As the years went by, paddy fields and gardens became covered with wild grass and thickets. Boars and other animals from the mountains entered the abandoned villages and houses. The authorities began to trap and kill these wild animals, and the amount of roadkill in the surrounding areas increased dramatically. These circumstances were extremely painful for the former residents, whose hope of a return to their regular lives and inherited homelands was beginning to fade.

While she was taking care of these cows, Tani realized that wherever these cows went, the land was fully “mown”. She thought: “Is this not a great way to preserve the town? This should be a good enough reason for the authorities to let these cows live!”.

Tani tested this idea together with former farm owners and specialists, and found that it was possible to feed and take care of the cows even in the exclusion area, as long as fences large enough were built properly. Cows would eat the tall growing grass and their feces would return to the land naturally. At the same time, these cows could restore the old ecosystem of the area: by eating the tall grass and bushes they would restore the buffer zone between the town and the mountains, preventing the advance of wild animals into the town, the proliferation of harmful bugs, illegal waste disposal and natural fire breakouts. The residents of the area were very happy with this plan.

“It depressed me to see my family home turning into jungle... but the boars are all around it... I would have never been able to do the mowing myself” says a former resident. By keeping the grass down, the cows brought light to the gloom of the former residents. When they came back, they found that the flowers they had grown in their gardens were starting to thrive again. This project has helped these cows, who have earned a new place in society. Many former family farmers have joined this project amidst the gloom of having seen their cows starve or be executed. With immense gratitude to all the locals who have supported this project and strived to keep these cows alive, our wish is to make sure this is achieved by giving these animal survivors of the Fukushima disaster a chance to co-create a place where humans, animals and nature can flourish together. By enjoying their second life, these cow survivors have become the heroes of a new chapter for the town of Ōkuma, where an alternative model of relationship is being brewed to bring hope to Fukushima, Japan and the rest of the world.

Furusato to Kokoro wo Mamoru Tomo no Kai Director
Satsuki Tani