Great East Japan Earthquake

More than a year and a half after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the after-effects of 3.11 are still felt and will continue to do so for years, if not decades. Our means to react to the catastrophe in a meaningful way are limited. However, we are trying to do what academics can do best: study the impact of the disaster from the perspective of our respective disciplines. Within the confines of our two research focuses, “Challenges of Demographic Change” and “Happiness in Japan”, we have set up several new projects involving fieldwork in Tōhoku about volunteering, quantitative examinations of trust as well as an analysis of literary reactions to the disaster, among others.

The majority of our new projects are related, in one way or another, to the existing research foci. The significance of a major catastrophe for happiness studies is patently obvious. However, given that Tohoku is aging rapidly and senior citizens were highly overrepresented among the victims, and considering the fact that many reactions to the disaster reflect generational perspectives, connections with demographic change are also apparent.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more or collaborate with us.