Residents of Kashiwazaki town are temporarily homeless due to earthquake damage to their homes. They sit in gymnasium, which has become an emergency refugee centre.
The earthquake occurred 10 km out to sea on the coast beside the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Plant, causing damage in the town and the deaths of 10 people. The Nuclear Plant also suffered damage, resulting in leaks of nuclear materials.
Greenpeace sent a specialist rapid reaction team to the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant soon after the earthquake to make independent nuclear checks in cooperation with national community groups.