10 years of recovery process in Tōhoku through the eyes of the storytellers of the disaster
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Flavia Fulco
Tohoku University Japan
f.fulco.irides@gmail.com
Author(s):
Kataribe is the Japanese word that describes the ancient practice of telling stories related to local history and tradition. After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, commonly known as 3.11, kataribe groups with different origins and purposes flourished through affected areas of Tōhoku (North-East Japan). In the beginning, they were telling the story of how the tsunami hit the area, including personal experiences and stories about the single towns. While the recovery/reconstruction process was ongoing, kataribe started to address tourists, volunteers, and other groups of visitors including more details on the local traditions and attractive elements such as natural resources, food, and places of interest.
This year marked the 10-year commemoration of the 3.11 disaster. While some of the affected towns are being rebuilt, important questions are raising: whose recovery is this? The area of Tōhoku is in fact depopulated and many people that evacuated after the disaster are not coming back. Even so, houses were built together with major infrastructures, including massive seawalls object of strong controversy. Along this recovery process, kataribe-storytellers are also reflecting on their role and their mission: which kind of narratives are being told and remembered? Who are the recipients of kataribe stories? If it is true that this practice has become more and more tourism-oriented, what does the local younger population know about 3.11 disaster and about how Tōhoku looked like before it? This contribution is based on 5-year ethnographic research (started in 2015) on kataribe-storytelling in the area of Miyagi Prefecture and it would like to offer an occasion to reflect on the development of the recovery process after a disaster that sometimes is seen as more visitor-oriented than adapted to the local needs.
Disaster recovery in the long-term