David Suzuki visited the site of last year’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami to check on progress at rebuilding the hardest hit areas.

The tragedy, which began with the earthquake and tsunami March 11, 2011, continued with the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant, involving a meltdown and radioactivity leaks.

Suzuki, host of CBC’s The Nature of Things, found there was no rebuilding at the ground zero for the tsunami. A year later, workers are still clearing debris and recycling materials.

In an interview with Jian Ghomeshi, host of CBC’s Q cultural affairs show, the world-renowned environmentalist talked about the new approach emerging in Japan in response to the Fukushima meltdown.

Japan is the only country on earth to have suffered the effects of a nuclear bomb and there is a horror of radiation, he said. This has many Japanese reconsidering how their country generates energy and how much they as individuals use, Suzuki said.

Of 56 nuclear plants in Japan, only six are still in operation, he said, and Japanese have cut back their use of electricity in an effort to diminish their reliance on nuclear.

An episode of The Nature of Things titled "Journey To The Disaster Zone: Japan 3/11" also shows footage of the disaster taken inside buildings still swaying from the quake. The CBC show was invited by NHK to revisit the story of the earthquake and the Japanese broadcaster shared footage never before seen outside Japan.

Suzuki said he was moved by the stories of survivors and “overwhelmed by the Japanese spirit.” The quake victims reacted calmly, helped one another and waited for help with characteristic stoicism, he said.

"Journey To The Disaster Zone: Japan 3/11" airs Thursday on CBC-TV.