timeo is the 30th generation to grow rice on this land. a buddhist statue in his shrine room dates back to the 15th century. 500 years, one family, one place, until now. and seeing it is understanding they will not be coming home. >> i expected a better situation,. i expected if we fixed it, we could return and live in it. i thought so when we left but looking at this, no way. we were living a happy life. that memory came back to me. sorry. thinking that we'll never return to the happy days, i'm so sad. sorry. >> reporter: this family's home is too close to the plant and too contaminated to consider a clean-up. but farther away where the radiation readings are a little lower, there is a lot of work underway to fight the fallout. this person is doing his part to try to make things right. volunteering his time to clean up yards and school playgrounds in the city 12 miles north of the fukushima dai-ichi plant. but as i watched him work, i quickly realized the dimensions of the dilemma. at this home outside the mandatory evacuation zone he has