Trust and E+que.e Some Societal Consequences of the Great East Japan
Earthquake
Florian Coulmas German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies
Outline
• E+que.e • Living with the threat of disaster
“Stoic composure” • Trust
in government in science and technology in media
• The role of civil society
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Ini+al crisis response
100.000 SDF troops deployed in Tohoku
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Trust and subjec+ve well-‐being • family,• safety in the neighbourhood,• employment security,• health care,• the police and the fire department,• other government ins+tu+ons,• voluntary associa+ons,• banks,• the media
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
APershocks
Source: Earthquake Research Ins+tute, The University of Tokyo
6 months before 3/11 6 months a1er
47 343
≥ M3 earthquakes recorded in Tokyo
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
出る釘は打たれる The nail that s+cks out will be hammered down
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
14 March 2011 in Sendai, queuing for supplies
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Collec+ve intelligence of a civilized society
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
A1er 3/11 trust in government declined for three reasons: (1) The dimension and the geographic stretch of the
devasta+on made rescue opera+ons and the transport of supplies to the disaster area very difficult.
(2) As +me went by, administra+ve and legal difficul+es piled up. The opposi+on LDP stone-‐walled which, as it controls the Upper House effec+vely slowed down government ini+a+ves. (3) Ins+tu+onal structures for the supervision of nuclear power plants proved inadequate. Placing the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), which is tasked to regulate nuclear power safety, under the roof of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which promotes nuclear power, was a major mistake.
The friendly face of nuclear power
Propelled by nuclear power: Astroboy
In front of the town hall of Futaba: “Development of our home town and a prosperous future with nuclear energy. “ Photograph Munesuke Yamamoto.
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Nuclear power policy as part of regional policy
Support for Nuclear Power, Asahi Shimbun polls, April through December 2011
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
against
for
7% 42% 32% 12% 7% 3% 32% 43% 14% 8% % 27% 47% 18% 7%
10% 46% 29% 12% 3% 4% 34% 44% 15% 3%
5% 51% 30% 11% 3% 4% 49% 33% 11% 3%
What should be done about the future of nuclear power in Japan?
increase maintain the status quo decrease abolish totally others
April 18, NHK
May 16, NHK
June 16, NHK 1
April 4, Yomiuri
May 16, Yomiuri
April 18, Asahi
April 26, Sankei/FNN
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Source: JAIF, Department of Interna+onal Affairs (JAIF), 16 June 2011
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Level of acceptance of nuclear power depends on who you ask.
KOHGA3 ground robot, research team Kyoto University
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Safety myth: Because nuclear technology was deemed safe, funding for emergency robots was cut.
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
No trust in government measurements: Ci+zens of Minamisoma just outside the no-‐go zone prepare their own radia+on map.
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Trust in food safety
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Reduced trust in media
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Global Conference on a Nuclear Power Free World, Yokohama, 1/14,15, 2012
Number of registered volunteers who visited the disaster area, March 2011 through January 2012 (920,000 total)
Source: 全国社会福祉協議会 被災地支援・災害ボランティア情報 h
Japan Trust in 2011 2012 change
All bodies 51 34 -‐17
Government 51 25 -‐26
Media 48 36 -‐12
NGOs 51 36 -‐21
Data from Edelman trustbarometer, h.p://trust.edelman.com/trust-‐download/global-‐results/
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Severe decline in trust across the board
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
The dilemma today: While trust in government and in technology has been greatly compromised the present predicament cannot be resolved without government and technology.
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
E+que.e under duress: High school gradua+on in the disaster area
礼儀正しい
©Florian Coulmas, German Ins+tute for Japanese Studies Tokyo
Thank you for your a.en+on!
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