Special to The Asahi Shimbun
Special to The Asahi Shimbun
This is an unprecedented disaster for Japan for two reasons.
In the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Chuetsu Earthquake, the damage was concentrated in relatively small areas. By contrast, the magnitude of the Great East Japan Earthquake is far greater not only in terms of intensity but also in the area it affected.
For this reason, as far as citizen-level aid is concerned, it is difficult for volunteers from surrounding areas that were not affected to enter the stricken areas to extend a helping hand.
The other reason is that never before have we had such complex damage and such a tremendous shock levied by a massive earthquake and tsunami, never mind the invisible danger posed by a nuclear power plant accident.
Such a disaster is unprecedented and is causing anxiety to spread.
However, this time, a large number of people over many regions shared the earthquake experience. Personally, on the day the earthquake hit, I was also stranded as I could not go home from my office in Tokyo, and was only able to make it home just before dawn.
"It wasn't so bad for us but how agonizing it must be for people who lost their families and homes." That's what many people must have felt.
In fact, in the Tohoku region, many people are forced to endure life in evacuation centers.
Right now, perhaps because they are still tense, having survived the disaster, they may be able to exert some energy. But after a few days, many of them will be seized by a serious sense of loss and grief. Proper mental care and improved living conditions will also be required on an unprecedented scale.
Many stricken areas have limited the support of citizen volunteers, but the situation needs to be changed as soon as possible. Ideas to encourage the people in stricken areas and support them are also needed without delay. Why not use media, such as the Internet, to share and spread ideas? While the Internet can sometimes be a breeding ground of false information and groundless rumors, it can also be a gathering ground for citizens' wisdom.
For that, it is important to spread accurate facts. In particular, I am concerned that up to now, there have been inadequate explanations about the failed nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture. If a serious situation is developing, the people need to be properly informed of it. Failure to do so will spark anxiety and aggravate stress.
At the time of the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania, I was in neighboring Ohio. Immediately after the accident, I saw and heard the change in resident psychology up close and personally felt the high level of invisible stress people in the stricken area felt.
Panic is triggered when facts are covered up. No matter how serious the situation, when people know the facts, they do not panic. The same thing can be said of groundless rumors, which emerge in the process of interpreting vague information. Groundless rumors incorporate the wishes, doubts and fears of the general public.
People's imagination should be used as a means to support and encourage the disaster survivors. As shown by the so-called Tiger Mask movement, in which anonymous donors presented gifts to underprivileged children, there are many people who are potentially benevolent. We should come up with a new method of support that everyone wants to take part in. For example, wouldn't it be fun to liken the sudden energy saving campaign to a popular anime and call it "operation Yashima"? Japanese popular movements tend to be stoic but in order to tide over a long battle, imagination and a feeling of weakness are also needed.
Furthermore, it is important not to be deceived by groundless rumors and false information that tend to spread unless we are careful. I am confident that Japan has a fully mature community that can do so.
(This article was compiled from an interview by Shigeru Suzuki.)
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Hirotada Hirose is a Tokyo Woman's Christian University professor specializing in disaster and risk psychology. His published works include "Hito wa Naze Nigeokureru-noka" (Why are people late in fleeing?).