Human Network Politics after Natural Disaster in Japan

• In Event: Disasters, Crises and Responses in the 21st Century

Abstract

Human networks have become increasingly significant in recent years. It is sometimes called “Social Capital” and especially focused on the reconstructing process after the miserable natural disaster occurred. The trend of more frequent global natural disasters continues due to an onslaught of weather-related crises. Earthquakes, floods, drought, and other natural hazards cause millions of deaths and billions of dollars in economic losses around the world. How does the government revive the damaged area?

The answer has four patterns. First is to establish a permanent agency such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Second is to build a temporary agency such as the Earthquake Commission of the Department of The Prime Minister and Cabinet, New Zealand. Third is mainly to allocate the budget and the donation like Taiwan. And fourth is the mixture pattern. It is Japan.

In Japan, there often occur natural disasters including earthquakes, volcano eruption, tsunami, typhoon and flood. Most serious incident is the Tohoku earthquake and Fukushima nuclear power plant. Headed by a Minister, the Reconstruction Agency restores Northern part of Japan as a place for innovation, and for reconstruction of the affected areas to spur revitalization of the broader Japanese economy. This works only for the North, notwithstanding natural disasters often occur in other places. At the point, the revival pattern of Japanese Government is classified the mixture pattern. And the most important thing is that the government promotes a human network for the reconstruction out of the North.
Can a human network be promoted if the government doesn’t make a permanent support agency after the cruel disaster? This is our research question.

Our research field is in Kumamoto, Japan. Kumamoto had a series of earthquakes, including two times of magnitude over 7.0 shocks in 2016 April. At least 35 people were killed and more than 2,000 others were injured. More than 91,700 people were evacuated. By April 18, the number of people seeking shelter had risen to 180,000, while at least 8 people remained missing in a landslide caused by the earthquake.

The human network we focused is composed multiplex people and equal with each other. We assume that the image of the network is similar to the “blockchain” model. “Blockchain” was originally a growing list of records, which are linked using cryptography. The growing list of records is a network. We call a record “block.”
Additionally, we assume 5 kinds of “blocks” have 3 resources: money, member, and knowledge:
Block A: inhabitants of the damaged area,
Block B: an officer of local government in the damaged area,
Block C: a laboratory of the university in the damaged area,
Block D: Non-profit Organization,
Block E: collaboration Organization,
By design, this “blockchain” model is resistant to modification of the information. The “blockchain” is typically managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively and validating new blocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires the consensus of the network majority. Blocks can keep the credit each other.

Our survey method is an interview with each block. And we count the number of new networks at fixed intervals.

Reasoning exploration is that human network can be promoted if the government doesn’t make a permanent support agency after the cruel disaster. The permanent agency is stable, and gradually its work becomes a routine. More affectionate it functions as a supporter, less active inhabitants in the damaged area would be. They become to rely on the government.

Finally, we suggest some resolutions. First, the central government should build the system which guaranteed the credibility. If impossible, it should make a temporary system or just coordinate the resources of local and state authorities. Second, the government should promote to remake community organization. As Robert Patnum mentioned, “Community has warred incessantly with individualism for preeminence in our political hagiology,” our civil societies are weakened in both Japan and the U.S. Third, to fix the community, the government should help silent inhabitants to activate for the community. Yusuke Inagaki has already found some reasons why millennials work inactively in Japan. Disaster might be one of the opportunities to remake our civil society.

Author

• Yoko Mukai, Kumamoto　Gakuen University