Japan's nuclear tsunami wall

Japan's nuclear tsunami wall

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A worker stands in front of a tsunami defence wall at Hamaoka nuclear power station.

Tokyo based photographer Toru Hanai was granted exclusive access to Chubu Electric Co’s only nuclear plant to see anti-disaster improvements designed to protect the site from tsunami and earthquakes, such as the one that devastated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011.

. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Chubu Electric, Japan’s third-biggest utilities company, is spending at least $1.5 billion on anti-disaster improvements at Hamaoka nuclear plant. The station’s three reactors enter a third year of shutdown this month and Chubu Electric is spending $3 billion a year to replace the lost capacity.

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Chubu Electric Power Co's Hamaoka nuclear power station is seen through a window in Omaezaki, south west of Tokyo.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Chubu Electric Power Co's Hamaoka nuclear power station is seen through a window in Omaezaki, south west of Tokyo.

A construction worker stands on the 18-meter (60 ft) high and 1.6 km (1 mile) long tsunami defence wall at the Hamaoka plant.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A construction worker stands on the 18-meter (60 ft) high and 1.6 km (1 mile) long tsunami defence wall at the Hamaoka plant.

Workers open a strengthened door to the No.4 reactor building.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Workers open a strengthened door to the No.4 reactor building.

Signs, which read "Controlled area. Authorized person only" and "Door must remain closed at all times”, are seen at the plant.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Signs, which read "Controlled area. Authorized person only" and "Door must remain closed at all times”, are seen at the plant.

A Good Design Award plate (top) is seen as employees work at the central control room of the No.5 reactor.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A Good Design Award plate (top) is seen as employees work at the central control room of the No.5 reactor.

An employee opens a watertight door to an emergency electric panel room in the No.4 reactor building.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

An employee opens a watertight door to an emergency electric panel room in the No.4 reactor building.

An employee walks down a passageway at the plant.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

An employee walks down a passageway at the plant.

An employee walks through an emergency electric panel room in the No.4 reactor building.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

An employee walks through an emergency electric panel room in the No.4 reactor building.

An employee works in the central control room of the No.5 reactor.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

An employee works in the central control room of the No.5 reactor.

Workers stand beside removable top shields for the reactor (centre) and a spent fuel pool (left) at the plant.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Workers stand beside removable top shields for the reactor (centre) and a spent fuel pool (left) at the plant.

A worker stands on the top floor of the No.5 reactor building at Hamaoka nuclear power station.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A worker stands on the top floor of the No.5 reactor building at Hamaoka nuclear power station.

A worker stands on the top floor of the No.5 reactor, as visitors are reflected in a window.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A worker stands on the top floor of the No.5 reactor, as visitors are reflected in a window.

A man walks on a sand dune near the Hamaoka plant.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A man walks on a sand dune near the Hamaoka plant.

Wind turbines at Chubu Electric Power Co's Omaezaki wind power station are seen in the distance.
. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Wind turbines at Chubu Electric Power Co's Omaezaki wind power station are seen in the distance.

"I got wet through – fortunately it was only me. The camera was safe."
Toru Hanai, Reuters Photographer

Chubu Electric Power Co's Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station in Japan is located at water level next to a beach. It is also widely reported to be one of the world's most dangerous nuclear plants as it sits close to a major fault line. Not unlike the one that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

I had an offer of an exclusive tour of Chubu Nuclear Power Station where an 18-meter (60 ft) high and 1.6 km (1 mile) long tsunami defense wall has been built at a cost of $1.3 billion.

Being located beachside I immediately thought of basing the main photo for this trip on the famous “ukiyoe” print by the artist Hokusai: The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

Hokusai (1760-1849) was a ukiyoe painter and printmaker during the Edo period. I guess many people have seen this ukiyoe print.

I left Tokyo early with waders for fishing and a compact digital camera in a waterproof housing to get the photo I wanted. I was in time for the high tide.

I entered the sea with my compact camera protected by its housing and my most favorite camera, a Canon 5D MKIII. The waves moved much more quickly than they appeared to from land. It was so strong it was hard to stand, much less take a photograph.

Wonderful white waves crashed only a little in front of me, and I moved towards them for the picture regardless of the danger to my equipment.

The white spray lasted for only an instant. I had to decide whether to aim for "a good photograph" with my waterproof compact camera which is less responsive, or choose the more responsive camera and risk drowning it?

I chose to use my 5D MKIII.

Photographers get absorbed in their work when a good subject is in front of them.

A good wave came.

It crashed into a pillar standing in the sea and splashed high enough to hang over the building of No. 5 reactor. The wave crashed on me, too.

I got wet through – fortunately it was only me. The camera was safe.

"The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai (1760-1849).

. OMAEZAKI, Japan. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

The Hamaoka nuclear power station is seen behind waves crashing on a nearby beach.