June 2011
For Future Discussions
Keiko Murakami
One week after the earthquake, the evacuation centers were still crowded with people seeking information on their loved ones’ safety. The devastation was extensive and brutal. Countless numbers of transport and communication facilities suffered severe disruptions. In large swaths of coastal northeastern Japan struck by tsunami waves, one could no longer tell what was once there. Naturally, it was extremely difficult to collect and share information. People were thrown back on their own resources and sought all manner of old and tried methods and cast about for new ones. This report looks at how these efforts were made and will assess the degree of success achieved in terms of overcoming oft-noted problems of safety confirmation systems.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, the whole country felt at one with people in the stricken areas, holding onto a glimmer of hope that the smallest of clues would emerge about missing persons. An array of efforts continued for a long term, seeking out for information. As a result, we have gained a better knowledge to help us reexamine focal points in a safety confirmation system with greater clarity of thought. First of all, we need to establish a function of safety information center, which has long been languishing after The Great Hanshin earthquake. The Great East Japan Earthquake is the first natural disaster to have hit Japan since a safety confirmation platform made its appearance on the Internet. It is of utmost importance to gather information and assess these new efforts primarily initiated by private individuals. Secondly, with a rapid increase in the number of people using telecom-related systems, the existing media is forced to reconsider its place in society going forward. This is a major issue for NHK which has traditionally taken on the responsibility of safety confirmation news distribution. Lastly, there is the question of structural dilemma. Are we going to continue to allow ourselves to be powerless against the fact that the hardest to reach are always those who need information most? We believe we were able to learn something from various efforts. Putting these efforts on a firmer footing in the future depends on our preparedness in times of peace, ability to act flexibly with courage and determination. This report lays out the development of safety confirmation efforts chronologically. Part one describes the initial period (three days since the outbreak of the quake). Part two covers the gestation period (3/14 to 3/21). Part three is about the fruition period (one month from 3/16). The report will then be wrapped up with a summary assessment.