Across Japan, climate change is causing torrential rains and flooding. In response, the government is pursuing sweeping measures to protect communities and save lives, including a large flood-control reservoir in rural Kumamoto Prefecture. But the proposed location is currently occupied by the riverside village of Okaki, home to 58 households that would be displaced. As the reservoir project moves forward, a divide begins to form in a community faced with tough decisions about its future.
Stories about people, stories about life.
Hometown Stories.
Some residents of Kumamoto Prefecture are at risk of losing their hometown forever.
This is terrible...
In July 2020, torrential rainfall caused the Kuma River to overflow, flooding the Okaki District.
In some places, the floodwaters rose to seven meters.
The water carried these houses here.
There were three of them.
I couldn't even enter my house afterward.
After this unprecedented calamity, the Japanese government presented the community with a proposal.
The idea was to build a reservoir to collect water during torrential downpours.
But it would be built on the site of the existing community.
Residents would be forced to leave.
The proposal sent shockwaves through the village.
I can't get on board with the idea.
There's no way.
We have to hear everyone out
before moving forward with this.
Some residents supported the idea, while others were opposed.
Opinion was deeply divided.
The government shouldn't just plan things
without even hearing our opinions.
I don't mind dying here,
but I don't want to put
my kids and grandkids in danger.
With torrential rainfalls wreaking havoc all over Japan,
the government is moving forward with measures to control flooding.
How do these initiatives affect communities?
We spent two-and-a-half years documenting a village divided.
Life in Okaki has long been sustained by the Kuma River.
Residents of all ages would gather for festivals.
Over the years they have fostered strong bonds and become like a family.
However, their lives were turned upside down after the torrential rains of July 2020.
The homes of all 58 families that lived there were completely destroyed.
We encountered this man when we visited the devastated village.
His name is Saio Kotaro.
This home used to belong to an old couple.
How can old people like us
clean up this mess?
It brings me to tears.
Kotaro's house was destroyed after being submerged in three-meter-high water.
I had finally built this house
after years of saving up.
I'd worked hard for this house,
so I was really attached to it.
Kotaro lives with his wife, son and daughter-in-law.
After deep discussion, they reached a decision.
The family would leave Okaki and build a new house in a different area.
It was an agonizing choice, but they felt it was the best option.
The flood two years ago made me
realize that we need to relocate.
Okaki is not safe for us.
My son's family agrees,
so we decided to move.
Kotaro made the decision in the winter of 2021.
Around that time, the authorities held a briefing for the residents.
The event was closed to the press.
It was the first-time residents were told about the proposal.
The plan was to build reservoirs in three locations, including Okaki.
During torrential rainfalls, the reservoirs would draw water from the river,
protecting villages downstream from floods.
Two-thirds of Okaki would be excavated.
The project was scheduled to be completed by 2029, but concrete details were not disclosed.
The announcement left residents stunned.
Not sure what's going on yet...
We have to hear everyone out
before moving forward.
Some residents were staunchly opposed.
I can't get on board with the idea.
There's no way.
Yamagami Shuichi was one of them.
His house was destroyed in the flood.
But he's still determined to rebuild and remain in Okaki.
You'll move back from
the temporary housing?
Yes, I plan to live here again.
He's deeply attached to his hometown.
He took these photos over a span of four decades.
We used to play right below
the grove there.
I swam across the river
when I was 6 years old.
There were three of us.
The river used to teem with
sweetfish, crabs, and eels.
Our fishing nets would be so heavy.
Back then, we could fill up
our nets with fish thrashing around.
We used to be self-sufficient.
Shuichi hopes to keep living in his beloved hometown on the banks of the Kuma River.
Shuichi's wife shared that sentiment.
Koko has undergone four surgeries for lung cancer in the past decade.
She hopes to return to Okaki to recuperate.
I've been ill,
but I feel great today.
I've lived here since
I got married almost 50 years ago.
This is where I want to
spend my final days.
The couple want to spend the remainder of their lives in Okaki.
I learned all my life lessons here
by the Kuma River.
I can't imagine letting go of
that to live somewhere else.
This is truly where I want to be,
until my last day.
Heavy rains are devastating many areas of Japan.
Authorities are scrambling to respond.
Large-scale projects, including dams, levees, and reservoirs, are being planned.
In 2021, it was announced that river improvement measures will be applied to 109 Class A River Systems,
waterways deemed economically important.
More than 4 billion US dollars were set aside for the projects.
Eighteen severely affected zones, including the Kuma River,
were deemed to be in need of emergency flood control measures.
Four involve building reservoirs and displacing residents.
Okaki is a part of Hitoyoshi City.
This local government office is working with national authorities to move the reservoir project forward.
Hitoyoshi City officials have visited all 58 households in Okaki to find out how they feel about the project.
Almost 80% have said they approve.
The remaining 20% are either opposed or still undecided.
In March 2022, a briefing was held for residents.
After deep deliberation,
we reached an unfortunate decision.
In order to protect you,
we will need you to move to a safer place.
We hope to build a new Okaki
in a different location.
There's no guarantee that another
calamity won't occur.
I've decided not to spend the rest
of my days living here with that risk.
I want safety and peace of mind.
But other residents wanted to remain.
I've worked hard hoping to
rebuild my house in Okaki.
I guess my efforts were in vain.
It's disappointing.
The officials are not forcing people to move.
Instead, they are taking their time, and trying to address residents' concerns.
However, divisions were slowly forming among those the plan would affect.
Officials are reaching out to the plan's opponents.
Today they are visiting the Yamagamis.
Okaki is a high-risk zone for flooding.
We would like you to move
to a safer place.
Authorities have secured a site on higher ground two kilometers from Okaki.
There, residents can rebuild their homes or move into municipal housing.
They are also considering offering compensation for moving expenses.
How does Shuichi feel about the plans?
I will never leave this place.
I will continue to live here.
Your house will stay in the same place?
You'll keep it where it is?
Yes, I'll live here.
- You won't change your mind?
- I won't.
Hitoyoshi City officials are caught between fulfilling their duties and respecting the residents' wishes.
I believe that they genuinely
want to remain here,
and I wish we could allow that.
But what if we have another
big flood this year?
We'd be overwhelmed with guilt
if more resident fell victim.
We're continuously
grappling with this issue.
This couple moved away.
But they still return to their hometown Okaki every day.
The Saios are here to work on their farm.
We're just drawn to this place
as we'd lived here for so long.
It's hard to be away
from your hometown.
How can I put this...
We see nothing but roofs
from our new house,
but here we can see
mountains and forests.
Autumn is so beautiful here.
Even after moving away, they still feel a deep attachment to their hometown.
For Kotaro, one place sparks nostalgia.
The local community center.
It's so quiet.
My memories are still crystal clear.
Before the flood, this place was filled with smiles and laughter, with events taking place almost every month.
We'd have farmers' markets
and tea parties here.
There were cooking classes for men,
where we'd make food for our wives.
So much chatting.
I remember how lively
this place used to be.
Ever since the reservoir plan was proposed, there have hardly been any community gatherings.
So quiet these days.
I barely get to interact with others.
It makes me so sad.
I really want things to be
the way they were.
In an attempt to rebuild community bonds,
Kotaro decides to ask each of the residents to engage in a frank discussion.
We should all get together
and speak our minds.
Meanwhile, more and more people are moving away.
How about getting together
to talk things over?
But we already know
how everyone feels.
I heard 80% agree
and 20% disagree.
Discussions are pointless.
Whichever side we're on,
there's a rift.
Is it really pointless...
But Kotaro is still determined to reach out to his neighbors, whichever side they're on.
It's January.
Kotaro and five other residents have gathered at the community center.
Yamagami Shuichi is there as well.
He opens up about all the feelings he's kept bottled up.
The government shouldn't just plan
things without even hearing our opinions.
They decided the location
and details, keeping us in the dark.
It was so unexpected.
A few of us got together...
to submit a petition to the city,
but we barely got
a response from them.
If there's another flood,
we can climb up to our roofs again.
I'm going to die someday anyway,
so I'd rather die in Okaki.
Kotaro has some reservations.
I don't mind dying here, but I don't want
to put my kids and grandkids in danger.
If it's just my life at risk, it's fine.
If I die, that's it for me,
but I need to think about the future
of my kids and their kids.
Each of them had made tough choices, and they were not all on the same page.
However...
Lovely photos.
They had all brought photos of their lives in Okaki.
The group looked over them after the meeting.
Good times.
This one's from
the ground golf event.
In Okaki, people always relied on one another.
We are so tight-knit.
There was always a helping hand
for anyone in need.
I'm so glad I grew up here.
We've all known each other
since we were kids.
It's a wonderful community.
I feel the same way.
I've lived here all my life.
It's heartbreaking that
Okaki will be gone.
I don't want it to disappear.
We can never let go
of our connection with Okaki.
I'd like us all to stay in touch.
Even if they go their different ways, they hope that their bonds will stay strong.
Devastating amounts of rain are leading to drastic measures.
Many people are losing their beloved communities, and experiencing anguish and grief.
As these policies continue to be driven forward, tough choices will have to be made.