Last March, the world watched as the villages around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were decimated by an earthquake and tsunami of epic proportions. So what do they look like now, almost a year later?

The Atlantic’s “In Focus” blog has a fascinating set of before-and-after images taken by photojournalists who covered the disaster. Each image is interactive; start with a photo taken last year, and then click on it to see what the location looks like today. The differences are extraordinary, each image a reminder of what happened and how people move forward with their lives.

This week’s New York Times Magazine slideshow features some of these survivors who share their thoughts and stories. “I can’t rush for things to be better,” says 77-year-old Kohei Itami. “I try not to think far into the future. I take good care each day.”