Japan announces new images of Fukushima

Recently, the project called "Memories for the Future" has updated a series of images of the Fukushima region of Japan, to give viewers a clearer picture of changes in places that have been devastated by the tsunami earthquake more than two years ago.

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Google's Street View network posted images of many areas showing that some places were restored relatively quickly, but there were places where the walls were still sprawled.

Fukushima nuclear power plant.(Source: Kyodo / TTXVN)

Viewers can also compare images of the same area at different times as before, right after the disaster and after a period of recovery.

Featured in this new series of images are pictures of deserted streets in the 12 towns of Fukushima, near nuclear power plants and relocated areas like Iitate, Katsurao, Kawauchi, Naraha, Hirono and Minamisoma.

Google spokesman in Japan said the latest photos were taken between April and August this year. In addition to the Google images provided, the new series also includes pictures and videos uploaded by the community.

In March 2011, a 9-magnitude earthquake that struck offshore caused a devastating tsunami to hit the Fukushima region, killing 18,000 people.

This natural disaster then pushed Japan to face a nuclear crisis when it stopped the cooling system of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing the reactor core to melt. About 10,000 people were forced to relocate from the area around the factory.

The images above are accessible via the link http://www.miraikioku.com/en/.