Earth Awards 2015

Since 1982 the people of Iwaishima oppose the plans to build the Kaminoseki nuclear power plant only five miles away from the tiny island in the Seto Sea. Not far from Hiroshima. The construction alone will interfere so severely with the ecosystem of the sea, that the life on the island depending on the fish and everything the sea breeds so badly, will be changed forever. Because of the strong protest, Iwaishima is known in the anti nuclear movement in Japan. But the plan to build the power plant have yet been finally decided, whilst a new consciousness for their environment arose among the islanders. I stumbled on the island coincidentally during my semester abroad in Hiroshima. The pictures only show a fragment of the social and ecological system of Iwaishima which holds more of the traditional Japan, than I found elsewhere. On top it shows that protest is possible and has an effect. The determination of the people of Iwaishima helped prevent yet another ecosystem sacrificed to a nuclear power plant for more than 30 years now. Therefor I want to go back and document the life and struggle on Iwaishima as soon as possible.