After the restriction was lifted, two farmers, Kiyoko Mori and Yoshiko Ogura, found an unusual way to rebuild their lives and help their destroyed community.
Fukushima after it was hit by disasters in March 2011
Because of radiation released by the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster a decade ago, farmers in nearby Minamisoma weren’t allowed to grow crops for two years.
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After the restriction was lifted, two farmers, Kiyoko Mori and Yoshiko Ogura, found an unusual way to rebuild their lives and help their destroyed community.
They planted indigo and soon began dying fabric with dye produced from the plants.
“Dyeing lets us forget the bad things for a while,” Mori said. “It’s a process of healing for us.”
The massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, caused three of the reactors at the nuclear plant to melt and wrecked more than just the farmers’ livelihoods.
The homes of many people in Minamisoma, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the plant, were destroyed by the tsunami. The disaster killed 636 town residents, and tens of thousands of others left to start new lives.
Mori said they were concerned at first about consuming locally grown food, but felt safe raising indigo because it wouldn’t be eaten.
They checked the radiation level of the indigo leaves and found no dangerous amount.
Ten years on, Mori and Ogura are still engaged in indigo dyeing but have different missions. To Mori, it has become a tool for building a community in a devastated town and for fighting rumours that products from Fukushima are still contaminated.
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