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Recovering from Disaster Recovering from Disaster FORUM REPORT 012 Recovering from Disaster Reexamining Japan in Global Context Forum, Sendai, Japan, October 7, 2017 Reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake Izuru Makihara University of Tokyo The March 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami (‘3/11’) largest waves, such as Minamisanriku and Rikuzentakata, were devastating for Japan. It is difficult, if not impossible, to have needed total reconstruction, which has been challeng- separate the professional analysis of a political scientist from ing as well. There has been great difficulty in building new the personal experience of national tragedy in the face of a public housing, for example, because of the proximity of the disaster such as 3/11. Nonetheless, it is essential to analyze mountains to the coastline. the reconstruction efforts, for there is much to be learned. Areas such as Sendai and Natori, home to a large popula- Visualizing the disaster requires taking into account multiple tion but spared the largest tsunami waves, have been com- perspectives—both a bird’s eye view, and one that is closer to paratively ‘easy’ to rebuild. They have benefitted from a wide the ground. hinterland in which to rebuild housing. The affected areas can be classed into four categories. Plac- Similarly, in areas such as south Sendai, where the popula- es such as Kesennuma and Ishinomaki that were home to tion and tsunami waves were both relatively low, the wide a large population and endured the largest tsunami waves hinterland has aided reconstruction efforts. In north Iwate, saw severe damage. With huge amounts of rubble from de- however, the mountains have made housing reconstruction stroyed buildings, reconstruction has been slow and difficult. difficult. In these smaller areas, mayors have led the efforts The immense scale of the reconstruction effort has resulted to rebuild. in disparities in rebuilding citizens’ lives. Post-disaster reconstruction involves activity at multiple Areas with smaller populations that were also hit by the levels of society. Local communities have tried to foster the FORUM REPORT 012 1 Reexamining Japan in Global Context Beach and Cliff: low tsunami, 10m Ria Coast: huge tsunami, 30m Beach: low tsunami, 10m Source: City of Miyako, Post-Disaster Reconstruction Plan, Basic Plan, p. 3. Source: City of Miyako, Post-Disaster Reconstruction Plan, Basic Plan, p. 3. Source: City of Miyako, Post-Disaster Reconstruction Plan, Basic Plan, p. 3. 2 rebirth of their neighbourhoods through cooperation with when many people died or moved away. Many people simply government entities, including through city and prefectural moved to other cities, but some smaller fishing villages have planning. The national government has supported emergen- been able to maintain their communities. cy rescue efforts by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). Although In Kesennuma, residents were relocated from low to high the activity of the SDF was highly appreciated in the dam- areas, but it was not easy for the local government to find flat aged area, the SDF in some cases had difficulty recovering areas for public housing in the hillside. In Miyako, by 2017, victims’ bodies. The police were often more helpful in this residents had been moved into housing that is both at a high sensitive task, since they had more experience dealing with elevation and far from the sea. However, many locals are fish- fatalities. The national government also helped by planning erfolk, for whom this relocation has been difficult. the national reconstruction policy. The international com- Given the scale of destruction, it is astonishing that most munity also played a role, conducting ‘disaster diplomacy.’ industries have recovered after five years. Road access is still U.S. armed forces, for example, played a major role through suspended in some areas, while in other areas roads are still Operation Tomodachi. under construction. Some cities have responded by network- Following 3/11, the government set up a five-year con- ing with others to encourage volunteers and citizens to visit ceptual plan for reconstruction. It involved three rebuilding different areas to support reconstruction. phases: recovery concept development, planning, and imple- Although many commentators assert that Japanese soci- mentation. Three key principles would guide the national ety and politics remain unchanged, this is not necessarily government’s efforts: The plan would account for the prima- the case. Six years following the disaster, some changes are cy of local government; entail a two-level approach, account- evident. For example, we can examine 3/11’s effect on poli- ing for structural and non-structural factors; and would tics, institutions, and social change. There is precedent for account for different local needs and geographical features. earthquakes having political effects. After the 1923 Kanto For example, in some areas, multiple physical barriers, such earthquake, Tokyo was in chaos. Such chaotic situations can as raised ground, would separate residential areas from the make people more fanatical. A young man tried and failed to coast. The rebuilding plans were meant to protect against not shoot Prince Hirohito, which ultimately led to the general only average tsunamis (once in a decade or century), but also resignation of the cabinet. The next cabinet, in 1924, was against large tsunamis (once in a century or millennium). politically fragile, with members drawn not from parties but The government created a recovery agency to administer from bureaucratic stations. These leaders were crushed in the reconstruction efforts and negotiate with local and prefec- next general election, issuing in the era of political parties tural governments. However, interviews indicate that most and democratizing Japanese politics. local leaders tended to negotiate directly with industry. They The SDF and civil service have received reputational ben- also needed to cooperate. For example, it was important for efits for their role in the reconstruction efforts. There has also the local government to get professionals in for land rezoning been higher support for the ‘old’ Liberal Democratic Party and rubble clearing. Small local governments do not usually (LDP) of the first Shinzo Abe administration in 2012. An need rezoning experts. As a result, they asked other local gov- important task for political scientists is to distinguish change ernments to send officials. caused by 3/11 from pre-existing, ‘background’ political It is difficult not only to relocate people to safer areas, but trends. also to rebuild true communities. Many communities have a Institutionally, 3/11 has affected archives. In April 2011, a distinct, organic way of life that is hard to recreate, especially public record law was enacted to help preserve as many pub- 2 FORUM REPORT 012 Recovering from Disaster lic records as possible, and many volunteers and archivists government. Japanese society and media largely supported helped damaged local governments to recover documents. local initiatives, which led to some over-construction. 3/11 has also had effects on social bonds, kinship, and Prof. Makihara responded that the reconstruction plan- community. The marriage rate increased following the disas- ning conference was chaotic. The reconstruction plan was ter, although this boom may have now ended. There is also discussed among very few members of the council. The an increased societal expectation of future big earthquakes government was concerned with national planning, such in Western Japan, and an increase in anti-nuclear sentiment, as choosing levee locations, not structural planning, which evidenced by, for example, frequent anti-radiation demon- meant it could save money. strations in Tokyo. As a member of the reconstruction committee in Sendai City, Prof. Makihara observed that there was heavy demand from victims to have local officers involved. The main task The first commenter asked two questions. First, they ob- of the local government is to account for citizens’ opinions served that there are big reconstruction projects all along the when making plans, mostly around rezoning. The distribu- coastline in areas affected the disaster. Politically, this is un- tion of tasks between local and national levels of government derstandable. However, given that the earthquake released so varies with the city, but in general the national government much stored tectonic energy, would it not make more sense could not formulate such plans in detail and had to leave a to invest in preventative efforts in those areas of the country lot up to the local governments. There was some overspend- that are most vulnerable to new earthquakes? Second, the ing, but it could have been much worse. commenter pointed out that some communities were already The next commenter pointed out that the entire world depopulating as they aged before 3/11. Many residents have has been very impressed with Japan’s response to physical relocated and may not return, irrespective of reconstruction damage. Haiti, for example, was hit by a much less power- efforts. Is it better to evacuate cities that we expect to de- ful earthquake in 2010, and has not made much progress populate, or risk overspending on reconstruction? Relatedly, rebuilding. Yet 3/11 was not just physically damaging, it was small local governments have very limited human resources also psychologically traumatic. Japan still stigmatizes mental to cope with reconstruction. Will some local communities health issues. Has the psychological trauma of 3/11 been ac- simply disappear a result of the earthquake? counted for in any part of the recovery process? If so, who Prof. Makihara acknowledged that the reconstruction took the lead on this, and how effective have any efforts process may have been driven by politics more than by eco- been? Has there been any wider effect on the stigma in Japan nomics. However, while depopulation is a real phenomenon, regarding mental health issues? many of the damaged areas had strong community ties, which Prof. Makihara replied that this is a neglected aspect of have encouraged residents to remain, return, and rebuild.
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