Abstract
The phenomenon named kodokushi, meaning death alone without the care or company of anyone inside temporary housing, appeared after the Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995 with some 250 cases. This paper analyzes the evolution of Japanese temporary houses—to attempt to prevent the problem of kodokushi—from the point of view of management, how services and activities are organized, and design. We will use case studies as our methodological tool, analyzing the responses in 1995 Kobe (50,000 THs), 2004 Chūetsu (3000 THs), 2011 Tōhoku (50,000 THs), and 2016 Kumamoto (4000 THs). This article shows how the Japanese THAs follow a single design that has undergone very little variation in the last 25 years, a design which promotes the social isolation of their residents, making recovery—from the psychological perspective—and helping the most vulnerable members of society, more difficult. In small scale disasters (Chūetsu) applying organization and management measures was able to correct the problems caused by design and there were no cases of kodokushi: in large-scale disasters (Tōhoku), however, the difficulties to implement the same measures resulted in the reappearance of new cases at rates similar to Kobe’s. Our main conclusion is that the design of Japanese THAs must be reconsidered and changed to respond to the real needs of the most vulnerable groups.
Highlights
Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, with more than 2000 fault lines
In small scale disasters (Chūetsu) applying organization and management measures was able to correct the problems caused by design and there were no cases of kodokushi: in large-scale disasters (Tōhoku), the difficulties to implement the same measures resulted in the reappearance of new cases at rates similar to Kobe’s
The goal of this paper is twofold: to determine the reason the measures to eliminate the problem of kodokushi in the THAs in 2011 Tōhoku failed when they were able to eliminate it in the 2004 Chūetsu disaster and to learn from the latest disasters to improve the design of the THAs to prepare for the large-scale disaster that hits Japan
Summary
Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, with more than 2000 fault lines. Unlike temporary or emergency shelter, focused on providing shelter for the period immediately after the catastrophe and when life is interrupted, TH allows inhabitants to return to their domestic responsibilities and daily routines [5]. When people lose their houses, they lose more than just a place to live. Temporary housing is a determining factor in recovery It is a support for family and community life enabling people to make a living, maintain families, and move and communicate freely [8]. Having appropriate housing is a first step towards creating a certain sense of normalcy in the life of affected communities [11]
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