Fukushima is a desolate wasteland. Disaster struck after a magnitude 9 earthquake triggered

a tsunami that destroyed a power plant, leading to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

The quake that caused it was strong

enough to permanently move Japan’s main island, Honshu, two meters east. In the following

days and weeks, it’s estimated that over 150,000 people were forced to leave the area.

27-year-old urban explorer Keow Wee Loong, with friends Sherina Yuen and Koji Hari visited

four towns in Fukushima in June this year.

The plant has thousands of times more

radiation than was in the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Though they wore gas masks to filter

the contaminated air, they chose not to wear protective clothing, leaving their skin exposed

to the potentially harmful environment.

The trio didn’t just risk dangers

to their health. To enter the so-called ‘Red Zone’ area, they had to dodge police patrols,

sneaking in under the cover of night. Whilst on site, Keow found gold, money and other

valuables still in place. Along with clean washing half removed from machines. They explored

an empty mall with shops full of merchandise dating back over five years.

The Malaysian-born photographer wanted

to explore the devastating effects of the earthquake first hand, and to see the hold

that nature took five years on. The Tokyo Electrical Power Company Incorporated estimates

that it will take at least 40 years to complete the clean-up operation.