Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
20.6
Conclusions
The impact of the Great East Japan Disaster is not over. Approximately 316,000
people have been evacuated from their home and are still displaced across Japan
(Reconstruction Agency in Cabinet publicity, at of 25 January 2013). In particular,
it is unknown when or whether people who lived within a 20-km radius of the
Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant will ever be able to return home, because
radioactive contamination continues to pose a danger.
Under these circumstances, the geography education community is actively
engaged in disaster education. For example, original and challenging lessons are
being developed for examination at various spatial scales. At a prefectural scale, the
Miyagi Prefectural Senior High School Geography Teacher Association revised
their original supplementary textbook after the disaster, publishing a new edition in
spring 2012. The new book includes substantial disaster prevention content that
references recent local damages.
On a global scale, a U.S.-Japan collaboration developed geography teaching
resources and brought participants on a fi eldtrip to observe damage. The event
was held in September 2012 and was sponsored by the Center for Global
Geography Education of the Association of American Geographers, AJG and The
University of Tokyo. Project members included Japanese and U.S. geography
teachers and educators. The excursion to the affected areas provided inspiration
and information for groups to collaboratively develop new resources, including
the Great East Japan Disaster as a case study. These resources are available on the
CGGE-AAG website.
4
On the fi rst anniversary of the Great East Japan Disaster, the AJG held a public
symposium entitled “Think About Disasters and Education for the Young: the
Present Situation of Devastated Schools and Future Geography”.
5
The aim of this
symposium considered the future of education, and there were presentations from
educators, administrators (e.g., school superintendents and teachers in the affected
area), as well as geographers. The symposium outcome positioned education as the
most important aspect of constructing disaster prevention programs and for restor-
ing a resilient society. The value of geography education was made clear, especially
its key role in contributing to disaster education. Thus, geography education must
have a vital role in the post Great East Japan Disaster era.
6
5
Chiri
published in May 2012 is the special issue for this symposium.
6
After submission of this manuscript, Mitsuhashi (
2013
) was published. This paper summarizes
the overall trend of Social Studies education in disaster prevention in Japan after the Great Japan
Earthquake, and is therefore very helpful.
