The Great East Japan Disaster and Geography Education: School Damage, Associations’ Support Project, and Trends in Geography Teaching Practices

Abstract

The Great East Japan Disaster that struck on 11 March 2011 had a massive and wide-ranging impact on all aspects of life. It directly affected schools in the area and indirectly impacted geography associations, education policy, and geography education. This chapter provides a brief explanation of the multifaceted disaster and its aftermath, including earthquakes, tsunamis and the nuclear power plant accident. The authors’ visits to and investigations of affected schools found that needs to support geography teaching post-disaster were dependent on the disaster(s) that struck, school locations, and level of destruction. To respond to these needs, the Association of Japanese Geographers in conjunction with other associations conducted emergency fundraising. At the government level, the disaster prompted discussions on natural hazards prevention education, as demanded by policy makers at the national level. Geography education is considered one of the main subjects of the disaster prevention curriculum. As a result of public demand, disaster prevention practices have notably improved since the event. For example, in the immediate days after the disaster, many lessons were given about its occurrence and processes, along with preventative education to foster students’ knowledge and skills for surviving future natural hazards. Recently, thanks to interest generated by these lessons, geography classes have been increasingly concerned with best methods to restore devastated areas and to create a Japanese society resistant to disasters.