"We were told Japan would cease to exist if we failed. " On March 11, 2011, a 8. 9-magnitude earthquake and a tsunami struck the northeast coast of Japan, precipitating a series of hydrogen explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

ODAKA, Japan (AP) -- Fifteen years after the 2011 nuclear disaster, color-coded radiation maps hang on the wall of Futabaya Ryokan, the family-run inn Tomoko Kobayashi operates in her near-deserted hometown in northeastern Fukushima.