March 11, 2011; 225 kilometers from Tokyo, a 15 meter high tsunami hits the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, damaging one of the cooling systems.

48 min . 2023-06-01

While still unable to get an assessment of the situation from Fukushima Daiichi, the government tells the public to stay calm and remain in their homes.

53 min . 2023-06-01

Pressure in the containment vessel starts to rapidly rise. With a catastrophic explosion imminent, TOEPCO suggests releasing the gas into the atmosphere.

57 min . 2023-06-01

With the power still down, the valves will have to be opened manually. With heavy hearts, some workers ask if they can evacuate to a safer location.

56 min . 2023-06-01

Station Manager Yoshida decides to use seawater as a cooling source, but TOEPCO headquarters tells him to wait for authorization from the administration.

47 min . 2023-06-01

When pressure in the containment vessel finally starts to decrease, TOEPCO headquarters want on-site workers to get back to work, but Yoshida is wary.

53 min . 2023-06-01

As the administration and TOEPCO headquarters grow increasingly impatient, Station Manager Yoshida asks for permission to evacuate some on-site workers.

55 min . 2023-06-01

The Prime Minister is informed that in a worst case scenario, a third of the country — including the Tokyo area — will become uninhabitable for decades.

66 min . 2023-06-01