Disaster In Japan Research Articles

Takotsubo Syndrome or Peripartum Cardiomyopathy? Depends on Who You Are Talking to.

Takotsubo syndrome (otherwise known as broken-heart syndrome or left ventricular apical ballooning) is a rare cause of reversible heart failure that predominantly affects postmenopausal women. It was first described by Japanese researchers in the 1990s and has become established as a differential for heart failure following a physically or psychologically stressful event. This was popularised by a spike in cases following natural disasters in Japan. As the recognition of takotsubo syndrome in the differential diagnosis for sudden, onset heart failure in a previously healthy individual has grown, so has the discussion concerning takotsubo in the peripartum period. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare cause of reversible heart failure in the latter weeks of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Morbidity and mortality for both cardiomyopathies can be highly variable, ranging from complete recovery of cardiac function to life threatening arrhythmias and even death. This rapid review highlights the similarities between both cardiomyopathies and challenges the hitherto assumption that both takotsubo and peripartum cardiomyopathies are distinct entities that can easily be distinguished from one another. The implications of this are significant within the context of the behavioural aspects of diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.

Utilization and development of evacuation time estimates in wide-area evacuation planning for nuclear disasters in Japan

Utilization and development of evacuation time estimates in wide-area evacuation planning for nuclear disasters in Japan

Medical needs during the Kumamoto heavy rain 2020: analysis from emergency medical teams’ responses

BackgroundRainfall-induced floods represented 70% of the disasters in Japan from 1985 to 2018 and caused various health problems. To improve preparedness and preventive measures, more information is needed on the health problems caused by heavy rain. However, it has proven challenging to collect health data surrounding disasters due to various inhibiting factors such as environmental hazards and logistical constraints. In response to the Kumamoto Heavy Rain 2020, Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) used J-SPEED (Japan-Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters) as a daily reporting tool, collecting patient data and sending it to an EMTCC (EMT Coordination Cell) during the response. We performed a descriptive epidemiological analysis using J-SPEED data to better understand the health problems arising from the Kumamoto Heavy Rain 2020 in Japan.MethodsDuring the Kumamoto Heavy Rain 2020 from July 5 to July 31, 2020, 79 EMTs used the J-SPEED form to submit daily reports to the EMTCC on the number and types of health problems they treated. We analyzed the 207 daily reports, categorizing the data by age, gender, and time period.ResultsAmong the 816 reported consultations, women accounted for 51% and men accounted for 49%. The majority of patients were elderly (62.1%), followed by adults (32.8%), and children (5%). The most common health issues included treatment interruption (12.4%), hypertension (12.0%), wounds (10.8%), minor trauma (9.6%), and disaster-related stress symptoms (7.4%). Consultations followed six phases during the disaster response, with the highest occurrence during the hyperacute and acute phases. Directly disaster-related events comprised 13.9% of consultations, indirectly related events comprised 52.0%, and unrelated events comprised 34.0%. As the response phases progressed, the proportions of directly and indirectly related events decreased while that of unrelated events increased.ConclusionBy harnessing data captured by J-SPEED, this research demonstrates the feasibility of collecting, quantifying, and analyzing data using a uniform format. Comparison of the present findings with those of two previous analyses of J-SPEED data from other disaster scenarios that varied in time, location, and/or disaster type showcases the potential to use analysis of past experiences to advancing knowledge on disaster medicine and disaster public health.

Exploring the Gender and Age Demographics of Patients Treated by Emergency Medical Teams during Disasters.

Standardized health-data collection enables effective disaster responses and patient care. Emergency medical teams use the Japan Surveillance in Post-Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (J-SPEED) reporting template to collect patient data. EMTs submit data on treated patients to an EMT coordination cell. The World Health Organization's (WHO) EMT minimum dataset (MDS) offers an international standard for disaster data collection. The goal of this study was to analyze age and gender distribution of medical consultations in EMT during disasters. Data collected from 2016 to 2020 using the J-SPEED/MDS tools during six disasters in Japan and Mozambique were analyzed. Linear regression with data smoothing via the moving average method was employed to identify trends in medical consultations based on age and gender. 31,056 consultations were recorded: 13,958 in Japan and 17,098 in Mozambique. Women accounted for 56.3% and 55.7% of examinees in Japan and Mozambique, respectively. Children accounted for 6.8% of consultations in Japan and 28.1% in Mozambique. Elders accounted for 1.32 and 1.52 times more consultations than adults in Japan and Mozambique, respectively. Study findings highlight the importance of considering age-specific healthcare requirements in disaster planning. Real-time data collection tools such as J-SPEED and MDS, which generate both daily reports and raw data for in-depth analysis, facilitate the validation of equitable access to healthcare services, emphasize the specific needs of vulnerable groups, and enable the consideration of cultural preferences to improve healthcare provision by EMTs.

Assessment of geo-disaster in the snowmelt season considering climate changes

In this study, we reproduced avalanches and debris flow phenomena using the debris flow analysis tool, iRIC Morpho2DH, and laboratory-test apparatus. In the laboratory tests, we reproduced aggregates of snow, water, and soil that form during avalanches and debris flows using a pot mill turntable. Consequently, the possibility of forming aggregates of snow, water, and soil during debris flow phenomena was analyzed. Evaluation of avalanche and debris flow phenomena during the snowmelt season was conducted by considering the characteristics of these aggregates. Based on the results, the validity of the analysis method for the Nozuka disaster in Japan was examined. Moreover, the risks associated with future avalanches and debris flow phenomena under changing climatic conditions were studied using the Policy Decision making for Future climate change (d4PDF) database.

Field observations on the damage to road bridges after the 2023 Turkey Earthquake

A series of large-scale earthquakes occurred on February 6 in southern Turkey. The authors had the opportunity to join the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team and visit several damaged areas in Turkey from March 10 to 12, 2023. This article highlights damage cases of a road tunnel and several road bridges the authors observed around Antakya, Nurdağı, and Malatya. From the features of the observations, this article discusses the following three items for further study in the seismic design of road bridges: (1) seismic details for robustness, (2) seismic responses of bridges with longer natural periods, and (3) post-event inspection.

Detection of long-term slope displacement using time-series DInSAR and geological factor analysis for susceptibility assessment of landslides in northwestern Kyushu Island

Ongoing climate change has increased the impact of landslides and related slope disasters on infrastructure and human lives. Microwave satellite remote sensing, particularly interferometric analysis of synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data, is a powerful tool for routine monitoring of the displacement of slopes on small wavelength scales, independently from solar illumination and cloud coverage. Although various sophisticated techniques for time-series InSAR have been developed, practical application in conjunction with geological analysis to reveal intrinsic and triggering factors of slope displacement is still limited. In this paper, we describe a practical case of time-series InSAR analysis with a special focus on its geological implications in northwestern Kyushu, a high-risk area for slope-related disasters in Japan. The extracted susceptible polygons from the InSAR results show accuracy comparable with that of other recent research on landslide mapping. Intrinsic factor analysis based on a geographic information system reveals that the displacement occurs on relatively gentle slopes instead of steep areas, corresponding to the transient zone of Paleogene-Neogene sedimentary rocks and basalt. Triggering factor analysis based on correlation coefficients reveals a significant link between some displacement areas with mean and/or maximum precipitation for each observation duration. Those findings confirm the importance of carefully accounting for the geological background for landslide susceptibility assessment and policy making, apart from topographic and meteorological conditions.

Lessons from Regional Electricity Demand Change following Natural Disasters in Japan

Analyzing the impact of electricity price changes on electricity demand helps in energy supply planning. This study estimated the electricity demand functions of households and industries, as well as the impact of electricity price hikes on electricity demand following natural disasters. We found that structural changes occurred in various regions' electricity demand's price elasticity following natural disasters. Furthermore, the results showed that the decrease in consumer surplus associated with higher electricity prices was more significant in regions that depended on nuclear power. These results have important implications for regional energy policies.

Cloud Based Data Centre for Managing Logistics in the Disaster

Considering the many man-made and natural disasters that have occurred in recent years, such as the September 2001 earthquake and the tsunami in Japan, the importance of problem solving processes cannot be ignored. The total damage caused by the disaster in Japan alone is estimated at more than $300 billion. Transportation and communications play an important role in disaster response and management to minimize loss of life, economic costs and impacts. Our research includes the development of emergency response systems for disasters of all sizes, focused on transportation systems designed to use and communicate information and technology. In this article, we discuss the use of technology for disaster management using smart transportation, including mobile, mobile and cloud. The system is intelligent because it can collect information from many places and locations, including the situation and make decisions regarding the use of the communication process, making the vehicle more efficient. Hybrid vehicle communications based on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure protocols are being exploited opportunistically. The effectiveness of our system has been demonstrated by simulating the impact of disasters on the real urban environment and comparing the situation with our existing disaster management systems. We declare that the adoption of our plan has led to the improvement and stabilization of traffic and evacuation.

A COMMISSION-BASED BUSINESS MODEL FOR B2B VENDING-MACHINE BUSINESSES: THE LEAST COMMON DENOMINATOR OF THE TAXATION SYSTEMS IN JAPAN, UKRAINE, AND THE USA

The war devastated many aspects of life in Ukraine. The digital economy does not function without the proper working physical infrastructure, and vice versa. The world has two prominent economies that continually and successfully overcome massive-scale destruction of their civil infrastructure due to recurring natural disasters, namely Japan and the the USA. The short-term and long-term fiscal measures enacted by the government of Ukraine are similar to the ones undertaken by the governments of Japan and the USA. The short-term measures to overcome destruction due to the war, the recurring hurricanes, and the multitude of natural disasters, are comparable in all three countries and are based on short-term fiscal easing. The long-term measures relative to the topic seem to be absent in the USA. However, the long-term measures in Japan and Ukraine coincide directly and consist in the introduction of a special tax to aid recovery and increase robustness of the economy in the face of recurring threats, the military and natural respectively. The biggest difference between the tax laws of Ukraine, Japan, and the USA is the existence of a simplified taxation system in Ukraine. The price to pay for the use of this system is to bear two basic limitations: the requirement to have all operations to be made cash-only and the inability to claim amortization, depreciation, and deductions for tax purposes. However, during drastic economic downturns, the inability to claim losses and offset accounts on books is a heavy burden. The ability to claim losses due to destruction seems to be the main specific mechanism for the administration of fiscal help at times of disasters in Japan and the USA. For these reasons, the general taxation system may be considered a preferable choice during the war. This could allow a business entity to run with little but sufficient margins and remain within the legal field. Any existing vending business can be enhanced with the use of the business-to-business commission agreements proposed here, and that work as follows: the commissioner is providing the client one cell in a vending machine for rent, and the client sells its goods through that cell. In other words, the commissioner takes the duty to sell goods that belong to the client. This way, the B2B vending-machine business receives a guaranteed income that is comparable to the number of such commission-based vending points out of the entire number of its sales points. Besides that, the company frees a part of its liquidity that can be spent on other needs. From the perspective of the client, the agreement gives the ability to have a vending-machine business for only a fraction of the usual expenses. This means that almost any person in Ukraine may have the financial means to start such a business.

Disasters of global interdependences: lessons learned from the worst typhoon disaster in Japan

Disasters of global interdependences: lessons learned from the worst typhoon disaster in Japan

Root-associated microbial community and diversity in napiergrass across radiocesium-contaminated lands after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan

The microbiome derived from soil associated with plant roots help in plant growth and stress resistance. It exhibits potential benefits for soil remediation and restoration of radioactive-cesium (137Cs)-contaminated soils. However, there is still limited information about the community and diversity of root-associated microbiome in 137Cs-contaminated soil after the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) disaster. To address this, a comparative analysis of communities and diversity of root-associated microbiomes was conducted in two field types after the FDNPP disaster. In 2013, we investigated the community and diversity of indigenous root-associated microbiome of napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum) grown in both grassland and paddy fields of 137Cs-contaminated land-use type within a 30-km radius around the FDNPP. Results showed that the root-associated bacterial communities in napiergrass belonged to 32 phyla, 75 classes, 174 orders, 284 families, and 521 genera, whereas the root-associated fungal communities belonged to 5 phyla, 11 classes, 31 orders, 59 families, and 64 genera. The most frequently observed phylum in both grassland and paddy field was Proteobacteria (47.4% and 55.9%, respectively), followed by Actinobacteriota (23.8% and 27.9%, respectively) and Bacteroidota (10.1% and 11.3%, respectively). The dominant fungal phylum observed in both grassland and paddy field was Basidiomycota (75.9% and 94.2%, respectively), followed by Ascomycota (24.0% and 5.8%, respectively). Land-use type significantly affected the bacterial and fungal communities that colonize the roots of napiergrass. Several 137Cs-tolerant bacterial and fungal taxa were also identified, which may be potentially applied for the phytoremediation of 137Cs-contaminated areas around FDNPP. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of microbial communities in 137Cs-contaminated lands and their long-term ecosystem benefits for phytoremediation efforts.

Evaluation of tornadic environments and their trends and projected changes in Japan

Tornadoes are responsible for several high-impact weather disasters in Japan. However, little is known about how these events have changed over the last several decades or how they may change in future climates. This study examines environmental conditions associated with tornados in Japan using pseudo-soundings from the high-resolution fifth-generation ECMWF reanalysis. We first determine appropriate discriminators of F2+ tornadoes using thermodynamic (convective available potential energy, convective inhibition, lifting condensation level, and the K-index), kinematic (bulk wind difference and storm-relative helicity), and multivariate tornado parameters (energy helicity index, K-helicity index, and the significant tornado parameter), and confirm that F2+ tornadoes occur in environments with higher instability and helicity, but are better distinguished using multivariate parameters. Recent trends indicate that F2+ environments have increased significantly in some regions over the last four decades. We also examined future changes for each parameter using a large ensemble 2-K warming experiment. Robust increases in strong tornado environments are depicted in many regions in Japan, particularly on the Sea of Japan side and the Kanto region. This indicates that despite projected decreases in bulk wind difference and higher convective inhibition, significant increases in atmospheric instability compensate, leading to more days with F2+ tornado potential.

Conceptualizing disaster waste governance using network governance perspectives

The establishment of an effective disaster waste management (DWM) system is necessary for a resilient and sustainable society. Although some DWM guidelines have been developed and there has been some progress in DWM research, little progress has been made in developing a theory of how the various aspects of DWM relate to each other and lead to effective, collaborative DWM. Here, we present a new conceptual model of disaster waste governance. Empirical studies on DWM were reviewed to clarify the current understanding of how DWM operation is affected by other nontechnical aspects. This knowledge was then incorporated into the disaster waste governance model, based on the perspectives of network governance theory, to capture the collaborative nature of DWM. The new model assumes that waste governance competency, consisting of actor capacity and network competency, rests at the core, connecting waste management after disasters with solid waste management, preparedness, and mitigation in normal times. A detailed description of this disaster waste governance model is further provided by drawing on examples from recent disasters in Japan and other countries. The proposed model allows stakeholders to comprehensively understand the relationship between key aspects of collaborative DWM, which can serve as a common framework to compare DWM experiences from different cities/countries and as a tool to help identify gaps in policies when aiming to achieve an effective and collaborative DWM system.

On the stability of preferences: Experimental evidence from two disasters

We investigate the impacts of two disasters in Japan and the Philippines on preferences using the convex time budget experiments and multiple price list experiments with monetary rewards. By exploiting natural experiments which are combined with lab-in-the-field experiments, we aim to investigate whether and how long preferences are affected by extreme events. We find evidence supporting preference instability caused by exposure to natural hazards: in both our study sites, disaster exposure seems to make individuals more present-biased even though they differ in socioeconomic conditions and disaster types. The estimated impacts are persistent over the short and long time intervals in both disaster-affected areas and are robust to the method of measuring preferences.

Writing the World, Reading Across Borders: Fukushima: Récit d’un désastre Outside Its Disciplinary Boundaries

On March 18, 2011, one of Germany’s most famous children’s book authors, Gudrun Pausewang (1928-2020), publicly spoke about the connection between 3/11 and her award-winning 1987 classic, Fall-Out (Die Wolke). I posit that Michaël Ferrier’s texts with a 3/11 theme highlight the synchronic as well as diachronic dimensions of the Great East Japan Disaster and therefore go far beyond Pausewang’s 1987 approach to think globally about nuclear energy and technological risk scenarios. While Pausewang’s novel focuses on the tragic experience of a young adult who copes with the aftermath of a nuclear accident in Germany in the 1980s, Ferrier strategically reveals the complexities of knowledge and uncertainty in the wake of environmental and human catastrophe as an on-going crisis or déjà-vu of Chernobyl and Hiroshima. My analysis explores Ferrier’s (re)mediation of the convolution of this crisis across various media, including documents of popular culture, by insisting on the thematic and structural connections between his texts with a 3/11 theme, Pausewang’s 1987 novel, and two German adaptations of Pausewang’s novel, Gregor Schnitzler’s 2006 drama film, Die Wolke, as well as a Anike Hage’s 2008 graphic novel. Ferrier’s works unapologetically reveal elisions that have occurred in mediated disaster narratives across borders.

Do disasters exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities in health among older people?

Disasters can exacerbate socioeconomic health disparities because of differential exposure (e.g., socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are more likely to be exposed to disaster-related trauma) and differential vulnerability (disadvantaged groups are more likely to suffer health consequences of exposure to trauma). We sought to test whether health disparities among older adults widened in the area which was directly affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami compared to areas which largely escaped tsunami damage. We used data from a cohort of community-dwelling older adults who were directly affected by the 2011 disaster (the Iwanuma Study) and municipalities that were not directly affected (the JAGES parent cohort excluding Iwanuma city). The Iwanuma Study gathered pre-disaster information from participants in 2010 (seven months before the disaster) as well as post-disaster information in 2013, 2016 and 2019 (2.5, 5.5 and 8.5 years after the disaster). Our outcomes were depressive symptoms (GDS) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). We examined the pre-versus post-disaster trends in socioeconomic health disparities using the slope index and relative index of inequality. We then conducted a difference-in-difference analysis comparing the pre/post disaster change in health disparities in the “exposed” city (Iwanuma) compared to “control” cities. We found clear pre-disaster socioeconomic inequalities in both GDS and IADL in both the exposed and control cities. However, the magnitude of these inequalities did not change after the disaster on either the absolute or relative scales. The 2011 disaster in northeastern Japan did not exacerbate pre-existing patterns of health inequalities in the older population.

Implementation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Program in Japan as an Effort for Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia

The natural disasters that occurred in Japan have caused losses both financially and in terms of casualties. Based on data from the Japanese government, the total losses experienced by the country from 1980 to 2010 amounted to US$ 208,230,800. Meanwhile, the number of recorded fatalities was 8,568 people, with an average of 276 fatalities per year due to natural disasters in Japan. This study aims to focus on the development of a disaster information system to reduce disaster risk in Japan which can also be implemented in Indonesia. The research method used in this study is a qualitative approach. In this approach, researchers use descriptive methods to collect data. This approach was chosen because this research was conducted during an Overseas Work Lecture through a Video Conference from Japan on May 30, 2023. The conclusions from this study indicate that the Japanese government has changed its approach to natural disasters and prioritized disaster risk reduction (DRR) programs. They focus on better regional planning, building earthquake-resistant buildings, and raising community awareness. In addition, the disaster management system in Japan involves various government ministries and agencies working together in planning, implementing, and supervising disaster management operations. The Japanese government has a strong commitment to the DRR program and regards investment in disaster risk reduction as an important measure to protect the country's life and economy. Through improving urban planning, strict construction regulations, disaster education, and active community participation, Japan is trying to live side by side with disasters and has strong resilience against these threats.

Recurrence and Long-Term Evaluation of Kanto Earthquakes

ABSTRACT The 1923 Taisho Kanto earthquake—an interplate event along the Sagami trough where the Philippine Sea plate subducts beneath the Kanto region—produced ground shaking, crustal deformation, landslides, and tsunamis, and caused the worst earthquake disaster in Japan. Based on seismological and geodetic data, many fault models have been proposed, extending ∼100 km from the epicenter, with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.8–8.2, and large slips of ∼8 m located near the epicenter and beneath the Miura Peninsula. The penultimate 1703 Genroku Kanto earthquake produced similar macroseismic effects around Sagami Bay and the Miura Peninsula, but larger coastal uplift and tsunami in the Boso Peninsula. The proposed fault models extend off the Boso Peninsula with Mw of 8.1–8.5. In 2004, the Earthquake Research Committee (ERC) classified the Kanto earthquakes as “Taisho type” and “Genroku type” with recurrence intervals of 200–400 yr and 2300 yr, respectively. In 2014, the ERC revised the long-term evaluation to a recurrence interval of 180–590 yr and a 30 yr probability of 0%–5% based on the Brownian passage time model. With the Cabinet Office, the ERC considered the source area of the maximum possible earthquake of Mw 8.6–8.7. The recent historiographical and paleoseismological studies have identified other candidates for the past Kanto earthquakes in 1495, 1433, 1293, and 878. Various combinations of these candidates give a mean recurrence interval of 210–315 yr, an aperiodicity parameter of 0.04–0.76, and a 30 yr probability of 0.0%–19%. The Cabinet Office has calculated the seismic intensity and tsunami heights of various types of Kanto earthquakes. National and local governments estimate the damage from these hazards. For the Tokyo metropolitan area, the estimated damage and occurrence probability are more significant for M ∼7 earthquakes with various types and depths, and most mitigation efforts are directed at such events.

Creation of the first regional medical resource map for use in a disaster

BackgroundJapan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes. In addition, as the climate is changing due to global warming, heavy rains have caused frequent floods recently. Following the occurrence of disasters, citizens often experience confusion regarding access to healthcare services. Moreover, health professionals often face uncertainty regarding the availability of medical services in their local area. The Tokyo Kita city Pharmacist Association (KPA) independently developed the pharmacist safety confirmation (PSC) and pharmacy status confirmation (PSTC) systems to provide information regarding pharmaceutical resources during a disaster. These systems are very useful; however, they only provide information about pharmacies. Using this system as a base, a regional medical resource (RMR) map was created in cooperation with the Medical Association and Dental Association to provide useful medical resource information for clinicians and citizens during a disaster. ObjectivesThe study aimed to assess the effectiveness and reliability of the RMR map. MethodsThe PSC and PSTC systems were originally invented by the KPA. The systems were employed in the event of actual earthquakes and flood damages and have produced positive results. An RMR map was created as a new resource map system by updating the software and platform of PSC and PSTC, and its reliability and efficacy were verified using drills. Drills were conducted seven times from 2018 to 2021. ResultsOut of the 527 member facilities, 450 were registered. The response rate ranged from 49.4% to 73.8% and the system successfully created useful maps. ConclusionThis is the first report on the creation of an effective RMR map that can be used for helping people during disasters in Japan.