A COLLECTION of stunning photographs depicting the natural beauty of Japan’s tsunami and nuclear disaster-ravaged Fukushima region is now on display in Stroud.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Fukushima – In God’s Eye’, will be available to browse at the Christian Community Centre in Cainscross Road until Christmas.

Featuring dozens of images donated by students, amateur photographers and residents of the so-called ‘Land of Good Fortune’, the project offers a snapshot of the coastal region’s breathtaking landscapes and colourful cultural symbols.

Project organiser Yukiko Kabuki, whose family come from an area just south of Fukushima, worked with Stroud Christian Community to launch the exhibition here ahead of her visit to the town yesterday, Wednesday, November 23.

She was joined by contributing photographer and Fukushima resident Satoshi Ueda, whose mother was swept to her death in the tsunami while she collected her niece from a nursery.

Speaking with Stroud mayor John Marjoram, Yukiko said she hoped the project would allow outside audiences a glimpse of the area’s tranquil beauty before the earthquake-triggered tsunami and subsequent nuclear fall out brought unprecedented devastation earlier this year.

"It is easy for people to forget," said Yukiko, who works as a translator at a Tokyo university.

"We have not even started the recovery process out there yet, so it is far too early to forget."

Satoshi’s mother was among 80 per cent of Fukushima’s residents killed when the 133ft tsunami wave made landfall shortly after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake stuck off the eastern Japanese coast on March 11.

The impact severely damaged Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant - triggering deadly radiation leaks which forced a 20 km evacuation zone to be put in place.

Eight months on, more than 100,000 citizens remain in temporary accommodation, not knowing if they will ever be able to return home.

Among the images on display at the exhibition, all of which are available to buy as postcards, is a field of ancient Buddhist statues nestled serenely among a carpet of vibrant red flowers.

Another shows a father and his young son practising Kendo – a Japanese martial art – on a Fukushima beach as the sun sets behind them.

Profits raised from the exhibition will be ploughed back into efforts to protect affected residents from radiation and help farmers reclaim their land.

The exhibition at 75 Cainscross Road, Stroud, will be open at staggered times throughout the week but always from 3pm – 5pm on Fridays.

Contact Stroud Christian Community on 01453 762 926.