Beyond Human Migration: Cross-Border Ethnography of Tsunami, Debris, and Marine Species from 3.11 Tohoku, Japan

Japanese disaster management approaches have been enhanced and strengthened through repeated experiences of disasters in the past. The report presents lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, a disaster caused by a low-probability but extremely large hazard, and introduces the distinct features of Japanese water-related disaster management, including those enhanced and strengthened based on the recent lessons. Finally, drawing from Japan's experiences, messages to be sent to the world from the water-related disaster community are proposed.

Field surveys following major coastal disasters, such as the Chile tsunami in 2010 or the Tohoku tsunami in Japan in 2011, have pointed out the lack of resilience of coastal communities to such events and the need to better understand the risks associated with them (Takahashi et al. [2010]; Palermo et al. [2013]; Esteban et al. [2015]). While the primary cause of destruction during tsunamis remains associated with the hydraulic loads (hydrostatic, hydrodynamics, wave impact, etc.), it has been demonstrated that debris loading is also a major cause of damage on structures, mainly through debris impact and damming (Yeh et al. [2014]). In the past decade, multiple studies have addressed debris transport and loading in extreme events (Shafiei et al. [2016]; Ikeno et al. [2016]; Stolle et al. [2018]). However, those studies mainly focused on positively buoyant debris, like wood logs or empty containers, leaving a gap in knowledge. Indeed, Stolle et al. [2020], in a field survey following the Indonesian tsunami in 2018, identified the study of neutrally and negatively buoyant debris as one of five major needs in debris loading research, with even ASCE7-16 Chapter 6 containing limited recommendation on the load associated with those type of debris.

We present a detailed timeline of the warning procedures as they unfolded at the Laboratoire de Geophysique in Papeete, Tahiti, during the nights of 26–27 February 2010 (Maule, Chile tsunami) and 10–11 March 2011 (Tohoku tsunami). In particular, we discuss how the flow of information available to the warning center (including seismic evaluations obtained both locally and from other warning centers, as well as maregraph and DART buoy data) built up and eventually led to red alerts, which the local authorities used in both cases to impose an evacuation of low-lying areas on 68 islands. While the alerts were successful in Polynesia, a difficulty arose in 2011 when the alert had to be reinstated immediately as the all clear was being declared, since the maximum amplitude was carried by the fourth wave packet. We also present a complete dataset of 119 values of run-up and inundation surveyed in the aftermath of the two tsunamis, principally in the Marquesas Islands where their effects were maximal, and on Tahiti and Moorea for the 2011 event. The highest run-up (4.45 m) was observed in 2011 in the Bay of Taipivai on Nuku Hiva, where seven houses were flooded. We find no clear correlation between run-up values at the same locations in 2010 and 2011, suggesting that local responses are controlled by details specific to each tsunami. In 2010, in the village of Puamau on Hiva Oa (Marquesas), a delayed harbor response, probably due to resonance of the bay upon arrival of short-period components dispersed outside the shallow-water approximation, flung a launch onto a wharf, 7 h after the first arrivals, and 2.5 h after issuance of the all clear.

In the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), successful medical and public health coordination by pre-assigned disaster medical coordinators saved many affected people, though the coordination itself had difficulties. This study aims to clarify the implementation and the challenges of disaster medical coordinators in Japan. We performed questionnaire surveillance in 2012 and 2014 to all prefectural government on assignment of disaster medical coordinators, their expected roles and supporting system. Out of all 47 prefectures, assignment or planning of disaster medical coordinators jumped up from four (8.5%) to 43 (91.5%) by the end of 2015. The most expected role is the coordination with Japan Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT) and with other early responders. The evacuation center management, public health coordination and preparedness before disaster are less frequently expected. The supporting materials, human resource, and tools for communication vary according to the prefecture. Successful implementation requires the effort of health and governmental stakeholders. The coordination between prefectural and local coordinators and the coordination between medical and public health authorities still need to be improved. The roles of disaster medical coordinators depend on the local context and types of hazards. Education and training to build fundamental capacity is necessary. In conclusion, Japanese disaster medical system rapidly implemented disaster medical coordinator after GEJE. Their roles and standardization are challenging, but education, training and systematic support by the local government will enhance the effective preparedness and response of the health sector in disasters.

Biochemical genetic markers have been increasingly used for inferences on the population genetic structure of various fish, but little attention has been paid to relative differences in the distribution of variability within species in different groups of fish. Nested gene diversity analyses of multiple locus electrophoretic data from the literature for 19 species (6 marine species, 4 anadromous salmonids, and 9 freshwater species (5 salmonids)), mainly from Scandinavia and North America, show that (i) average heterozygosity is higher in marine species than in freshwater species, (ii) the average fraction of the total gene diversity allocated between localities increases in the order marine (1.6%), anadromous (3.7%), and freshwater species (29.4%), and (iii) the fraction of the total gene diversity associated with differences between geographic clusters of localities is generally smaller than that between localities within clusters. This finding is consistent with that the differentiation observed in most species is of postglacial origin, and that the timespan available since deglaciation has been too short to result in the accumulation of substantial differences between clusters.

Global Value Chains in the Time of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, dark tourism was developed in the Tohoku Region of Japan. Notably, two government-built tsunami memorial parks in Ishinomaki and Rikuzentakata have obtained attention for their profound disaster narratives, iconic disaster sites, and expansive layouts. This study is the first to compare the projected destination image presented by destination management organizations with the perceived destination image held by visitors in these parks, and in dark tourism. Using online text data from both supply and demand sides of dark tourism and text mining analyses such as word frequency analysis, co-occurrence network analysis, and affection tendency examination, we revealed similarities and disparities between these two perspectives. Furthermore, this study concluded dimensions specific to dark tourism sites within the cognitive and affective destination image. Based on the findings, the study provides advice for destination managers to improve these sites, including developing non-dark tourism products and improving infrastructures. Additionally, it proposes placing greater emphasis on themes of revitalization and future development, while fostering visitor engagement in local non-profit and citizen activities to strengthen connections with residents. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of text mining in comparing projected and perceived destination images in the context of dark tourism sites.

We describe the progress (since 2008) in the development of the network of autonomous bottom stations of the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMGG FEB RAS), and telemetry recorders of the Tsunami Warning Service (TWS) on the Pacific coast of Russia. We show that these instrumental measurements are important for operational tsunami warning and performing an a posteriori study of tsunami manifestation features. The characteristics of the Samoan (2009), Chilean (2010), and Tohoku (2011) tsunamis in different areas of the Russian Far East coast are examined.

The 2018 Sulawesi tsunami caused widespread impacts in Palu City, Indonesia, including to components of infrastructure lifeline networks. Lifeline networks are key to the operation of society and are particularly crucial during post-disaster relief and recovery efforts. Understanding their vulnerability to tsunami hazards is important for disaster risk reduction, but is an understudied topic. This study uses field survey and remotely sensed data to develop a single dataset, used to create tsunami fragility functions for road and utility pole assets in Palu. Tsunami inundation depths were estimated at component locations from a spatial interpolation of field measured flow depths and wave run-up. Component attributes and geometries exposed to tsunami inundation were compiled from both field surveys and remote sensing on satellite imagery and ‘street view’ imagery, which included component construction material, capacity (roads) and height (poles). Roads demonstrate a 0.16 probability of exceeding complete damage at 2 m inundation depth, while utility poles see a 0.47 probability. The probability of exceeding complete damage at 2 m inundation depth for concrete, asphalt, collector and local roads is 0.34, 0.17, 0.19 and 0.13 respectively, and for concrete, steel, steel 5 m height utility poles is 0.42, 0.48, 0.49 and 0.47 respectively. When comparing the synthesised tsunami fragility functions to those from other global events, Palu roads were more vulnerable at 2 m inundation depth (0.16) compared to roads exposed to the 2011 Tohoku tsunami in Japan (0.06) and 2015 Illapel tsunami in Chile (0.05).

Three-dimensional stress state above and below the plate boundary fault after the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake

The objective of this study was to draft a new Japanese Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) training program based on the responses to the Great East Japan Earthquake. Working group members of the Japan DMAT Investigative Commission, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, reviewed reports and academic papers on DMAT activities after the disaster and identified items in the current Japanese DMAT training program that should be changed. A new program was proposed that incorporates these changes. New topics that were identified to be added to the DMAT training program were hospital evacuation, preparations to receive DMATs at damaged hospitals, coordination when DMAT activities are prolonged, and safety management and communication when on board small helicopters. The use of wide-area transport was reviewed and changes were made to cover selection of various transport means including helicopter ambulances. Content related to confined space medicine was removed. The time spent on emergency medical information system (EMIS) practical training was increased. Redundant or similar content was combined and reorganized, and a revised DMAT training program that did not increase the overall training time was designed. The revised DMAT training program will provide practical training better suited to the present circumstances in Japan.

This chapter first presents the theoretical basis of the tragic replication of misperception and mistrust subsequent to the negative mutual direct perceptions beginning to solidify in 2010. Even incoming goodwill messages from the other side can be unconsciously filtered or processed to fit in with the solidifying misperceptions. Yun Zhang uses the failure of Sino–Japanese disaster diplomacy with the 3/11 Great East Japan Earthquake as a case example showing that even the initial gestures of goodwill could be distorted by the biased perceptual lens to produce even more mistrust. The empirical case shows the ironic process of replication of mutual misperception and distrust despite high expectations from both the Chinese and Japanese sides.

In this paper, we will take the concepts of Porter’s (On competition. Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, 1998, Econ Dev Q 14(1):15–34, 2000) clusters and present an analysis of the feasibility of economic development in Japanese disaster regions under rapid population decline, utilizing two new industry clusters with innovation. The two clusters used are the automobile industry cluster, which targets the entire disaster region and whereby innovation comes from coagglomeration with different industries in mega-regions, and the food industry cluster, which target individual disaster-struck prefectures, focusing on their leveraging of local resources. This paper applies the dynamic two-regional computable general equilibrium model. We construct scenarios for each of these two clusters, and evaluate each new industry cluster model’s economic effects on disaster regions. A simulation analysis for scenarios of these two new clusters with positive and higher productivity in the coagglomerated industries reveals the following two effects: (1) that economies of agglomeration attained from vertical and horizontal coagglomeration have the effect of boosting real GRP and productivity on the macro level when the two new industry clusters are formed jointly rather than individually, and (2) that they contribute to long-term sustained growth in disaster region economies, reducing the gap between their growth and that of other regional economies. This can be interpreted to mean that the usual policies adopted, such as subsidies and corporate tax cut policies, are unable to counteract economic stagnation that comes as a result of a sharp decline for population numbers in disaster regions; it offers a conclusion that the agglomeration externalities seen from improved productivity in the formation of the new food/automobile industry clusters can offer sustained economic development in disaster regions.

The tsunami science and engineering began in Japan, the country the most frequently hit by local and distant tsunamis. The gate to the tsunami science was opened in 1896 by a giant local tsunami of the highest run-up height of 38 m that claimed 22,000 lives. The crucial key was a tide record to conclude that this tsunami was generated by a “tsunami earthquake”. In 1933, the same area was hit again by another giant tsunami. A total system of tsunami disaster mitigation including 10 “hard” and “soft” countermeasures was proposed. Relocation of dwelling houses to high ground was the major countermeasures. The tsunami forecasting began in 1941. In 1960, the Chilean Tsunami damaged the whole Japanese Pacific coast. The height of this tsunami was 5–6 m at most. The countermeasures were the construction of structures including the tsunami breakwater which was the first one in the world. Since the late 1970s, tsunami numerical simulation was developed in Japan and refined to become the UNESCO standard scheme that was transformed to 22 different countries. In 1983, photos and videos of a tsunami in the Japan Sea revealed many faces of tsunami such as soliton fission and edge bores. The 1993 tsunami devastated a town protected by seawalls 4.5 m high. This experience introduced again the idea of comprehensive countermeasures, consisted of defense structure, tsunami-resistant town development and evacuation based on warning.

본 연구에서는 원거리 지진해일에 대응하기 위한 기초 연구로써 ìœ í•œ 단층 모델과 순환 경계조건을 이용한 ì „ì§€êµ¬ 지진해일 예측 ì‹œìŠ¤í œì„ ì œì•ˆí•˜ì˜€ë‹¤. ì œì•ˆí•œ ì „ì§€êµ¬ 지진해일 예측 ì‹œìŠ¤í œì„ 2014ë „ ì¹ ë ˆ 지진해일에 ì ìš©í•˜ì—¬ 원거리 지진해일에 대한 대응 ì‹œìŠ¤í œìœ¼ë¡œì¨ì˜ 가능성을 ê²€í† í•˜ì˜€ë‹¤. ì „ì§€êµ¬ 지진해일 예측 ì‹œìŠ¤í œì˜ 경계조건, ì§€ë°°ë°©ì •ì‹, 격자 크기, 단층 모델에 따른 지진해일 íŒŒê³ ì™€ 도달시각을 DART 부이, 조위관측소 관측 자료와 비교함으로써 ìœ í•œ 단층 모델과 순환 경계조건의 중요성을 확인하였다. 핵심용어: finite fault model, cyclic boundary condition, 2014 Chile tsuanmi, wave height, arrival time