The integration of negative heritage in rehabilitation strategies in Fukushima Prefecture: Bosai Tourism and Social Services Improvements in depopulated regions in Futaba, Namie, Minamisoma and Soma.
| Project/Area Number |
19K23126
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
0104:Geography, cultural anthropology, folklore, and related fields
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University |
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Principal Investigator |
Gerster Julia 東北大学, 災害科学国際研究所, 助教 (90842716)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-08-30 – 2022-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2020)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
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| Keywords | Negative Heritage / Bosai Tourism / Dark Tourism / Disaster Recovery / Resilience / Identity / Cultural Memory / 3.11 / Negative heritage / Post-disaster / Earthquake / Tsunami / Nuclear Disaster / Recovery / Narratives / revitalization / disaster risk education / nuclear disaster / depopulation / disaster recovery |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
This study clarifies and aims to evaluate how affected municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture try to integrate the negative image of the nuclear disaster in rehabilitation measures. Examples for such practices will be Bosai Tourism and social services improvements in depopulated and aging communities.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This research investigates how lessons from the 3.11 disasters are implemented in disaster risk education through negative heritage preservation, tourism, and memorialization practices in Japan. First research results show that preserving negative examples of evacuation can lead to improvements in disaster mitigation measures. However, also frictions regarding negative heritage and its promotion in tourism and education in local communities were uncovered. The ongoing pandemic made clear that recovery strategies should not rely too much on tourism as it led to financial difficulties of the communities that introduced facilities mainly focusing on visitors. Disaster museums on the other hand were able to attract domestic visitors through the promotion of disaster risk education.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, international tourism came to a halt in Japan. The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics further led to the cancellation of many promotional activities of the Tohoku region. The rapid change of the state of emergency in different regions in Japan further led to a decline in domestic tourism in the Tohoku region. The research focus this year has changed accordingly to negative heritage preservation in the Tohoku region. Field research and interviews with stakeholders on the topic led to valuable results that were shared at international conferences and in research papers.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Based on the current research results, interviews with stakeholders in negative heritage preservation will be increased. After travel restrictions are eased, research on post-disaster narrative construction through Bosai and Hope tourism will continue. Adaptation methods in terms of online tours will further be investigated. In addition to interviews, online surveys with local communities and tourists will be conducted. Discussions on the project with stakeholders and experts will continue in meetings and at international conferences. Results will be submitted in research papers to international journals.
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Report
(2 results)
Research Products
(14 results)
