201202 Japan, A Prayer For The Dead. (17 images)

The sun bleaches the exposed wood- the floorboards of what used to be houses. In neat piles, surrounded by bricks, cans of coffee, water and Asahi Super Dry, chill in the February air- placed as a welcome drink for the spirits of the deceased. Flowers lay in the dust, dried and withered, marking the entrance to the places homes used to be, to where shoes used to sit in the genkan entrance way. In Kayahama district of Minami-Soma, a mere 23km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, and only...
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The sun bleaches the exposed wood- the floorboards of what used to be houses. In neat piles, surrounded by bricks, cans of coffee, water and Asahi Super Dry, chill in the February air- placed as a welcome drink for the spirits of the deceased. Flowers lay in the dust, dried and withered, marking the entrance to the places homes used to be, to where shoes used to sit in the genkan entrance way. In Kayahama district of Minami-Soma, a mere 23km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, and only 1km from the coast, temporary shrines mark the locations of where homes, barber shops and other dwellings used to exist before the tsunami of March 11th 2011 washed them away in a few vicious moments. They serve as small, cherished, shouting into the wind prayers for the dead.
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