Former Fukushima Worker Has Spent Years Rescuing The Pets Left Behind After The Nuclear Disaster

When the Fukushima disaster forced thousands of people to flee their homes, many had to leave behind the animals they loved. One man refused to abandon them.

On March 11, 2011, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck Fukushima Prefecture, unleashing a massive tsunami that killed more than 18,500 people and triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Entire towns were evacuated almost overnight.

As families rushed to escape, many were forced to leave their pets behind—turning once-busy communities into silent streets where thousands of animals were suddenly left alone.

Along the roads leading out of town, people fled in cars that crawled along the highways. Others were evacuated by bus—and many were told they could not bring their animals with them.

One of the people who witnessed those heartbreaking moments was Toru Akama, a worker connected to the nuclear plant.

“There were so many elderly people crying and asking, ‘Please, can someone take in my dog, my cat?’ That was truly the case for many of them,” said Akama.

Just days after the disaster, he saw something he would never forget. Dogs of every size had been abandoned along the road out of town and began heading back to their family’s vacated homes.

At first, Akama and his wife stayed behind in the nearly empty town, handing out food in what had suddenly become a ghost town. A month later, they too were forced to evacuate.

But Akama couldn’t stop thinking about the animals left behind.

When he later returned to the area for work and saw the devastation caused by the nuclear meltdown, he felt a deep sense of responsibility. So he decided to do something about it.

Akama began rescuing the abandoned pets and bringing them home. Soon, his house and yard were filled with dogs—at one point, nearly 50 of them. He even transformed his company’s office into a shelter space and adoption room for rescued cats.

Over the years, his quiet mission grew into something remarkable.

In more than 15 years, Akama has helped find homes for over 1,000 abandoned animals.

These days, the 63-year-old no longer takes in new rescues. Instead, he focuses on caring for the animals still with him and helping others in the community who are looking after strays.

Today he still cares for 47 cats and 7 dogs, and his days are filled with feeding them, cleaning cages, walking dogs, and helping other rescue efforts.

For Akama, the work has come with enormous personal sacrifice. He pays for nearly all of the animals’ care himself, spending almost all of the compensation money he received after the disaster on their food, medical care, and shelter.

Akama says the work never really stops—and some days it feels even harder than his old job. But caring for the animals keeps him active and gives his days purpose. In a way, he believes the pets he saved are also looking after him.

“[T]hanks to them, I’ve never fallen ill. They force me to stay active. Maybe it’s their way of thanking and watching over me.”

Now in his 60s, Akama has begun to think about the future. One of his biggest concerns is finding someone who will continue caring for the animals when he is no longer able to. But for now, he plans to keep doing what he has done for more than a decade—giving the forgotten animals of Fukushima a second chance at life.

And for the animals who once waited alone in an empty town, Akama became the one person who never left and the family they needed.

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