Disasters and Social Crisis in Contemporary Japan: Political, Religious, and Sociocultural Responses

by Mark R. Mullins (Editor), Koichi Nakano (Editor)

Overview

Japan was shaken by the 'double disaster' of earthquake and sarin gas attack in 1995, and in 2011 it was hit once again by the 'triple disaster' of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. This international, multi-disciplinary group of scholars examines the state and societal responses to the disasters and social crisis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137521323
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	01/26/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	318
File size:	480 KB

About the Author

Barbara Ambros, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. Simon Avenell, Australian National University. Tim Graf, Heidelberg University, Germany, and Tohoku University, Japan. Phoebe Holdgrün, German Institute for Japanese Studies, Japan. Barbara Holthus, University of Vienna, Austria. Rikki Kersten, Murdoch University, Australia. Love Kindstrand, University of Chicago, USA. Jeff Kingston, Temple University, Japan. Keiko Nishimura, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. Rumi Sakamoto, The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Ria Shibata, University of Otago, New Zealand. David H. Slater, Sophia University, Japan. Rebecca Suter, University of Sydney, Australia.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Mark R. Mullins and Koichi Nakano
PART I: POLITICAL RESPONSES
1. New Right Transformation in Japan; Koichi Nakano
2. Military Force as Social Good: The Legacies of Operation Tomodachi; Rikki Kersten
3. Downsizing Fukushima and Japan's Nuclear Re-launch; Jeff Kingston
4. Japan's Identity Crisis and the Sino-Japanese Relations; Ria Shibata
PART II: RELIGIOUS RESPONSES
5. Neo-Nationalism, Politics, and Religion in Post-disaster Japan; Mark R. Mullins
6. Mobilizing Gratitude: Contextualizing Tenrikyo's Response after the Great East Japan Earthquake; Barbara Ambros
7. Buddhist Responses to the 3.11 Disasters in Japan; Tim Graf
PART III: SOCIAL RESPONSES
8. Kobe 1995: Crisis, Volunteering, and Active Citizenship in Japan; Simon Avenell
9. Crisis and Opportunity: Social Media in Kobe, Tohoku, and Tokyo; David Slater, Love Kindstrand, and Keiko Nishimura
10. Babysteps Towards Advocacy: Mothers Against Radiation; Phoebe Holdgrün and Barbara Holthus
PART IV: CULTURAL RESPONSES
11. Kobayashi Yoshinori, 3.11, and Datsu Genpatsu Ron; Rumi Sakamoto
12. Beyond Kizuna: Murakami Haruki on Disaster and Social Crisis; Rebecca Suter

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

'How has Japanese society responded to the 11 March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters? What is the difference between the post-3.11 developments and those that followed the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and Aum Shinrikyō disasters of 1995? What is the relationship between these events and the nationalistic initiatives advanced by the Liberal Democratic Party? This is a timely collection of essays that addresses these questions and examines the diverse Japanese responses to recent disasters.' - Shimazono Susumu, Sophia University, Japan

'Japan is no stranger to natural disasters. But the triple disasters of 11 March 2011 have deeply affected Japan as a whole, creating a ferment in which the centre often seems at odds with the periphery. The authors of this superb volume critically examine the political, religious, social and cultural responses, where grass roots activism challenges official complacency and assumptions about right to rule.' - Arthur Skwin, Nissan Institute,University of Oxford, UK

Editorial Reviews

The present volume edited by Mark Mullins and Koichi Nakano, on the other hand, aims for a far more deeply contextualized understanding of the human impacts … . One of its unique features is that, through parallel studies, it provides fruitful comparisons between the two major ‘disaster years’ of recent Japanese history … this book is an important and original contribution to the growing multidisciplinary field of disaster studies both in the Japanese and in the global context.” (Roy Starrs, Japanese Studies, Vol. 37 (2), September, 2017)

“This book offers a strong collection of essays that will help readers understand more deeply Japan’s contemporary attitudes towards disaster. … these timely essays succeed in contextualizing and making sense of the recent political, religious, and sociocultural responses to catastrophe, and the collection is an important contribution to the multidisciplinary understanding of social struggle, crisis, and disaster in contemporary Japan.” (Pablo Figueroa, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 90 (1), March, 2017)

From the Publisher