Must Read: Asahi Shinbun "Trap of Prometheus" Series Part 1 - Men in Protective Clothing (6) "It Could Have Been Us"

(Installment 1, Installments 2 and 3, Installments 4 and 5, Installment 6, Installments 7 and 8, Installments 9 and 10, Installments 11 and 12)

Asahi Shinbun's series "Trap of Prometheus" - Men in Protective Clothing, which documents what happened in Namie-machi in Fukushima Prefecture right after the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

If you read Japanese, you can read all installments (1-12) in one location, at this blog.

Even if the series is written by a reporter at a major Japanese newspaper, not many Japanese are aware of it, which, after the initial launch, was buried in the 3rd page of the printed version.

===========================================

防護服の男（６）ハエがたかっていた

Men in Protective Clothing (6) Flies were swarming

谷田（やつだ）みさ子（６２）は浪江町で生まれ育った。中学生のころ、東京電力が福島第一原発づくりを始めた。

Misako Yatsuda (age 62) was born and raised in Namie-machi. When she was in junior high school, TEPCO started to build Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant [1960s].

　高校卒業後、上京して就職したが、１年半で浪江町に戻った。そのあとは東電一色の生活だった。

After graduating from high school, she went to Tokyo to work, but came back to Namie-machi after one and a half year. Since then, her life evolved around TEPCO.

　結婚し、３人の子を育てながら焼き鳥屋をやった。客は原発で働く作業員たちだった。

She got married, opened a yakitori restaurant while raising 3 children. The customers were the workers at the plant.

　その後は東電の社員寮に勤める。

Then she worked at the employee dormitories of TEPCO.

　昨年の夏まで１０年間働いた。食事をつくり、若い社員らに「やつだっち」と呼ばれて慕われた。女子寮には、女子サッカーのなでしこジャパンで活躍した鮫島彩選手らがいた。「みんないい子でかわいかったです」

She worked there for 10 years until the summer of 2010. She cooked for them, and she was loved by the young TEPCO workers. In the women's dormitory there were female soccer players who went on to win the Women's World Cup Soccer. "There were all good people, very dear to me."

　子供たちの手が離れてからは、東電の管理職の寮に住み込んだ。

After her children grew up, she became a live-in employee at the dormitory for TEPCO managers.

　思い出すのは選挙の時の東電の力の入れようだ。

She still remembers how hard TEPCO worked the elections.

　町長選挙や県議会議員選挙があると、寮の食堂が東電幹部らの待機場所となった。支援候補が当選すると、幹部はそろってお祝いに駆けつけた。「電力会社は政治とがっちりつながっているんだな」と感心した。

Whenever there was a mayoral election or a prefectural assembly election, the dining hall of the dorm was turned into a staging area for the TEPCO management. When the candidate that TEPCO backed won, the management rushed to the candidate and celebrated. She was impressed. "An electric power company has such a strong connection with the politicians."

　これまでの人生の半分以上を東電とかかわってきた。にもかかわらず、今度の事故では東電から何の情報もなかった。

More than half her life, she has been involved with TEPCO. Nonetheless, there was no information from TEPCO on this nuclear accident.

　愛知県春日井市に避難してからはいっそう情報が入らなくなった。福島県の地元紙を郵送してもらい、隅から隅まで目を通す。

Information is even more scarce in Kasugai City in Aichi Prefecture where she evacuated. She has the local Fukushima newspaper mailed to her, and reads every page.

　これから生活はどうなるのか。補償はどうなるのか。不安だらけだ。

How is she going to make a living? What about compensation? She is full of anxiety.

　６月、浪江町の家に一時帰宅した。冷凍庫は地震でひっくり返ったままで、腐った食材にハエがたかっていた。

In June, she temporarily returned to her home in Namie-machi. The refrigerator was overturned by the earthquake. Flies were swarming on the rotten food stuff.

　８月末、自分の車を引き取りに再び福島に戻った。夫が車を運転し、春日井市から高速道路で８時間かかった。広野町の体育館で防護服に着替え、用意されたバスに乗り込んだ。

At the end of August, she went back to Fukushima again to get her car. Her husband drove, and it took them 8 hours on the highway from Kasugai City. She changed into a protective clothing in a school gym in Hirono-machi, and got on a bus arranged by [the government].

　バスが止まると、首輪をつけた２匹の犬が足元に寄ってきた。途中、道ばたで猫が２匹死んでいるのを見た。

When the bus stopped [at the destination], two dogs with collars came to her. She saw two cats dead on the side of the road.

　「一歩間違えたら、私たちがああなっていたのかな」

"It could have been us."

　事故後、長女は郡山に、次女は新潟に、家族は散り散りになっている。

After the accident, her eldest daughter's family lives in Koriyama City. Her second daughter's family lives in Niigata Prefecture. Her family has been scattered.

　９月、福島県の仮設住宅に入居を申し込んだ。

In September, she applied for the temporary housing in Fukushima Prefecture.

　「福島は何十年も暮らした土地ですから。戻りたい」。涙がこぼれた。（前田基行）

"I have lived in Fukushima for decades. I want to go back." She cried. (reported by Motoyuki Maeda)

=======================================

Tweet