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Restoration and Revival of Noto Peninsula, as felt by the Project Managers involved in the Great Eastern Japan Quake of 2011

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【6th February 2024】

*This report is a partially edited version of the one posted on LinkedIn on February 6, 2024.

Almost a month has passed since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. When I think of those struck by such a terrible disaster on what was supposed to be a celebration of a new year, I cannot find the proper words to fully describe their anguish. I wish sincerely that those impacted will be able to restore a sense of peace and normality again soon.

It has already been reported on, but since the affected area is mountainous and surrounded by the sea, the infrastructural restoration is taking time. The destroyed roadways are severe, and the continuous water outage is proving to be a great difficulty for those residing in evacuation shelters.

Water purification plants and drainage systems are damaged throughout the area and their repair efforts are hampered by the roads being cut off. There is also a notable lack of data about the locations of the water supply pipes, making the construction process trial-and-error.

The government is progressing with rapid speed not only the restoration of infrastructure but also essential aspects of daily life, such as mobile health clinics and temporary housing. Nonetheless, it will still take a considerable amount of time for those affected to return to their normal lives.

Following the Great Eastern Japan Quake on March 11, 2011, I was involved in the reconstruction initiatives alongside Index employees, Professor Hideaki Miyata, who was then associated with the Department of Systems Innovation at Tokyo University’s School of Engineering (currently an emeritus professor,) as well as members of the Miyata Seminar.

I go into more detail later in this article, but we decided to leverage the government’s special zone system for reconstruction of disaster-struck areas under the “FutureCity Eco-Model City” initiative. This involved applying for special zone status for the Kesen wide area “FutureCity,” which consists of Ofunato City, Rikuzentaka City and Sumita town. The aim was to support the process in its entirety, from the conceptualization to implementation stages, of sustainable urban development aligned with a low-carbon society.

The Kesen wide area “FutureCity” scheme was ultimately acknowledged as a special zone, actualized via five different themes: The construction of renewable-energy power plants, development of compact cities, promotion of the agricultural and fishery industries, the popularization of wooden houses built from Kesen-sourced materials, and the creation of elderly-friendly communities focused on medical treatments, caregiving, and welfare.

Thereafter, in December 2011, I assumed the position as policy advisor for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and participated in the reconstruction efforts of disaster-affected areas from a governmental standpoint. During this time, the MLIT pushed for policies that had otherwise not been implemented before: A Construction Management (CM) system for roadway infrastructural reconstruction as well as the dispatch of talent from the Urban Renaissance Agency (UR,) who are involved in urban regeneration, for the purpose of recovery and restoration support.

The introduction of the CM method indeed resulted in the diversification of procurement systems in public projects and the widespread adoption of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP,) and the role played by the UR in the reconstruction efforts was significant. (The same can be expected for its involvement in the recovery and restoration of the Noto Peninsula.) While my time serving as policy advisor was not extensive, I believe that my role was a considerably fulfilled one.

【Related Article】

◎Insight Gained from the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Index Group, Japanese)

Based on my experiences of that time, I would now like to share my reflections on the recovery following the Noto Peninsula quake.

The Risk of “Restoring”

When deciding to get involved in the reconstruction drives after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, both Professor Miyata and I believed that it was important not just to restore the region back to its original state, but to develop it in a way that suits the current times.

At the time, the Pacific Coast of the Tohoku Region was already confronted with both population decline and ageing. It was sure to say that the earthquake would only intensify this issue. This prompted us to serve as a model for other regional areas facing similar challenges: By creating a sustainable and compact city that was adaptable to the realities of an ageing and declining populace.

We proposed that the urban area be relocated to higher ground in Rikuzentakata, and that the coastal areas affected instead be used as a mega-solar power plant as well as the country’s largest stationary-type storage battery facility. This is because we believed that utilizing the coastal areas for industrial purposes was not only safer than constructing high breakwaters but also more cost-effective.

We knew even from that time that renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind energy, as well as storage batteries would be a significant asset in the reduction of CO2 emissions.

With this said, “restoring things back to the way they were,” was a focal point not only for the residents, but also the mayor. Consequently, Professor Miyata, who roused controversy by talking to the media about the mega-solar concept to the media, was barred from any further involvement.

Of course, the earnest desire of those impacted to restore pre-disaster conditions is a sentiment that we sympathize with wholeheartedly. Therefore, the town’s restoration is not a matter to be carelessly proceeded with without engaging with the local community first.

However, even if we were to throw a large sum of money at restoring with the objective of restoring the areas back to the way they were, this would not combat the challenges of the ageing and declining population. On the contrary, equipping the areas with heavy infrastructure would only impose a large financial burden on the municipality through maintenance costs.

Upon seeing a worker slam the table, with tears running down their face, exclaim, “It’s all well and good for you because you can just go back to Tokyo, but for us here, we’re already at our wits end thinking about what’s to come tomorrow… not the future,” I held back from speaking on any more idealistic theories. Now that thirteen years have passed, however, it leaves a bitter taste to wonder if the recovery truly had future generations in mind.

Restoration molded to the present circumstances

Perhaps it may not be the time to say something, considering that the earthquake disaster was unprecedented and still very recent, but if left unaddressed, I believe that the Noto Peninsula could face a similar fate. Yet, if we were to restore the town according to the original master plan, this would be a ‘restoration’ project, not a ‘revival’ one.

In the winter season, it is not realistic to completely restore water and sewerage systems and roads. Putting into consideration the pressing need for the swift recovery of infrastructural systems essential for daily life, considering the population distribution, it is still necessary to proceed with the restoration of damaged drainage pipes and wastewater treatment tanks. As for severely damaged water supply systems, measures such as deploying water supply trucks and installing the latest water treatment equipment are essential.

Additionally, the introduction of industrialized buildings, such as system constructions that can be permanently installed, would be effective for facilities like community centers and housing complexes. This is the concept of the “Type X” prefabrication that gained traction at the Osaka Expo. Although it is technically a prefabrication, by greening the exterior and decorating it with tents and wood, both the visual appearance and durability can be improved.

The process of returning to a normal way of life is one that, I believe, requires time. It can be assumed that during this time there will be people who decide to leave their hometowns.

In certain regions in the Noto Peninsula, the ageing population surpasses a rate of 50%, and the process of ageing and community isolation is advancing at a faster pace compared to the Kesen region in Tohoku. Though it may be probable that those who have lived in the community for many years will be reluctant to move, it can be assumed that the likelihood of people who have relocated moving back again is not very high.

If that is the case, I believe that we should proceed with recovery and reconstruction in two stages.

For example, at the first stage, the government should standardize specific models for the restoration of public and social facilities. These infrastructural models can then be presented to all municipalities across the peninsula, which would then prompt a faster initiation of recovery projects.

Then, in the second stage, a new vision and master plan will be formulated for community development throughout the Noto Peninsula, including the relocation of towns. The goal of this is to achieve an environmentally sustainable local smart-city through public investment, private investment, and PPP investment.

I believe that once the initial restoration phase has settled, it would be appropriate to advance the infrastructural development of the water supply sector through PPP initiatives.

Considering the lingering threat of large-scale earthquakes such as the Nankai Trough earthquake, or the Tokyo near-field earthquake, promulgating the recovery and reconstruction initiatives following natural disasters should go beyond the foundational development of public and social infrastructure It is also necessary to introduce innovation in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, healthcare, and welfare. Optimizing their operations and management to align with contemporary practices is imperative. Doesn’t this seem like a needed approach given Japan’s population issue?

This competence in updating societal systems through recovery and reconstruction, given the frequency of natural disasters and wartime devastation today, is a field in which I believe Japan can contribute on a global scale.

This sentiment is reflective of both my experiences being involved in the recovery of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and its striking limitations, as well as my thoughts and hopes for the future.

*[About the photo] The site of the damaged morning market in Wajima, Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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