Anthropological Research on Hazards and Disasters

When I think of highly-advanced, technology-based societies, Japan is one of the first places that comes to my mind. Oliver-Smith’s article, however, allowed me to realize that no matter how developed and prosperous a country is, it is incomplete if it cannot prevail against the unstoppable forces of nature. Oliver-Smith states: “In effect, if a society cannot withstand without major damage and disruption a predictable feature of its environment, that society has not developed in a sustainable way” (pg 304).  Although Japan and other major countries are successful in a variety of social and technological fields, there is still much we all have to learn in order to live safely and effectively alongside Mother Nature. This ideal also relates to Oliver-Smith’s point regarding how man plays a part in “natural” disasters. Because Japan utilizes nuclear power plants to provide power for the cities and holds a large population in an apparently dangerous area, it has actually sacrificed the safety of its people as it has grown and developed. The same can be said for a variety of other advanced nations, although the cause of danger may be somewhat different. At the moment it appears that there is not and may never be a solution to achieving a balance between a country’s progression and its safety, but hopefully this will not lead to an even more devastating effect on Japan or other nations across the globe.

I am glad to say that Japan doesn’t seem to fit one of Oliver-Smith’s examples in the article regarding unequal distribution of aid and goods based on various forms of discrimination. While other countries such as India may delegate goods based on class in a time of crisis, I believe that Japan’s strong sense of national identity will prevent distribution discrimination if a country-wide disaster ever occurs. I also feel that Japan as a unified nation will not succumb to dependency on other nations or loss of culture and community as explained by Oliver-Smith. Japan appears to be rather stable in terms of culture, the government, and economic classes, and so I don’t believe the country will encounter any major uprisings or changes to everyday life (whether this is good or bad, I can’t exactly say). On a slightly different note, I am somewhat curious but worried about the future of the relationship between northern and southern Japanese residents. After the earthquake and tsunami occurred, a strong dislike of the city-dwellers was advocated by the direct victims of the disaster – those who worked to help provide power for Tokyo suffered while those living in Tokyo were much less affected. I wonder if this disaster will lead to a greater divide within the country and if Japan’s sense of nationalism will decline, and what effects these changes would have on the society if another disaster occurs.

As the article states, disasters can be “the best of times and the worst of times”, and we can only hope that this horrific event can help to pull the nation together rather than tear it apart.

Responses

While reading about my classmates’ experiences with the 311 earthquake, two major themes caught my eye: the strong sense of uncertainty created by the media/lack of the media and technology, and the vulnerability of humans against the unpredictable forces of nature. From the native’s perspectives, all was relatively calm during the earthquake, but as soon as communication was cut off, the true panic set in. People seemed to be at a loss, relentlessly worrying about their families, and turning to the television and internet for any bit of information on the quake. In my opinion technology has given people the sense of being close to others even when separated by a physical distance, and once that connection is severed, we cannot help but feel devastated and alone. From the foreigner’s perspective, their time was spent being flooded by many different opinions from friends, family, and the news everywhere they went. The discrepancy caused by conflicting opinions made us truly confused, and the time before traveling to Japan was unsettling to say the least. It’s interesting for me to imagine what life was like before the world became so interconnected through phones and the internet – how would people handle this situation, and how would this situation be perceived by the rest of the world? Would there actually be more order and less panic in a time when people were forced to rely on themselves alone to make sense of situations such as this one?

As for our vulnerability, I feel that the earthquake has really reminded people that although we might feel on top and in control of our lives and even the world around us, we will never be able to prevent such disasters from happening, and people from dying. I don’t believe people should dwell on the idea of death often, but I think this occurrence forced many to reflect on the strong possibility of death and the fragility of the human life, as hard as it may be to imagine.

What really struck me was a comment someone made (I can’t find the blog again for some reason @_@) about how the lives of various Japanese people are essentially being sacrificed in order to provide for the larger city population. The person questioned if the bigger cities really need all this power, and expressed his/her desire for the preservation of farmland rather than the production of more plants. In class we talked about how many people from the areas around the affected power plants are resentful toward Tokyo, and I am very curious as to how these strong feelings will play out in the future. Will Japan make changes in order to ensure that the power plants won’t affect a population like this again, or will they continue to build without any concern for the opinion of the people being put in danger? Will these feelings become strong enough to divide the nation, or cause people to protest against the government’s decisions?

In conclusion I just wanted to say I was touched by people’s willingness to help (both gaizin and natives alike), and amazed by the strength and resilience of the Japanese people in such a difficult time. If this earthquake occurred anywhere else in the world, I doubt we would see the same reaction – if any country can come back strong from such a devastating disaster, it’s Japan.

３１１

Growing up a half-mile down the road from a nuclear power plant in upstate New York, I’ve sort of been desensitized to its presence and the negative aspects associated with nuclear power – once I heard that my study abroad program gave us the o-kay, I was ready to get on the plane and start my semester after more than four long months of waiting. My relatives in Yokosuka reported that everyone made it just fine, my grandma confirmed her yearly trip from Hawaii to Japan, and my dad (a nuclear engineer for more than twenty years) assured me that the worst had already passed, and so my worries were alleviated considerably. As time progressed, however, I was continually harassed by friends, relatives, and even people who I hardly knew about my decision to leave. Waiting day after day glued to the news channel was stressful enough, but I could hardly leave the house or even check my phone or facebook without being pestered by someone who didn’t share the same view as me. What bothered me the most was how friends and colleagues harassed my mom daily, telling her that she was ignorant to the danger and a terrible mother for allowing me to go. I’m really thankful that my mother ignored the group mentality of her peers and risked her reputation for me – she knows going to Japan has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and her desire to give me all the opportunities she never had helped her to make a difficult but correct decision in my mind. Between the day of the earthquake and the day I arrived I was plagued by doubt, confusion, and frustration, but in the end I am glad I made this choice and I believe I will never regret it.

Although my town is quite small and perhaps doesn’t boast the best-educated group of people in the world, their ignorance about the situation was truly baffling. My mom’s friend who works at the bar down the road told me that I wouldn’t be able to go since planes were no longer allowed in Japan, and that if I somehow made it I would need to bring a gas mask with me. Seriously, what are these people thinking? I am really curious to see the image of Japan that they have in their heads – do they really think Japan has been transformed into some kind of fume-covered wasteland?  I wish I could show them what Tokyo looks like now – trains running, busy streets, and groups of people drinking happily under the sakura.  I’ve never been to Tokyo before this past week, but as far as I can tell, at this moment Tokyo looks as normal as the next city, and it doesn’t mirror the horrific images portrayed by the media or word of mouth whatsoever. This incident has made me very curious as to how much that we see or hear through the media is exaggerated, and what kind of negative impact these claims will have on Japanese tourism and the economy. It’s frightening to me that what I learn from the television, internet, etc. may not be entirely true, and that millions of people around the world – myself included – may be ignorant to the reality of global situations. I will try my best to search for the truth, but in the end I guess I will never truly know what to believe.   

I know my experience involving the earthquake is insignificant compared to the Japanese people affected both in the north and elsewhere, and I just wanted to say that I am truly sorry for what happened and I wish the best of luck to everyone.  がんばれ日本！

今上智大学のブログです。。。

前川先生へ、

上智大学のクラスのためにこのブログを使うつもりです。いいですか。すみません！

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