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Tae Kim
Inter 3
Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 11, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant underwent a series of equipment failures and nuclear meltdowns, resulting in the release of large amounts of radioactive materials. Consequently, those living near the power plant were forced to evacuate their homes and currently live in temporary housing in Minamisoma just outside the 30 km recommended evacuation zone. Exploration of the radioactive fieldJapan is a distinctive society where it is vital to build strong relationships based on personal trust. Above all, the Japanese, value the concepts of ‘wa,’ ‘kao,’ and ‘omoiyari.’ (which means: 'harmony', 'personal pride', and 'empathising with others'). There have been three major impacts in Japanese social structure: Japan’s defeat in World War II, and lengthy economic depression, and the explosion of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 20km mandatory evacuation zone. 30km recommended evacuation zone. Actual radiation zone.Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Radioactive Drone Field. Mutated Steel Factory. Some of Japan’s citizens, having lost all trust in their government, have decided to uncover the current radiation condition themselves by utilising monkeys and manless robots. These citizens have created a network to share and gather information. A formerly steel factory right on the 30 km recommended radiation zone became the headquarters for the new network and reopened as in Fukushima Radioactive Zone Headquarters, a robot manufacture/workshop space. The factory is a working analogy for social and environmental transformation. The former steel factory once housed a social architecture parallel to Japan’s typical social structure with a clear social hierarchy between workers. However, the factory has been repurposed, and the social fabric within has changed as well. The devices the F.R.Z Headquarters serve as drones that occupy the actual radioactive areas, allowing the displaced to reconnect to their lost homes.The F.R.Z Headquarters has no hierarchy, though the principles of ‘wa,’ ‘kao,’ and ‘omoiyari’ are still valued among the workers. A group of hackers and steel factory workers work together to design robots that ‘harvest’ radiation data from the disaster zone. The new landscapes are extended analogy of the new social and environmental mutation.