл бұрын

    The prime minister and those firefighters just deserve a medal of honor and recognition. Incredible bravely in the face of unimaginable danger. Hats off to them. They deserve a standing ovation

  • @logan5girl405
    @logan5girl4058 ай бұрын

    My respect and gratitude to all who helped during the disaster I didn’t realize how bad it was the news only says so much to the public.

  • @hello-gu4kz
    @hello-gu4kz8 ай бұрын

    Even confronted by a natural catastrophe, the nuclear plant workers still prioritized fixing the plant even if it means risking their lived. Hopefully, they are still acknowledged up to this day for their sense of responsibility and bravery.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    7 ай бұрын

    The containment vessels saved lives, not the people. Three reactors completely melted down. The people could have simply walked away and the outcome would have been no different.

  • @ianfiddes9871
    @ianfiddes98712 жыл бұрын

    My heart bleeds for those that lost family, relatives, livelihoods. 😢Basically everything; but kept their dignity throughout: My respect for the Japanese people’s in the face of a massive disaster is great.

  • @krashd

    @krashd

    2 жыл бұрын

    This is about the nuclear disaster, not the tsunami. Only 2 of the 20,000 people who died that day died at the power plant.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@krashd And those two died of drowning. No one died from radiation even after 10 years.

  • @gregtronica3569

    @gregtronica3569

    Жыл бұрын

    we get it, youre a good person

  • @muchadoaboutnothing6196
    @muchadoaboutnothing61963 жыл бұрын

    The issue isn’t the idea of nuclear energy itself, had the emergency generators been installed on the roof tops as in many commercial buildings where flooding is deemed a risk Fukushima would probably never had entered our collective consciousness

  • @namename9998

    @namename9998

    2 жыл бұрын

    Weren't they in the basement because of protection against earthquakes, but the room wasn't waterproofed? The wall not being tall enough seems like a better explanation (Onagwa's was and it suffered less damage even though it was closer to the epicenter).

  • @FAL87

    @FAL87

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@namename9998 its like you cant think of everything that can go wrong ;)

  • @0Clewi0

    @0Clewi0

    2 жыл бұрын

    Other detail is the venting needing electricity, I guess most of the most likely reasons you will need to vent will include electricity being out.

  • @pleiadiblu2365

    @pleiadiblu2365

    2 жыл бұрын

    I guess they hoped to have at least a little electricity from emergency batteries but the tsunami disagreed

  • @solewalk

    @solewalk

    2 жыл бұрын

    I read somewehre that originally the plant was to be built at a higher elevation to avoid disasters like this, but Japan has its own nuclear mafia who arbitrarily decided to build it at a lower elevation for the cost.

  • @cymbala6208
    @cymbala62087 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much. This is one of the, if not the best documentary about the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

  • @eliasvelasquez6327
    @eliasvelasquez6327 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing this message for historic reasons you must know that are friends in Japan 🇯🇵

  • @transistor754

    @transistor754

    Жыл бұрын

    Hey.. it was a free gift from the People of America to abrogate Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings under the "Nuclear Science for Peace Program" ... The Japanese would NEVER have taken on Nuclear Power on their own after seeing the effects of the bombs. General Electric should be there hanging by their necks.... or helping the clean up at least. Note to aMurkans... it's pronounced NuuCleeeAAArr not NukeYoular.... learn how to read.

  • @yenlinhle3852
    @yenlinhle38523 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for uploading this!

  • @hishouha
    @hishouha2 жыл бұрын

    I became teary eyed at the end, this is terrible, so many people were lost in the tsunami, so many lives taken away and so many others changed forever. I hope they all find peace… I can’t even imagine their grief TEPCO has, in my opinion, really badly reacted to this disaster and not only that, but the safety protocols were not up to part. I think they are to be held responsible for a lot of the damages and lives affected. I remember the news when I was 10 years old, it was so scary and so surreal, how could something like this be happening? The Prime Minister did his best with what he had, he made very hard choices and although he didn’t tell everything that was happening, most of what he did was right and he didn’t sit on his ass. Those who fought during these days have my respect, their courage is beyond imaginable. Looking at the footage, it’s so scary and sad…

  • @ltipst2962

    @ltipst2962

    Жыл бұрын

    @@transistor754 disgusting comment go away friendless worm

  • @ltipst2962

    @ltipst2962

    Жыл бұрын

    Sorry you had to see his comment above. It is scary and sad. They're heroic and have my respect too.

  • @goodcomps
    @goodcomps Жыл бұрын

    To those men and women that risked their lives for the rest of the planet, thank you, from the very essence of my being. I appreciate your humanity and selflesness. There are not enough words in my vocabulary to make you undestand how greatful I am for your actions. May the rest of your life be filled with happieness and ease.

  • @youtube.commentator
    @youtube.commentator2 ай бұрын

    Well put together

  • @kazuej
    @kazuej3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for the people who worked to save Japan and world especially, who went into the ground zero. I pray for your health. I also pray for you who lost your family members. 🙏

  • @nakulshetty9171
    @nakulshetty91713 жыл бұрын

    Stunning! Another amazing watch from Frontline

  • @010falcon
    @010falcon11 ай бұрын

    Really good documentation Thanks

  • @andrewrobertson3894
    @andrewrobertson3894 Жыл бұрын

    There are many heroes in this grim story but those firefighter's are simply legendary.

  • @jamesrogalski2085
    @jamesrogalski20852 жыл бұрын

    To say that the Japanese people are brave is an under statement. Whether in battle or in this situation they have shown themselves to be heroes to their people.

  • @zebunker

    @zebunker

    2 жыл бұрын

    Just ants. NPCs

  • @smokeymcpot69

    @smokeymcpot69

    Жыл бұрын

    Your likes are at 69 😏

  • @VoltairesRevenge

    @VoltairesRevenge

    Жыл бұрын

    And by “heroes,” you mean sheep. 👌🏾

  • @deadshot4245

    @deadshot4245

    Жыл бұрын

    The were there first suicide squads in ww2 just think of they hadn’t surrendered how bad Japan would be we were gonna drop 4 nukes on them a month because that was our current production levels at the time. Basically it’s we will beat you into submission by all means. A wild time even then you would think the CNPP would be a solid lesson of cutting corners on power plants will always end badly. I’m just an American idiot and I see that storing all generators in lower levels in a tsunami prone country is just asking for it

  • @dennisduncan7561

    @dennisduncan7561

    Жыл бұрын

    GE didn't ignore calls to update the plant.

  • @Desttro73
    @Desttro732 жыл бұрын

    They should've built those backup Generators on High Ground, not right by the Ocean.

  • @egtaha

    @egtaha

    2 жыл бұрын

    They should have called some Russians LOL

  • @Desttro73

    @Desttro73

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@egtaha Or Obi Wan Kenobi.

  • @DynamicSeq

    @DynamicSeq

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Allen Tokyo GE wanted to put them on the roof..But something with local noise regulations prevented that..

  • @mab9614

    @mab9614

    2 жыл бұрын

    When the plant’s location was first selected in the 60s, it was a cliff 33-35 meters above the ocean. GE then thought TEPCO would be built the plant on that cliff, so the placement of the backup diesel generators in the basement was alright. What GE didn’t anticipate was that TEPCO, in order to conserve construction money and ease construction difficulties, reduced the cliff from 35 meters to 10 meters above sea level. This documentary failed to mention TEPCO was actually wanted not once but at least three times about the inadequate safety measures against tsunami. A few months after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, TEPCO was warned that their sea wall was not high enough. In 2006, a group of researchers again warned TEPCO about their 5.5 meter high sea wall was not enough to stop a tsunami similar to the one in 2004. Finally, in 2009, a final warning was sent to TEPCO to raise their sea wall. They didn’t listen, and then Fukushima happened.

  • @YagiChanDan

    @YagiChanDan

    2 жыл бұрын

    Then the interconnects would have been washed away like all the other infrastructure.

  • @shanacharlie9940
    @shanacharlie9940 Жыл бұрын

    In 2016, they found the remains of his missing daughter near where his father was found.

  • @kelkiiii
    @kelkiiii Жыл бұрын

    I recently rewatched chernobyl with friends and I've become infatuated by nuclear engineering and the disasters people have had to solve. I had no idea Japan had to deal with this after the tsunami. I desperately hope that these companies can be held accountable to take every measure to ensure defense mechanisms and emergency systems do not fall out of spec. The damage it can cause is insurmountable. We need the safety to be taken very seriously as we'll need nuclear energy to solve the energy crisis and climate. That being said I'm so glad at the efforts of those that kept the situation from becoming even worse. Teared up watching this.

  • @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    @danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk

    Жыл бұрын

    The containment buildings were the actual defense mechanism that saved the day, not the workers, that's why on one died from radiation at Fukushima, but many did at Chernobyl which has none.

  • @tarat26

    @tarat26

    9 ай бұрын

    Nearly had such an incident at Sellafield in UK England. People tend to forget this now

  • @jdjdgaming

    @jdjdgaming

    8 ай бұрын

    Chernobyl was due to soviet rbmk reactors with no saftey systems,operators where not even trained that the reactor had possitive void coefficent and it didnt even have a contaiment building, and fukusihma was due to 40 year old reactors+natural disaster, so stop spreading myths that nuclear power is dangerous!

  • @ernestorivas2495
    @ernestorivas24953 жыл бұрын

    Just amazing work for such a difficult disaster.

  • @manuelrazona
    @manuelrazona3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! There's a quite new movie about all of this. Fukushima 50 name of the motion picture. Thanks again! Regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina!

  • @THE_MR_MAN
    @THE_MR_MAN Жыл бұрын

    great film

  • @dutchhoke6555
    @dutchhoke6555 Жыл бұрын

    Without power, they were hand flying that entire plant. God's blessing on you all.

  • @garyhooper1820
    @garyhooper18202 жыл бұрын

    this video left me feeling very emotional, sorrow for so many lost, pride in the brave fighting an invisible enemy, anger toward management trying to cover their asses .

  • @jesusfranco4571
    @jesusfranco45712 жыл бұрын

    PBS never seems to disappoint. Frontline is awesome

  • @bdmbpm1467
    @bdmbpm1467 Жыл бұрын

    The workers who stayed at the plant are heroic.

  • @monishalifetransformationcoach
    @monishalifetransformationcoach4 ай бұрын

    What metal are these men made of? It is not the absence of fear but the conviction to stand for more than just yourself. Salute to all these people who went in to save the people and country.

  • @iamleephong
    @iamleephong3 жыл бұрын

    In this case, escape was not an option. Fighting was the only way

  • @NealB123
    @NealB1232 жыл бұрын

    This was an excellent documentary but it gave a very simplistic view of what went on at the plant. Once the generators flooded and the power went out, every second of every minute of every hour for days was a desperate life and death struggle to find ways to cool the nuclear cores and prevent catastrophic breaches of the containment vessels. There were no plans for a nuclear disaster of this magnitude and everything had to be made up on the fly. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Salute to the plant workers led by Masao Yoshida and all the courageous firefighters and soldiers who never gave up. It would be inaccurate to say that they won the fight, but they at least fought it to a draw and kept the worst of the radiation sealed inside the containment vessels. All of them are heroes.

  • @W210E50AMG

    @W210E50AMG

    2 жыл бұрын

    What beats me is, how can it NOT be possible to establish emergency power/ water supply within 96 hrs ?

  • @Tom-jk3hy

    @Tom-jk3hy

    Жыл бұрын

    You should be writer for Google dude of every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every year, of every decade, of every century ,of every millennium.. How am I doing so far ?

  • @transistor754

    @transistor754

    Жыл бұрын

    Hey.. it was a free gift from the People of America to abrogate Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings under the "Nuclear Science for Peace Program" ... The Japanese would NEVER have taken on Nuclear Power on their own after seeing the effects of the bombs. General Electric should be there hanging by their necks.... or helping the clean up at least. Note to aMurkans... it's pronounced NuuCleeeAAArr not NukeYoular.... learn how to read.

  • @dennisduncan7561

    @dennisduncan7561

    Жыл бұрын

    Found the troll.

  • @loranceb
    @loranceb Жыл бұрын

    When the firefighter said” His wife cried, I almost cried.” That was crushing.

  • @fen4ri
    @fen4ri Жыл бұрын

    I can imagine how icy the feeling in the control room must have been when they realized that there had been an explosion.

  • @Mental_Egg
    @Mental_Egg3 жыл бұрын

    Why was the backup generators located in a basement below sea-level? The plant was built next to the ocean? Genius engineering.

  • @FluffyFluffles

    @FluffyFluffles

    3 жыл бұрын

    And if they were built on ground level and then hit by an attack you'd be here calling them idiots for not putting them in the basement. Everything is obvious in hindsight.

  • @staciasmith5162

    @staciasmith5162

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@FluffyFluffles nah, hind sight my tukus. Building them on fault lines *at all* is plain stupid.

  • @phillipkalaveras1725

    @phillipkalaveras1725

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@FluffyFluffles Why bother putting the control room in an elevated earthquake-proof vault if the generators needed to run it are in the basement 50 feet from the most well-known seismically active tsunami-prone water on the planet?

  • @Goreuncle

    @Goreuncle

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@FluffyFluffles Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but still, the failure to place those generators in safe buildings was inexcusable. They had been warned about such dangers in the past. I seem to recall that an underground generator room had already experienced flooding at least once before 2011.

  • @Goreuncle

    @Goreuncle

    2 жыл бұрын

    @S P The plant was built next to the ocean because these old reactor designs need access to large quantities of water. Backup generators were still located below sea level because Tepco kept ignoring safety recommendations. I think they installed a reinforced door in one of the underground generator rooms, thinking it would be enough. It's bad enough that these old reactor designs (which lack passive cooling systems) are still in operation... If, on top of it, the managing companies fail to observe safety recommendations, they're basically digging their own graves.

  • @konaboss83
    @konaboss832 жыл бұрын

    Frontline is always a good watch Prayers and best wishes to our Japanese friends

  • @BrodyLuv2
    @BrodyLuv229 күн бұрын

    Fantastical PBS

  • @carolined3058
    @carolined30588 ай бұрын

    the workers, soldiers and firefighters are true heroes