radioactive live soundscape

Understanding the soundscape in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone in our hands with information technologies

Mission of the project

Acoustic ecology data have been used for a broad range of soundscape investigations.Counting sounds in a given soundscape is considered an effective method in ecology studies that provides comparative data for evaluating the human-caused impact of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on the environment inside the Exclusion Zone. This project aims to collect, share and analyze the soundscape data in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year until the completion of the nuclear power plant decommissioning (scheduled for 2051 according Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) plan) by performing the following research activities:

Project Explanation by Principal Investigator


Sensor Network Research: distributing soundscape data in the exclusion zone to the public in real time via the Internet with a combination of fixed sensors and animal wearable sensors


Interface Design Research: experiencing the Fukushima Exclusion Zone in real time without going there


Human-Computation Research: Efficient acquisition of training data for reliable AI processing

Design Education Research: information technologies to merge human beings and nature without great environmental impact