Fifteen years after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, a former plant worker in Japan continues to care for animals that were abandoned during the tragedy.
Toru Akama, 63, lives near Fukushima Prefecture and looks after dozens of cats and dogs left behind when residents fled the disaster on March 11, 2011. The catastrophe began with Japan’s strongest recorded earthquake and a powerful tsunami, which killed or left missing about 18,500 people and caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Soon after the accident, authorities ordered people to evacuate the area. As families left their homes, many pets were also left behind. Akama remembers seeing hungry dogs and cats wandering the empty streets in search of food.
Feeling responsible because he once worked at the plant, he decided to help the animals. He started by feeding them and later brought many into his home. Over the past 15 years, he has helped find new homes for more than 1,000 animals.
Today, Akama cares for 47 cats and seven dogs. His daily routine includes feeding them, cleaning their cages, and walking the dogs. He has spent much of the compensation he received after the disaster on their care.
Akama says the animals keep him active and give him purpose. He hopes that one day someone will continue his mission of caring for abandoned animals.
