The Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami, also known as the East Japan Great Earthquake, caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, wrecked the fates of thousands and took countless lives.

Years after the tragedy, Pengkuei Ben Huang began to regularly visit the region in order to photographically cover the aftermath. Being emerged into the life of local communities, the photographer goes far beyond the visible effects of the disaster. The story created as a result of this is embodied in his project Soul Calling.

Ben Huang is a Taiwanese-Canadian photographer who takes interest in visual narratives which explore the relationship between humans and their surrounding environments.

Zak Dimitrov speaks to Ben Huang about the project:

Zak Dimitrov: I wanted to start off by asking how you find out about the stories that you’d want to document — word of mouth, newspaper, or something else?

Ben Huang: I’ve been visiting the region on an annual basis since 2012, roughly a year and a half after the earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan. At first, I was only there to document the recovery. Over time, I was asked to assist a traditional summer festival in one of the towns I visited. Through that opportunity I was able to learn more details about how the disaster has affected the region beyond its physical scars. Perhaps stories I’ve done have a deep connection with conversations I had with individuals I’ve connected in some way.

ZD: Do you find that documenting difficult subjects associated with grief has an impact on you as a photographer and generally as a person? I’d imagine it’s hard to switch off after you’ve been capturing something traumatic for days or months.

BH: It was quite difficult for many years. Particularly so when you’re forming a personal relationship with some of the subjects you’re photographing. I guess I found my peace after seeing one of the survivor’s children being born in 2018 at the local hospital and the joy reflected on their faces. Perhaps it was then I felt deeply about the circle of life and how healing can be multifaceted.

Interview with Pengkuei Ben Huang. Letters to those taken away by the Great Tsunami