Investigating community behaviour after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake: a case study of Kawaguchi, Japan M. Gismondi Asia Air Survey Co., LTD, Shinyuri 21 bldg., 2-2 Manpukuji-1, Asao-Ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, 215-0004, Japan
Received: 08 Aug 2011 – Published in Soc. Geogr. Discuss.: 06 Dec 2011 Revised: 16 Feb 2012 – Accepted: 21 Feb 2012 – Published: 02 Mar 2012
Abstract. Every year, earthquakes cause economic and human losses around the globe. In
Japan, a great deal of attention has focused on improving the safety of
structures and individuals in the last decade. The introduction here of
several new related policies, together with continuous discussion of such
policies, has raised the level of environmental security nationwide. Despite
this significant effort, individual preparedness and awareness are still
lacking, especially in rural areas, where technological advancements and
policy applications often arrive late. In this paper, Kawaguchi in Niigata
Prefecture, Japan was chosen as study area because of both the major damage
experienced during the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake and the particularly dynamic
socio-cultural activities of the community. Using interviews and
questionnaires to collect information, this study aims to investigate the
causes of local variations in community behaviour after the earthquake.
Geographic location as well as everyday social relationships, social
interactions and organisation are considered the main causes of the
differences in community organisation during the recovery process. This
study highlights the necessity for more localised emergency education in
order to promote longer-lasting awareness and preparation in rural areas.
Citation: Gismondi, M.: Investigating community behaviour after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake: a case study of Kawaguchi, Japan, Soc. Geogr., 7, 1-12, doi:10.5194/sg-7-1-2012, 2012.