Disasters, Natural and Unnatural: Reflections on March 11, 2011, and Its Aftermath

Abstract

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. local time, an earthquake with an epicenter 130 kilometers east of Sendai off the Pacific coast of northern Japan shook the Tohoku region more violently than any tremor in a thousand years. The quake was approximately 9.0 in magnitude, and it in turn triggered a set of tsunami hurtling across the Pacific Ocean, striking first the coast of Tohoku with waves of unprecedented height and strength, along a coastline stretching roughly 400 kilometers. In Fukushima, 180 kilometers west-southwest of the epicenter, 15-meter waves roared over seawalls supposedly protecting a nuclear reactor built just a few meters from the ocean's edge, starting a chain of events that resulted in an explosion the following day that began the release of radioactive materials (which continues still), sparking high anxiety if not palpable panic in Tokyo, the center of which is 240 kilometers to the south-southwest of the Fukushima nuclear complex.

Building Community Capacity and Fostering Disaster Resilience

“…For example, in the face of disaster, individuals frequently turn to their families, members of their social network, and trusted organizations for information, support, and guidance. Consistent with that tendency, family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers are frequently the first to help those affected by disaster (Aldrich & Sawada, ; WHO, ) and play a crucial role in guiding governmental disaster responders (Bestor, ). Social relationships and the behavior of community members hold salience beyond the provision of postdisaster aid: Social connections and the actions of community members can facilitate preparedness and increase the likelihood of evacuation (Aldrich & Sawada, ; Norris, Sherrieb, & Pfefferbaum, ) and joint social action (Shepard & Williams, 2014).…”

“…The second principle, community in context, highlights the importance of recognizing the historical, sociopolitical, and institutional forces that shape the community. For example, in countries frequently exposed to natural disasters, entire communities have organized to carry out evacuation drills and to create physical reminders of prior disasters that can increase the community's capacity to cope with future events (Aldrich & Sawada, ; Bestor, ). Similarly, helping the community identify culturally relevant activities that focus on remembering those who were lost, maintaining hope, and finding meaning can foster resilience (Bestor, ; James et al., 2012).…”

Patterns of disaster commemoration in long‐term recovery

“…Initially, these memorials fulfill the same functions of grief work, communication, and community formation. For instance, memorial markers erected after major tsunamis in Japan's Tohoku region communicate the extent of previous inundations, urge people to higher ground, honor the dead, and provide spaces for community rituals (Suppasri and others ; Bestor ). War memorials strongly resemble long‐term disaster memorials in form and function.…”

Virtual Earthquakes and Real-World Survival in Japan'sDisaster ReportVideo Game

“…Marylin Ivy (2015, 191) notes the enduring power of cellphone pictures and family albums after the Triple Disaster, yet the intertwining of technology, documentation, response, and memorialization goes even further. This is a fact noted by Alexis Dudden (2012, 349) in relation to the widespread usage of Twitter and blogging platforms to document the unfolding crisis of Fukushima, and by Theodore C. Bestor (2013, 766) when reporting on the Reischauer Institute's efforts to archive as much digital media related to the event as possible. In Japan, earthquakes and tsunami have also served as the inspiration for a popular series of video games.…”