A minute-by-minute look at the first 72 hours of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster is arriving on free streaming platforms in the UK and Australia this February.
The documentary Fukushima: Days That Shook the World premieres on February 17, at a time when global concerns about nuclear safety are once again in focus. It gives a powerful, minute-by-minute look at the tsunami that led to a nuclear disaster and a clean-up effort that lasted over a decade. You can stream it for free in the UK.
The series has been released to mark the 15th anniversary of the March 11, 2011 disaster. It revisits the Tōhoku earthquake and the 15-metre tsunami that followed — events that caused the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
After the success of the 2019 Chernobyl miniseries, there has been growing interest in detailed, real-time accounts of nuclear crises. This documentary takes a factual approach, focusing on the intense 72 hours when Japan faced the risk of catastrophic damage.
It also features leaked conversations between TEPCO headquarters and plant workers, revealing the fear, confusion, and alleged cover-ups during the height of the crisis.
Below, you’ll find details on where to stream it, what time it airs in the UK, information about other regions, and how a VPN can help if you’re traveling and can’t access your usual streaming service.
How to watch ‘Fukushima: Days that Shocked the World’ Online from Anywhere
To stream ‘Fukushima: Days that Shocked the World’ Online from Anywhere, follow these steps:
- Subscribe to ExpressVPN.
- Install the VPN app on your device.
- Connect to the UK server.
- Open Channel 4 website and log in.
- Watch ‘Fukushima: Days that Shocked the World’ Online from Anywhere from anywhere.
‘Fukushima: Days That Shook the World’ — Episode Guide
Broadcasters may package the documentary differently, sometimes as a two-part special, sometimes as a single feature-length cut. The overall narrative still follows the same arc, tracing the escalation of the disaster and its immediate aftermath.
We’ve also:
- Part 1 focuses on the initial earthquake and tsunami, and the cascading failures that followed at the plant.
- Part 2 follows the frantic hours after the loss of power, including desperate venting efforts and emergency cooling attempts.
- Part 3 zooms out to explore the wider consequences: mass evacuations, long-term fallout, and the daunting, decades-long decommissioning process.
Is this a drama or a documentary?
It’s a factual documentary series produced by BriteSpark Films, who previously made “Tsunami: The Day the Wave Hit” for Channel 4. Instead of actors or reenactments, it relies on real archival footage and firsthand testimonies from people who lived through the events.
Who is features in the series?
The 2026 Fukushima documentary’s “cast” comprises real-life figures such as plant manager Masao Yoshida and former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who appear in archival footage and interviews rather than through dramatic reenactments.
Does it cover the entire disaster?
The series centres on the first 72 hours of the 2011 crisis, offering a minute-by-minute look at the decisions made as the reactors began to fail.
What makes it different from other Fukushima TV shows?
Unlike the scripted series “The Days”, which focuses on dramatized character arcs, “Days That Shook the World” prioritizes technical accuracy and newly released evidence, including leaked communications between the plant and TEPCO headquarters.
