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[O06-03] One decade after the earthquake, reconstruction still not complete
★Invited Papers
Keywords:earthquake, tsunami, Otsuchi Shimbun, reconstruction, restoration
It has been ten years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The media often report that reconstruction projects are a waste of taxpayers’ money and that the victims still lead difficult lives. What does “reconstruction” of a town mean? When can we say that reconstruction is complete? Did you know that the concept, "reconstruction," conveys an idea that is "more than simple disaster recovery"?
Otsuchi Town (Kamihei District, Iwate Prefecture) was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011. After the disaster, the townspeople lacked the information they needed just to survive. Given this situation, in 2012, I (the author) decided to publish a weekly newspaper, the "Otsuchi Shimbun." I had never before attempted to compile and publish a newspaper. I did everything by myself from interviewing to editing. Starting in the following year, the weekly newspaper was distributed free of charge to all households in the town. I have learned a lot about the town and thought more deeply about it as a consequence of publishing the newspaper. Initially, the newspaper was intended to deliver reconstruction information to the townspeople, but gradually it began to uncover problems that arose in the process of reconstruction.
Immediately after the earthquake, Otsuchi Town set up a disaster response headquarters in front of the town office building. However, the tsunami struck the headquarters, killing 38 local government employees including the mayor with the result that it was not possible to issue the evacuation order. Among Otsuchi Town’s population of 15,276 (according to the 2010 census), 1,286 died, including disaster-related deaths. Otsuchi is often referred to as "a town where 1 in 10 people died" in the disaster. It is one of the municipalities with the highest percentage of victims in the three affected prefectures: Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. With about 70% of the houses damaged by the tsunami and subsequent fires, the town’s urban area was virtually destroyed. Most hardware projects covered by reconstruction budgets were completed by the end of 2019. New seawalls, floodgates, bridges, etc. have been constructed. Regarding the housing reconstruction to accommodate victims, 967 lots were created in the land readjustment area project, 422 residences were relocated in the disaster prevention group relocation project, and 876 disaster public housing units were built. The main current issues are restoring the town office organization, which suffers from a shortage of human resources, utilizing vacant lots, and investigating the effects of the earthquake disaster and what was lacking in the disaster prevention measures that were in place before the tsunami hit the town.
There is a concern that reports that are rooted in the media’s stereotyped perception that the reconstruction budget is a "waste of taxpayers’ money" may rob people of the memory of the disaster. Reconstruction has focused on hardware projects until now. However, budgets were additionally allocated to software projects, such as psychological support for the victims. The national "Basic Law for Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake" states the following reconstruction principles: "Take drastic measures with a view to revitalizing Japan beyond mere disaster recovery," and “carry out what should be accomplished now with a vision of what form Japan should take by the middle of the 21st century." We must achieve creative reconstruction that will remain valid for Japan 30 years from now. There are able people in Otsuchi who are working hard to make the town better than it was before the disaster, although the town government constantly suffers from a shortage of human resources. What is most needed now is to revisit the principles of reconstruction without being swept away by the ongoing processes of reconstruction.
Otsuchi Town (Kamihei District, Iwate Prefecture) was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011. After the disaster, the townspeople lacked the information they needed just to survive. Given this situation, in 2012, I (the author) decided to publish a weekly newspaper, the "Otsuchi Shimbun." I had never before attempted to compile and publish a newspaper. I did everything by myself from interviewing to editing. Starting in the following year, the weekly newspaper was distributed free of charge to all households in the town. I have learned a lot about the town and thought more deeply about it as a consequence of publishing the newspaper. Initially, the newspaper was intended to deliver reconstruction information to the townspeople, but gradually it began to uncover problems that arose in the process of reconstruction.
Immediately after the earthquake, Otsuchi Town set up a disaster response headquarters in front of the town office building. However, the tsunami struck the headquarters, killing 38 local government employees including the mayor with the result that it was not possible to issue the evacuation order. Among Otsuchi Town’s population of 15,276 (according to the 2010 census), 1,286 died, including disaster-related deaths. Otsuchi is often referred to as "a town where 1 in 10 people died" in the disaster. It is one of the municipalities with the highest percentage of victims in the three affected prefectures: Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. With about 70% of the houses damaged by the tsunami and subsequent fires, the town’s urban area was virtually destroyed. Most hardware projects covered by reconstruction budgets were completed by the end of 2019. New seawalls, floodgates, bridges, etc. have been constructed. Regarding the housing reconstruction to accommodate victims, 967 lots were created in the land readjustment area project, 422 residences were relocated in the disaster prevention group relocation project, and 876 disaster public housing units were built. The main current issues are restoring the town office organization, which suffers from a shortage of human resources, utilizing vacant lots, and investigating the effects of the earthquake disaster and what was lacking in the disaster prevention measures that were in place before the tsunami hit the town.
There is a concern that reports that are rooted in the media’s stereotyped perception that the reconstruction budget is a "waste of taxpayers’ money" may rob people of the memory of the disaster. Reconstruction has focused on hardware projects until now. However, budgets were additionally allocated to software projects, such as psychological support for the victims. The national "Basic Law for Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake" states the following reconstruction principles: "Take drastic measures with a view to revitalizing Japan beyond mere disaster recovery," and “carry out what should be accomplished now with a vision of what form Japan should take by the middle of the 21st century." We must achieve creative reconstruction that will remain valid for Japan 30 years from now. There are able people in Otsuchi who are working hard to make the town better than it was before the disaster, although the town government constantly suffers from a shortage of human resources. What is most needed now is to revisit the principles of reconstruction without being swept away by the ongoing processes of reconstruction.