Fukushima watchmaker captures colours of resilience in disaster-hit Odaka

Okada Ward, Fukushima Prefecture, once saw its population drop to zero following the 2011 nuclear disaster, local watchmaker Fukushima Watch Company is signaling the region’s return to life. The company announced last month the addition of three new colours to its Odaka series, each designed to narrate the story of Minamisoma City’s regeneration.

The release comes more than a decade after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent nuclear accident forced the evacuation of Odaka Ward. For six years, the area remained a silent, uninhabited zone. Today, with the evacuation orders lifted, the population has recovered to approximately 3,800 people.

Fukushima Watch Company, founded by a watch industry veteran who relocated to the area from Saitama Prefecture, aims to transform Fukushima into the “Geneva of Japan,” a hub for precision watchmaking. The company’s latest models—Salmon Grey, Persimmon Orange, and Grape Purple—serve as archival pieces that document the changing landscapes and revived industries in the region.

In fact, the designs tell social narratives. The Salmon Grey model draws a parallel between nature and demography. In Minamisoma, the seasonal return of salmon swimming upstream to spawn is a familiar autumn sight. The company uses this grey hue to symbolise the residents who have returned to their hometown after years of displacement.

The Persimmon Orange model highlights community bonds. Persimmon trees remain a common fixture in local gardens, where residents traditionally hang the fruit to dry in winter. This practice of sharing the harvest represents the enduring community culture that survived the evacuation period.

The third colour, Grape Purple, highlights a specific case of industrial innovation and circular agriculture. It is inspired by Koyagi Farm, a vineyard was abandoned due to the nuclear disaster. Determined to create a new path for living on his ancestral land, the owner returned to Odaka in 2019 to convert his former cattle pastures into vineyards.

The watches are manufactured in Japan and feature automatic mechanical movements. Fukushima Watch Company intends to export the story of Odaka’s resilience to a global audience, proving that time in the region has begun to move forward once again.