Made in Fukushima

“Made in Fukushima” is a book made out of rice straw grown on decontaminated fields in Fukushima. The rice straw was harvested, dried, cleaned, cut and crafted into paper. The intention of the book is to inform about the long-term project of soil decontamination to support local farmers. Alongside giving background information on the disaster, the region and the significance of rice, the book is all about the farmers and their stories. Lively narratives interact with factual information and photographs, with high attention paid to the presentation of the complex data: they follow the basic pattern of a square grid that stays the same on all pages and presents the data points in circles of different sizes – visualising the sheer incomprehensible flood of data in an easy and immediately understandable manner. From the cover and the infographics to the Japanese binding technique, this lavishly produced book projects a coherent aesthetic that combines traditional Japanese with modern design.