What Have Religious Groups Done After 3.11? Part 1: A Brief Survey of Religious Mobilization after the Great East Japan Earthquake Disasters

Abstract

This article serves two principal purposes: 1) to survey the many rescue, relief, and reconstruction initiatives undertaken by Buddhist, Shinto, Christian, and New Religious organizations in the two years since the March 2011 disasters that devastated northeast Japan, and 2) to introduce electronic and print resources to readers interested in learning more about specific religious disaster response campaigns. The pragmatic aid efforts carried out by religions contrast with moralistic interpretations offered by public figures, and they indicate that many religious groups regard their disaster aid not as temporary relief but instead as opportunities to begin positive new engagements with the Japanese public.

From disaster to development: a systematic review of community‐driven humanitarian logistics

“…According to previous research there is a lack of local capacity in catastrophic settings (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, ; Holguin‐Veras et al, ), yet rapid local responses manifested after the Great East Japanese Earthquake of 2011 in spite of the absence of the huge external aid flow usually available after a disaster of this magnitude (Holguin‐Veras et al, ). Many Buddhist temples became refugee centres with people arriving within 20 minutes of the earthquake (McLaughlin, ), while numerous religious groups collaborated to clear debris, deliver supplies, and organise community gatherings (Kubo et al, ; McLaughlin, ). Christian organisations also housed refugees and one church served as the ‘launching point for volunteer projects organized by other Japan Baptist Union churches from across the country’ (McLaughlin, , p. 300).…”

“…Many Buddhist temples became refugee centres with people arriving within 20 minutes of the earthquake (McLaughlin, ), while numerous religious groups collaborated to clear debris, deliver supplies, and organise community gatherings (Kubo et al, ; McLaughlin, ). Christian organisations also housed refugees and one church served as the ‘launching point for volunteer projects organized by other Japan Baptist Union churches from across the country’ (McLaughlin, , p. 300). McLaughlin (, p. 300) also reports ‘large‐scale Christian initiatives that coordinate multiple churches in comprehensive aid efforts’.…”

“…Christian organisations also housed refugees and one church served as the ‘launching point for volunteer projects organized by other Japan Baptist Union churches from across the country’ (McLaughlin, , p. 300). McLaughlin (, p. 300) also reports ‘large‐scale Christian initiatives that coordinate multiple churches in comprehensive aid efforts’.…”

“…The literature review revealed that the processes of reconstruction and procurement were frequently interlinked when discussing community involvement in these activities; often CANs are able to mobilise resources and volunteers (Holguin‐Veras, Jaller, and Wachtendorf, ; McLaughlin, ). Issues of trust, environmental rehabilitation, and community resilience and empowerment are also connected with these processes.…”

“…Some research suggests that the absence of CANs from the response to the Great East Japanese Earthquake was down to the overwhelming scale of the disaster (Holguin‐Veras et al, ), yet Kubo et al () and McLaughlin () have pointed up a variety of initiatives run by local people and various religious organisations in Japan. Some of these occurred incredibly swiftly, with community members organising neighbourhood patrols 25 minutes after the earthquake and a local disaster headquarters in a community centre within 45 minutes (Kubo et al, ).…”