Greetings from Fukushima

Marie, a young German woman, goes to the Fukushima region in the years after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear accident, more to wander than to plan. While touring the area she meets Satomi, an elderly Japanese woman who lives with memories and routines that feel foreign and familiar at once. They begin to spend days together, sharing food, stories, and quiet tasks that reveal each other's histories without pressure. The film follows their evolving friendship as it softens misunderstandings, exposes private wounds, and offers small moments of hope, all set against towns and landscapes still marked by loss and change, but with no tidy resolutions offered.

Directed by Doris Dörrie and released in 2016, the film stars Rosalie Thomass as Marie and Kaori Momoi as Satomi, with Nami Kamata and others in supporting parts. Dörrie brings a gently observational tone to the material.

The movie had a limited theatrical run and a modest commercial profile, reaching niche audiences rather than mainstream box office success. It found most of its viewers through art house screenings and smaller market releases.

Though not a blockbuster, the film contributed to conversations about the human aftereffects of the Fukushima disaster and about aging, grief, and cultural exchange. Its quiet scenes of daily life and cross-generational companionship prompted discussions among viewers interested in how communities rebuild emotional as well as physical spaces.

Critical reaction was mixed to positive, reflected in an average rating near 6.1 out of 10 from available votes. Reviewers often highlighted the chemistry between Thomass and Momoi and the film's respectful, restrained handling of trauma and memory. Major themes include the challenges of isolation, the slow work of connection across cultural distance, and the ways ordinary routines can become a source of repair.