Page 188 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Volcano and Geothermal Tourism in Japan – Examples from Honshu and Hokkaido 165

which has attracted significant international As might be expected from these reactions,
interest for its coverage of natural disaster much research has been undertaken on natural
compensation based on the destruction of human disasters in Japan. This has ranged from research on
life (Gresser, 1975; Foster, 1980) rather than that of long-term changes of the hydrologic cycle due to
property. The definition of critical environmental global warming and their social impacts, through
problems in this way meant that the environmental real-time analysis of the source process of large
movement could count on significant political earthquakes, to greater understanding of hazard
support for the realization of the democratic rights mechanisms caused by earthquakes, volcanic
of unrepresented and injured citizens, while the eruptions, landslides and floods, and the
government could respond more rapidly to actual development of disaster mitigation technologies
natural disasters (Takabatake, 1975; Reich, 1984). through observations, experiments and field
surveys. A three-dimensional full-scale earthquake
Relief programmes (including disaster testing facility (E-Defence) is under construction
planning and research) in Miki City, north of the Kansai (Kobe–Osaka–
Countermeasures against disasters in Japan fall Kyoto) area. When completed E-Defence will be
into the following categories: able to precisely reproduce the three-dimensional
ground motion recorded during the Kobe
1 Research into the scientific and technical earthquake in 1995 on a test table (www.infojapan.
aspects of disaster prevention. org/policy/disaster/21st/2.html). When coupled
2 Reinforcement of the disaster prevention with data in real-time currently available from the
system (facilities and equipment). nationwide networks of seismometers, strainmeters
3 Construction projects designed to enhance the and tiltmeters, this facility will provide building
country’s ability to defend against disasters. code information and standards that will allow
4 Emergency measures and recovery operations. much more precise volcanic and related disaster
5 Improvement of information and mitigation regulations to be implemented.
communications systems. Seismic and volcanic activity forecast mapping,
as well as hazard maps compiled by local
Japan has in fact a long history of public relief governments serve as the foundation of national
programmes for the victims of natural disasters and local disaster-prevention plans (Chapter 1 this
extending back into the Edo and early Meiji volume; Sorensen, 2002, p269). Hazard maps
periods (Kase, 2004). After the Great Kanto indicate the scale of damage that might be caused
(Tokyo–Yokohama) earthquake in September by a predicted event based on estimates from
1923, for example, many thousands of workers specific data for each district in an area, such as the
from Korea and other parts of Japan were employed strength or weakness of the ground, the
on relief construction works. These were in two concentration of buildings, the deterioration of
phases: immediate construction (requiring non- housing, and so on. However, although a seismic
skilled labour – until autumn 1924); and urban activity forecast map gives a kind of bird’s-eye
planning reconstruction (requiring more skilled view of the whole, it is the hazard map that is
workers – 1925 on). In August 1925 the national important in actually helping to minimize damage
government’s Agency for Social Affairs began an and casualties. Local governments must draw up
ongoing policy of public construction works as hazard maps, inform residents of them and
part of general social welfare provision in Japan, encourage communitywide efforts to increase the
which has survived and been extended to the earthquake resistance of buildings and formulate
present day. In addition, some big cities (Kobe, evacuation plans. In particular, it is essential that
Osaka) introduced mutual aid systems to local governments prepare evacuation plans based
supplement public reconstruction as a social safety- on tsunami, lahar and pyroclastic hazard maps.
net, while in recent years these provisions have All this attention means that Japan can be said
been extended into all big population centres and to be in one of the highest states of natural disaster
many smaller cities (Cooper and Erfurt, 2007). readiness of any modern country. This is also

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