Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2015

Presentation information

International Session (Oral)

Symbol H (Human Geosciences) » H-DS Disaster geosciences

[H-DS07] Natural hazards impacts on the society, economics and technological systems

Mon. May 25, 2015 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM 203 (2F)

Convener:*ELENA PETROVA(Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography), Hajime Matsushima(Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University), Chair:Hajime Matsushima(Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University)

11:18 AM - 11:21 AM

[HDS07-P02] Impact of knowledge for understanding of haiku composed by the earthquake

3-min talk in an oral session

*Yoji AOKI1, Hitoshi FUJITA2, Keisuke KUMAGAI3, Kinuko JAMBOR4 (1.Open University of Japan, 2.Aomori University, 3.Nagano University, 4.Haiku International Association)

Keywords:effects of knowledge, understanding of haiku, haiku by earthquake

1. Introduction
Japanese short poems called 'haiku' are regarded as appropriate expressions of Japanese seasonal sentiments because they stem from the rich and diverse changes of the Japanese environment. But it is unknown how Japanese haiku responded to such great natural changes as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. With this in mind, we examined the psychological effects expressed in haiku composed after the disaster of March 11, 2011. We hoped to find a new use of haiku as a new way to convey emotions, especially since haiku is spreading internationally.
Although it may be difficult to prove this immediately, we can learn how Japanese employ haiku to convey their emotions at present. Using questionnaires, we investigated how Aomori residents and those in other areas reacted to the above disaster.
2. Method of Study
Collecting 234 haiku on the internet relating to the quake, we asked respondents to put a circle mark to indicate if they understood a haiku, and to put a double circle mark to show that they empathized.
We received replies from 20 people in the affected areas of Aomori Prefecture and 20 from others areas.
3. Results
The total of 40 people responded on 4678 haiku which averaged 177 haiku per person. 3956 haiku were understood (single circle), and 722 were felt empathy (double circle).
More than two individuals understood every haiku, with the average being around twenty people. Regarding empathy, as the number of respondents increased the number of haiku decreased. When tabulated separately, answers for Aomori and others produced the differences found in the Fig. The following haiku had a 5% statistical test of ratio difference.
\ Ohzeino Gusukobudori ineno hana: OHTA, Tsuchio
Many volunteered to help the recovery from the damage by the Fukushima nuclear accident in the rice field with flowering.
\\ Nanji shiruya Gama twitter Hangenki: OBARA, Takuha
Do you know that toad can twitter half-life of radioactivity?
The former higher and the latter is the lower in Aomori. Because the former includes the name of fairy tale in northern Japan known in Aomori and the latter was formed by the respondents of Technologists, who knew the half-life radioactivity.
4. Principal component analysis
The first axis is the frequency of responses, while the second refers to Aomori and other areas. This shows the differences between Aomori and other areas. In other words, empathy in haiku varies according to how much the respondent knows about the words used.
5. Calculation
One point given for comprehension, two for empathetic response. The highest score was 46 points, while most range between 15 to 30 points, with the lowest at 2 points. Based on this, the top 5 haiku were the following:
The first haiku told how parents found their child's summer hat with a floral decoration near their home. The child died in the tsunami. It expressed the parents' grief.
The next haiku was composed right after the quake. In mid-March he was searching for his mother, who drowned in the tsunami, in the snow that still lay on the ground in Northeast Japan.
The third haiku was composed by a Frenchman, Laurent Mabesoone, about radiation. A young child tells about the cesium diffused by the accident. The child learned this word from the media or elders' speech.
The fourth haiku is cheerful. Someone was found in the rubble, still alive, in the middle of the night, and someone shouted. Some hope remained.
Next, a baby in the shelter next to its mother, cold and uncomfortable. The parents were helpless and suffering.
6. Conclusion
6.1 haiku gave empathy to people of non-disaster areas.
6.2 understanding of haiku was affected by the respondents' knowledge.
6.3 strong impressed haiku were found.
Acknowledgements: Kuramae Haiku Association, Blue Ridge Haiku Association, Mr. Richard JAMBOR and Mr. Norio SEGAWA were thanked.