Changed Communities and Sources of Information: A Qualitative Study about Recovery in Post-nuclear Fukushima, Japan

Abstract

Japan's 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster are still in the recovery process. Though buildings and infrastructure have been reconstructed, socio-psychological recoveries have been ongoing and indefinite. Residents from coastal villages along Fukushima Prefecture have dealt with mass deaths, loss of land, high exposure to radioactive nuclides, and forced evacuations, while communities across the entire prefecture have been altered by global perceptions and demographically with an influx of evacuees. This qualitative study examines long-form survey answers from 123 respondents from eight different areas of Fukushima. Findings suggest that in post-nuclear Fukushima, connection to individuals in the changed community environment, community support, and the ability to confide in neighbors about experiences has been hindered. In addition, a presence of internal stigma, tensions concerning unfair compensation, uneasiness about a lack of information from media, a hesitation to talk about the disaster, and continued indicators of PTSD remain. Though past research has examined a global Fukushima stigma and the effects it has on residents, until now none has examined the internal stigmas residents have toward each other and the effects they have on the community. Through examining the social situation in post-nuclear Fukushima, this research stands as an important contribution to better understanding the social and socio-psychological strains that may be hindering a full recovery from disaster.