The 3/11 Triple Disaster was hugely destructive to a large part of Honshu, particularly in the north east region of the island. Hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed, about 19,000 were killed, and hundreds of thousands of people living in affected coastal towns were relocated to government housing, where many of them still reside today. This was not a mild natural disaster – this event truly shook the nation and today, 6.5 years later, Japan is still suffering from this tragic disaster.

Japan is facing a unique challenge with its aging, decreasing population. This is something the government has to take into account when making all decisions that will affect the future, if it is wise (and I believe it is). So, in facing a devastated, abandoned post-disaster Tohoku region, the government has made a smart decision: to focus its rebuilding/restructuring efforts on urban spaces likely to grow in the future, rather than to rebuild the coastal fishing communities affected by the enormous tsunami, which were home to aging, dying populations. Before 3/11, it was extremely unrealistic to think that these regions were going to grow in population, and now, after the disaster, the possibility has essentially been annihilated.

So, the government has instead focused on rebuilding in resilient, adaptable, and strong communities – coastal urban agglomerations like Toyko that are vulnerable to future disasters like 3/11. These regions continue to grow in populations, so it makes more sense to support this natural trend, rather than to rebuild in areas which are uncertain to be re-populated. Many previous residents, particularly within the Fukushima prefecture, do not want to rebuild their lives in their past residencies for fear of nuclear radiation exposure. Others are simply fearful of another earthquake.

It can definitely appear that the government has abandoned the affected region, especially since most of the evacuees are still residing in “temporary” housing, almost 7 years later. But, it’s important to look at the big picture. The 3/11 disaster recovery is one of many complex challenges facing Japan today.