Back to Tomioka

Orphaned in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, Osamu and Akiko grow up together in a refugee camp, bound by an unbreakable bond. After their grandmother’s death, Osamu refuses to let her final wish fade away. He leads his sister on a daring journey into the forbidden zone, determined to lay her ashes to rest in their hometown of Tomioka. As they cross a wounded land slowly beginning to recover, danger lingers in the invisible traces of radiation, yet hope for renewal is equally present. Along the way, hunted yet unexpectedly helped, they encounter moments of kindness that guide them forward. Through this journey, the siblings redefine their understanding of family and belonging, finding hope where life is quietly beginning to return.

Director’s statement
“Back to Tomioka” is an animated feature film about a brother and sister crossing a contaminated exclusion zone to bring their grandmother’s ashes back to the family farm. What seems like an unreasonable decision becomes an act of love, disobedience, and a way of saying goodbye. Above all, the film is about the relationship between the siblings, who gradually learn to listen to and trust each other again during their journey. Traveling through abandoned towns and landscapes reclaimed by nature becomes both an emotional and adventurous experience — the children must improvise, avoid danger, and navigate a world without adults. The film was inspired by my experience of living near a nuclear power plant and by my stay in Tomioka in 2023. Visually, the project draws on a rough, tactile aesthetic of worn textures and decaying spaces, while Romain Humeau’s restrained score guides the audience through the children’s inner journey.