I visited Minamisoma last year, just viewing the damages from the outside was heartbreaking, seeing these images of interiors is so incredibly difficult, had me close to tears too.

I'm not Japanese (but have visited) and I agree - the blackboard photo was heart breaking and beautiful all at once. I hope that piece gets preserved somehow.

I can't speak much for the small towns in the immediate vicinity of the reactor, but living in Aizu directly after the disaster, life goes on in places like Fukushima市 and Koriyama and Iwaki, with a really positive attitude, too.