Japan Press Weekly

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2012 March 21 - 27 [GREAT EAST JAPAN DISASTER]

Historians discuss post-disaster situation

Historians on March 24 held a symposium in Tokyo to discuss their tasks in post-3.11 disaster Japan.

This event was hosted by the Association of Historical Sciences.

Seismologist Ishibashi Katsuhiko, professor emeritus of Kobe University, stated, “The lack of anti-tsunami measures was not the only cause of the nuclear accident. Too much confidence had been placed on technology and technology fixes. This was the primary cause.”

“Lessons will not be learned without incorporating a long-term perspective,” said Ishibashi, stressing the need to understand the 3.11 disaster utilizing a historical perspective.

Nishimura Shintaro, associate professor at the National Institute of Japanese Literature, said that where cultural assets are stored should be recognized, and the role of municipal offices in the preservation of archives, which are basic documents for history research, should be emphasized.
　
Watanabe Osamu, professor emeritus of Hitotsubashi University, talked about post-war politics behind the current delay in post-disaster reconstruction. He pointed out that the Tohoku region was already weakened by the promotion of “structural reform” policies starting in the 1990s that included reductions in the number of municipal workers.

Watanabe criticized the government led by the Democratic Party of Japan for creating obstacles to the reconstruction of the disaster-hit region by continuing to promote large-scale public works projects and “structural reform” policies.