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At the time of the evacuation all the animals were abandoned. You could encounter some of cows enjoying total if ephemeral freedom after wandering away from farms. But most disgusting of all are the decomposing carcasses of hundreds of cows left unattended on farms. During the night several animal activists enter illegally inside the Exclusion Zone to rescue pets and other animals. Animal activist in search of abandoned pets, Odaka, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

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Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima, Japan

Photographer: Pierpaolo Mittica

Exhibit Title: Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Location: Fukushima, Japan

Exhibit Abstract

On march 11, 2011 one of the worst earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, damaging its safety and cooling systems. In a few days the core of the nuclear power plants number 1,2,3 started melting down with the release on air and on the ocean of massive amount of radioactive radionuclides.
From 20th April 2011 the Japanese government created an evacuated area of 20 km around the nuclear power plant of Fukushima Daiichi refusing the admittance to the “No-Go Zone” to everyone, especially to journalists and photographers. But from the first days of July 2011 till now I went inside the No-Go Zone several times to document the situation. Despite the massive contamination, life still goes on inside the “No-Go Zone” and many stories between life and death are still inside…

Photographer's Statement

Dr. Pierpaolo Mittica, Italian humanist photographer, is an internationally recognized photographer and he is recipient of numerous awards. Great Britain. He received the Masters Program at CRAF diploma in conservation, technique and history of photography in 1990, studying with Charles – Henri Favrod, Naomi Rosenblum and Walter Rosenblum, who is his spiritual father in photography. He photographed in Italy, China, Vietnam, Cuba, Bosnia, Kosovo. Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan. His photographs were exhibited in all Europe and United States.

Permanent collections:
Auer collection, Hermance (Switzerland)
Favrod collection, Saint Prex (Switzerland)
Rosenblum collection,New York (USA)
Fratelli Alinari Museum, Florence (Italy)
Chernobyl National Museum, Kiev (The Ukraine)
Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm (Sweden)
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (USA).

Publications:
“The Balkans, from Bosnia to Kosovo”, Interattiva, Italy 2000
“Chernobyl la herencia oculta”, Ellago ediciones, Spain 2006
“Chernobyl the hidden legacy”, Trolley LTD, Great Britain 2007
"Cip is not Afraid", CRO - CRAF, Italy 2010
"Chernobyl 20 years after", Kashiwa Shobo, Japan 2011

Awards
2006 FVG Award
2009 Winner "EIUC Photography Competition 2009" Visualizing Democracy
2010 Official selection winner for the “Paducah Photo '10 exhibition” at the Yeiser Art Center (USA)
2010 Pictures of the Year International: "Chernobyl The hidden legacy" book finalist in the category "best photography book”
2010 Honorable mention “Daylight/CDS Photo Awards”
2010 Second Place "Photo Aid Contest 2010"
2010 Honorable Mention “The Robert Cornelius Awards 2010”
2010 Highly commended “Digital Photographer of the Year 2010”
2010 Highly commended “Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010”
2010 Highly commended “FCCT/OnAsia PHOTO CONTEST 2010”
2010 Second Place and 2 Gold Awards "European Professional Photographer of the Year Awards 2010" Reportage category
2010 finalist “Worldwide Photography Gala Awards 2010”
2010 finalist “FEP European Photo Book Awards 2010”
2010 Honorable mention “IPA International Photography Awards” category: “Editorial feature story”
2010 Honorable mention “PX3 Aftermarth” category “photojournalism/feature stories”
2011 finalist “KL International Photo Awards 2011”
2011 official selection winner for the “Paducah Photo '11 exhibition” at the Yeiser Art Center (USA)
2011 Honorable mention “WPGA Black & White Competition” category “editorial Photojournalism”
2011 Third Prize "6th Annual Black and White Spider Awards 2011"
2011 Gold medal in the category "book documentary" and Silver medal in the category "press feature story" at "PX3 prix de la photographie Paris 2011"
2011 Honorable Mention "IPA International Photography Awards 2011" category "Photo Essay and Feature Story"
3rd place "IPA International Photography Awards 2011" category"Book Documentary Pro"
2011 Silver Award "FEP European Professional Photographer of the Year 2011" reportage category
2011 Winner "WPGA Editorial Awards 2011"
2011 Honorable Mention "CIDPA Canadian International Digital Photography Awards 2011"
2011 Honorable mention “WPGA Pollux Awards 2011” category Humanitarian documentary
2011 Winner "Outdoor Photographer of the year 2011" Category "On the Streets"
2011 3 bronze Awards "Open Competition 2011 International Loupe Awards" category "photojournalism" and "People and Portrait"
2012 Second place "Eco Arts Awards 2012"
2012 Winner "NYPH'12 New York Photo Festival Invitational"
2012 Winner of the official selection "Paducah Photo '12 exhibition" at the Yeiser Art Center (USA)
2012 Third Prize "Photo Annual Awards 2012" category "motions series"
2012 Honorable Mention "7th Annual Black and White Spider Awards 2012" category photojournalism
2012 Honorable Mention "PX3 Prix de la Photographie 2012" category "Book documentary"
2012 Honorable Mention "IPA International Photography Awards 2012" category "photo essay and feature story"
2012 Second place single image and portfolio "FotoWeekDC International Awards Competition" category "Photojournalism/social documentary"

Contact Photographer

E Mail: pierpaolo33@hotmail.com

website: www.pierpaolomittica.com

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Abandoned cars parked by the Tsunami, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Earthquake damage, Odaka

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Abandoned train Station, Tatsuta, Naraha, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Abandoned house, Futaba, Fukuahima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

11th March, the last day, abandoned house, Futaba, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Residents going back to collect their belongings, Tomioka, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Mutumi feel depressed collecting her belongings in her house, Namie, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Mr. Matsumoto former member of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, is a sub-contractor of Tepco, provides manpower "to lose" as he calls it. Here is praying on the family tomb located within the exclusion zone. "When I die I want to be buried here, along with my ancestors, my land." A desire that Mr. Matsumoto knows it will not be feasible.

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Abandoned house devastated by the Tsunami, Minamisoma, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

market devastated by thieves, Tomioka, Fukushima No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Residents going back to collect their belongings, Tomioka, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Mikiko, animal activist, is measuring the radiation levels around this artificial lake, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

At the time of the evacuation all the animals were abandoned. mostly of them died of starvation. Fukushima No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Abandoned farm, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Abandoned farm, Fukushima "No-Go Zone"

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Workers coming back from their shift at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, J Village, Naraha

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Yoshizawa-san, public enemy nr. 1 of TEPCO and (partially) of the government and the police. He not only refused to abandon his highly contaminated farm, but he started gathering all the cattle left by other farmers and started a public campaign of public awareness against nuclear power and the damage caused by TEPCO to the whole country.

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

half of the fish from Fukushima sea is contaminated and is still forbidden to fish, Matsukawaura fish market devastated by the Tsunami. Soma

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Matsukawaura fish market devastated by the Tsunami. Soma

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Fishing ships harbored in the new temporary port. Once used for fishes, their main task now is that of recovering and transporting wrecked carcasses and large objects washed aways by the tsunami. Soma

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Decontamination works. The process selected and put into practice consists in a relatively analogical approach to the problem. Structures like houses, buildings, roads, etc. are heavily brushed and wash ed (with relatively normal tools) and the produced waste is collected and preserved in special blue plastic containers. Ground surfaces, part of fields, part of woods, only within a 20 mt. radius from buildings are object of a 5 cm surface ground removal, which likewise the waste from structures, is collected in the blue plastic balls and then disposed. According to contractors (which also are involved with the development of the current system), however, the process is not really effective. Odaka

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

After the political decision of removing the hazard condition to the area included within the 30~20 km from the crippled power plant (actually without anything having changed in the radioactive levels in the area), former inhabitants had finally the possibility to get back to their homes temporarily, but workers and related activities located there, underwent not only a drastic reduction of retribution (not longer being classified as hazardous), but particularly the safety precautions for workers have drastically disappeared. Where previously people worked significantly guarded, masked and monitored, now they use little more than pollen allergy masks and gardening gloves. Kawauchi Mura

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

"Here in Minamisoma are almost all gone, we live in a sort of Limbo. there are no more women and children, we were pretty much just us, men. The population is now more than halved. We do not know yet what to do, whether to stay where we always lived on or go. Here we no longer see a future, mothers do not want to bring their children to grow up in a place where there are radiation. What future can have a country without children? For now, let's move on, we live with radiation. now we have become accustomed to, we do not think most of their presence. In us is replaced by a feeling of resignation, this frightens us surely, the resignation brings you to accept, not to fight, but here at the end we must move forward, otherwise we become crazy". Mr Su, Minamisoma

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Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan

Pierpaolo Mittica | Fukushima "No-Go Zone" | Japan