When describing the occupation of a fisherman, who lives in co-existence with the ocean, it could be both a “labor” that gives meaning to his life, as well as an “identity.” The film “Fishermen in Shinchi Town” records a three-and-a-half-year period in the lives of Fukushima fishermen who were struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the subsequent nuclear power disaster. This is also the amount of time it took their damaged bodies to recover. In reflecting on the disaster, which occurred in consequence of the development of urban civilization, I would like to consider how it took away the dignity of the fishermen, as well as what it truly means for us to recover.
Selected Papers No.23

The enormous tsunami damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake revealed the problems in the forms of tsunami disaster prevention and mitigation measures at that time. Underestimation of tsunami estimation and tsunami warning, as well as delays in understanding disaster situations, have especially been recognized as factors leading to the increase in scale of disasters, and are important issues requiring urgent reforms. Building on the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake, I will here introduce the new measures for tsunami disaster prevention and mitigation already being put in place ahead of the next disaster.

In Kuroshio Town, Kochi Prefecture, the government and residents have been working together to create countermeasures for earthquakes and tsunamis following the severe predictions of a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough expected to affect the area. In order to safely pass on our home, protected and handed down by our ancestors, to the next generation, we must focus our attention on the Nankai Trough earthquake, and promote the further revitalization of the town through creating Kuroshio Town's plan for earthquake and tsunami disaster prevention, to become Japan's “best prepared town” in living with earthquakes and tsunamis.