‘Pay-it-forward’ network from survivors to rescuers

–a case study after 3.11 Tohoku Earthquake–

Graduate School of Human Sciences,Osaka University, Japan

Hiroaki DAIMON

March 11th, 2011

The Great East Japan Earthquake (Tohoku Earthquake)

Japan Meteorological AgencyAsahi Shimbun (newspaper)

March 11th, 2015Kahoku Shinpo

I do not say such a thing… We can do nothing but live in a positive. We lost ‘material’ things although we got ‘immaterial’ things after disaster; of course, what we lost is much more than what we got.

A woman in Kesennuma city, Miyagi Prefecture,November 11th, 2014

What is the ‘Fruitful’ recovery?

It’s important to recover the town as well as people living in the disaster.

The woman in Niigata(disaster area in 2007)

Mainichi Newspapers

Outline

• ‘Pay-it-Forward’ Network (Atsumi, 2014)• the debt: survivors think they want to not only be helped

by others but also help others• When we are able to support survivors of future

disasters, it is the time of our recovery.Community leader, Minami-Sanriku Town,

Miyagi Prefecture, after the 2011 tsunami

①

②

Kobe cityIn 1995

Kobe Shimbun

Kobe Earthquake Total Death: 6,434 Total Damage: $100 bilion

Ojiya city, NiigataIn 2004Mainichi newspapers

Chuetsu Earthquake Total Death: 68 Total Damage: $30 bilion

Noda village, IwateIn 2011

Asahi Shimbun Company

Tohoku Earthquake Total Death: Total Damage: $122 bilion

‘Pay-it-Forward’ Network

A B C

Next disaster

A helps B B helps C?

?

What can survivors only do?

We, survivors, are open each other soon, because we already shared the process of restore and recovery

The woman in Niigata(disaster area in 2007), 2014during exchange meeting between survivors

‘Survivors’ make a chain for next disaster• I cannot go to the disaster area, however what I can

do is writing a letter to survivor.

A girl in Kobe, 2011 after Tohoku Earthquake

Source: ‘20th years after Kobe earthquake’

(Hanshin-Awaji Daishinsai Watashitachi no Nijunenme)

‘Pay-it-Forward’ Network

A B C

Next disaster

A helps B B helps C

?• Problems

• 1. Experience of being helped• 2. In the rural area: bad access area• 3. Volunteer rate is relatively low

• Few examples in 2011

Thank you for your attention