Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 20
The Great East Japan Disaster and Geography
Education: School Damage, Associations'
Support Project, and Trends in Geography
Teaching Practices
Takashi Shimura and Kotaro Yamagata
Abstract
The Great East Japan Disaster that struck on 11 March 2011 had a massive
and wide-ranging impact on all aspects of life. It directly affected schools in the area
and indirectly impacted geography associations, education policy, and geography
education. This chapter provides a brief explanation of the multifaceted disaster and
its aftermath, including earthquakes, tsunamis and the nuclear power plant accident.
The authors' visits to and investigations of affected schools found that needs to support
geography teaching post-disaster were dependent on the disaster(s) that struck,
school locations, and level of destruction. To respond to these needs, the Association
of Japanese Geographers in conjunction with other associations conducted emer-
gency fundraising. At the government level, the disaster prompted discussions on
natural hazards prevention education, as demanded by policy makers at the national
level. Geography education is considered one of the main subjects of the disaster
prevention curriculum. As a result of public demand, disaster prevention practices
have notably improved since the event. For example, in the immediate days after the
disaster, many lessons were given about its occurrence and processes, along with
preventative education to foster students' knowledge and skills for surviving future
natural hazards. Recently, thanks to interest generated by these lessons, geography
classes have been increasingly concerned with best methods to restore devastated
areas and to create a Japanese society resistant to disasters.
Keywords
Affected schools Disaster prevention education Education for
Sustainable Development Fundraising for geography teaching resources Nuclear
disaster
