The Horses of Fukushima poster

The Horses of Fukushima

5.2(6)20131h 14m1

Fukushima's Minami-soma has a ten-centuries-long tradition of holding the Soma Nomaoi ("chasing wild horses") festival to celebrate the horse's great contribution to human society. Following the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in the wake of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, local people were forced to flee the area. Rancher Shinichiro Tanaka returned to find his horses dead or starving, and refused to obey the government's orders to kill them. While many racehorses are slaughtered for horsemeat, his horses had been subjected to radiation and were inedible. Yoju Matsubayashi, whose "Fukushima: Memories of the Lost Landscape" is one of the most impressive documentaries made immediately after the disaster, spent the summer of 2011 helping Tanaka take care of his horses. In documenting their rehabilitation, he has produced a profound meditation on these animals who live as testaments to the tragic bargain human society made with nuclear power.

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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
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Language
Japanese
  • nuclear power plant
  • fukushima disaster (2011)

Behind the camera

Produced in

Japan

Videos

Release dates

  • JapanJP

    • Theatrical1 Dec 2013

Frequently asked questions

The Horses of Fukushima was released on 1 December 2013.

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