Guy Sneaks into Fukushima Exclusion Zone to Take These Haunting Photographs

Although his methods and motives are questionable there’s no doubt that Malaysian daredevil and photographer Keow Wee Loong really is fearless. A man capable of boasting that he’s dangled and free-climbed some of the world’s tallest and most impressive buildings, even once walking into an active volcano, this might be his most dangerous and impressive (or stupid) stunt yet – exploring Fukushima’s red exclusion zone.

After the Tohoku earthquake on 11 March 2011 the towns and villages surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant were quickly abandoned and have remained untouched ever since.

Radiation from the several broken nuclear reactions following the earthquake has rendered the surrounding area entirely unhabitable and will likely remain so for hundreds of years to come as engineers remain puzzled on how to safely stabilise them and the threat that they pose. Despite this Keow Wee Loong dared to venture inside the “Red Zone”, closest to the nuclear plant. Here’s what he found…

Keow Wee Loong decided to explore the abandoned buildings surrounding Fukushima, left untouched since 2011.

Keow was warned by local authorities that he’d have to wait 3-4 weeks before they could grant him permission to explore the area.

But rather than wait for permission… he went ahead and entered the exclusion zone anyway.

“When I entered the red zone, I could feel a burning sensation in my eyes and a thick chemical smell in the air.”

A video rental store, still displaying a movie poster released in 2011.

People were in such a hurry that they even left behind their washing, and a lot of coins too, according to Keow.

Another supermarket found with it’s shelves still stacked high in Namie, York Benimaru.

Outside Namie’s train station.

Just one of many structures that collapsed after the earthquake.

Inside an abandoned pub.

“CD shop……who on earth uses CD’s these days! there was a lot of limited edition music.”

An abandoned car lot full of cars that never quite made it to their new owners.

A barricade that sits on the outskirts of a town called Okuma.

Piles and piles of radioactive waste that according to Keow can be found throughout the exclusion zone.

An abandoned car and mall in Tomioka.

Once a busy town Fukushima is now eerily quiet.

Inside an old shoe shop.

A family home that was abandoned in a hurry found inside the yellow zone.

Possibly a rare find these days, a Playstation 2 that’s never been opened.

“Eerie feeling in this ghost town. Even though there are no cars the traffic light are still working.”

A florist shop now full of dead flowers.

A sign photographed just 100 meters from the power station that exploded back in 2011.

Source: Imgur

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