James Galbraith’s documentation of the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone is more than a study of abandonment; it is an act of journalistic defiance. While the world was being told the area was under control, James was on the ground, capturing the surreal, frozen-in-time reality of towns like Namie and Tomioka, often illegally.

His work in Fukushima is defined by a bold commitment to transparency. Long before official reports were revised to admit the severity of the contamination, James was documenting and reporting that radiation levels in specific sectors were significantly higher than what was being publicly acknowledged. He provided a vital, independent check on a developing environmental crisis, using his photography to show the world the scale of the “Invisible Danger” that the government was not yet ready to address.

• Reporting the Unseen: Years before the government admitted to the higher contamination levels, James used his access to document the reality of the zone, providing a raw look at the radioactive “hotspots” that remained in residential areas.
• The “Grey Zone” Archive: His lens captures the eerie, untouched details of a sudden exodus—homes with shoes still by the door, shops still stocked with 2011 inventory, and vehicles abandoned on the roadside as the forest slowly reclaimed the pavement.
• A Technical Witness: Combining his background in photojournalism with a deep understanding of the environment, James’s Fukushima portfolio serves as a visual and historical warning about the long-term cost of nuclear disaster.

This collection solidifies James’s reputation as a photographer who goes where others aren’t allowed, documenting the stories that those in power would often prefer to remain unrecorded.