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.

Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb
Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb

Inside Chernobyl with Ben Fogle
Inside Chernobyl with Ben Fogle

The Future of Nuclear Energy
The Future of Nuclear Energy

Wolsong: Vanishing Town
Wolsong: Vanishing Town

Terra incognita
Terra incognita

Amateur's Riot
Amateur's Riot

I'm So Sorry
I'm So Sorry

Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA
Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA

Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island
Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island

The Crowds of Chernobyl
The Crowds of Chernobyl

Chernobyl, Fukushima: Living with the Legacy
Chernobyl, Fukushima: Living with the Legacy

The Battle of Chernobyl
The Battle of Chernobyl