Japan's Community Fukushima became Ghost community, Three years after nuclear disaster (see pictures)

The ghost towns of Fukushima: Three years after Japan's nuclear disaster, residents are allowed home only once a month... and cannot stay overnight

Nearly three years after the tsunami which caused a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima the fallout continues
In December the power plant was said to be in a state of 'cold shutdown' meaning the cleanup can begin
Now 400 tonnes of uranium rods must be moved out of damaged reactor four to a safer location
After that is done some people evacuated from the 12-mile exclusion zone may be allowed to return home for good
In the meantime residents of some of the less exposed towns are allowed home once a month, but cannot stay long

In March 2011 the world watched in horror as a powerful earthquake rocked Japan, before a deadly tsunami swept ashore, washing away any boats, cars, homes and people unfortunate enough to be in its path.

But while the initial reports of 19,000 dead shocked viewers around the globe, that news would soon be superseded by the terrors to come from the then-unknown town of Fukushima as its nuclear power plant was overcome by floodwater before going into meltdown.

Now, nearly three years on from the natural disaster, a very unnatural catastrophe is still unfolding in the central prefecture while the villagers who used to live around the plant are still suffering.

In total 80,000 people were evacuated because of the disaster as a 12-mile 'no go zone' was put in place around the stricken facility. Tepco, the owner of the plant and Japan's largest power company, insist that the situation is under control and announced in December that the plant is now in a state of 'cold shutdown' allowing a cleanup operation to start.

As a result of that operation exclusion zone lines may be redrawn, allowing some former residents of the towns around Fukushima to go home. In the town of Namie more than 20,000 former residents are allowed to visit their homes once a month with special permissions but are not allowed to stay overnight.

In the town of Futaba residents were once so proud of their nuclear plant that they erected a sign across the promenade saying the technology made them prosperous. Now their town lies in ruins.

But they are the lucky ones. Some other residents may have to wait five years before they will know if their houses are safe, others may have to wait a decade, and a few many never be allowed to return.

The Tepco cleanup operation involves moving 400 tonnes of uranium from a storage tank inside reactor number four of the plant to a safer location. It is expected to take a year, and is an extremely delicate process as the highly volatile fuel is prone to reigniting.

While the work has proceeded without incident so far, past leaks of contaminated water, an initial attempt to downplay the disaster, and continuing secrecy about the site have lead many to be wary of Tepco's handling of the many problems to come from the catastrophe.

Pictures titles above

Picture Eight: Fallout: There is still a 12-mile exclusion zone in place around Fukushima which contains hundreds of bags of radioactive soil which cannot be removed due to opposition from those outside

Picture Four: No way back: Some 22,000 former residents of Namie (pictured) are being allowed back to their homes, but can only go once a month and cannot stay overnight

Picture One : Contaminated: After the cleanup exclusion zone lines will be redrawn allowing some people to move home, however others may need to wait five years to find out if they can go back

Picture Three : Cleanup: In December Tepco, the company which owns the Fukushima plant, announced it had reached a state of 'cold shutdown' allowing a cleanup operation to begin

Picture five: These temporary housing structures were erected for workers at J-Village, a soccer training complex now serving as an operation base for those battling Japan's nuclear disaster

Picture Two: Long process: The clean-up involves moving 400-tonnes of uranium and is expected to take a year. Only after this is completed can areas such as this hospital - pictured with wheelchairs outside - be repopulated

Picture Seven: Abandoned: Tomioka town is another which falls inside the exclusion zone, put in place to try and contain the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years

Picture Six: Destroyed: It has been nearly three years since tsunami waves swept these defences aside and flooded the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing a meltdown