After the wave: untold stories of Australia’s response to Fukushima
On the 10th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, AFR Weekend reveals tales of terror, Australia’s doomsday planning and Canberra’s fears for a missing spy boss.
Earthquake-triggered tsumanis sweep shores along Iwanuma in northern Japan. AP
The first hint of trouble came with a jolt of the plastic venetian blinds. The window coverings at the Australian embassy in Tokyo began smashing against their fourth-floor awnings.
“Did you feel that?” asked Murray McLean, the veteran diplomat on his last posting as Ambassador to Japan, as the tremors began.
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