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Japan’s Jishu-bosai-soshiki community activities: analysis of its role in participatory community disaster risk management

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  • Robert Bajek
  • Yoko Matsuda
  • Norio Okada

Abstract

Jishu-bosai-soshiki, or Jishubo for short, with a literal meaning of “autonomous organization for disaster reduction”, is a neighborhood association for disaster preparedness and rescue activity. In this paper, the role of Jishubo in the context of participatory disaster management in Japan is discussed. Although the formation of Jishubo is not legally mandated, local governments exercise a great deal of persuasion on the inhabitants of their community to organize and participate in disaster management activities. Therefore, participants in Jishubo activities tend to be guided and mobilized with a soft touch by local governments rather than being truly self-motivated, with the objective of reducing disaster risks in their residential areas. There have been several studies on community participatory management conducted in a number of countries, including New Zealand, the USA and Europe, which will serve as a reference in our study. However interesting, the cultural comparison of the “Western” and “Japanese” approaches to community disaster management, is beyond the scope of this paper, the aim of which is to determine a case of community disaster management in Japan. This paper addresses the background behind the development of Jishubo and discusses the uniqueness and limits of this softly mobilized participatory movement in Japan. Based on a case study in Kishiwada City, Osaka, the motivations driving people to participate in disaster management activities organized for Jishubo members is examined. In conclusion, we derive some policy implications and suggest possible approaches for improving the effectiveness of Jishubo and increasing the motivation of people to participate. We also propose that the roles of administrative bodies in Japan, such as non-profit organizations, be better incorporated into community’s participatory disaster reduction activities. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2008

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Bajek & Yoko Matsuda & Norio Okada, 2008. "Japan’s Jishu-bosai-soshiki community activities: analysis of its role in participatory community disaster risk management," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 44(2), pages 281-292, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:44:y:2008:i:2:p:281-292
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-007-9107-4
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    Cited by:

    1. J.C. Gaillard, 2010. "Vulnerability, capacity and resilience: Perspectives for climate and development policy," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 218-232.
    2. Feng Kong & Shao Sun, 2021. "Understanding and Strengthening the Emergency Management and Comprehensive Disaster Reduction in China’s Rural Areas: Lessons from Coping with the COVID-19 Epidemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-13, March.
    3. Norio Okada & Liping Fang & D. Marc Kilgour, 2013. "Community-based Decision Making in Japan," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 45-52, January.
    4. Stephen A. Sutton & Douglas Paton & Petra Buergelt & Saut Sagala & Ella Meilianda, 2020. "Sustaining a Transformative Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy: Grandmothers’ Telling and Singing Tsunami Stories for over 100 Years Saving Lives on Simeulue Island," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-20, October.
    5. Lanying Du & Ling Qian, 2016. "The government’s mobilization strategy following a disaster in the Chinese context: an evolutionary game theory analysis," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 80(3), pages 1411-1424, February.
    6. Douglas Paton & Robert Bajek & Norio Okada & David McIvor, 2010. "Predicting community earthquake preparedness: a cross-cultural comparison of Japan and New Zealand," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 54(3), pages 765-781, September.
    7. Yi Lixin & Ge Lingling & Zhao Dong & Zhou Junxue & Gao Zhanwu, 2012. "An analysis on disasters management system in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 60(2), pages 295-309, January.
    8. Subhajyoti Samaddar & Junho Choi & Bijay Misra & Hirokazu Tatano, 2015. "Insights on social learning and collaborative action plan development for disaster risk reduction: practicing Yonmenkaigi System Method (YSM) in flood-prone Mumbai," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 75(2), pages 1531-1554, January.
    9. Shohei Matsuura & Rajib Shaw, 2015. "Exploring the possibilities of school-based recovery and community building in Toni District, Kamaishi," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 75(1), pages 613-633, January.
    10. Riyanti Djalante & Cameron Holley & Frank Thomalla & Michelle Carnegie, 2013. "Pathways for adaptive and integrated disaster resilience," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 69(3), pages 2105-2135, December.
    11. Liang Zhao & Fanneng He & Caishan Zhao, 2020. "A Framework of Resilience Development for Poor Villages after the Wenchuan Earthquake Based on the Principle of “Build Back Better”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-25, June.
    12. Michal Titko & Jozef Ristvej & Zenon Zamiar, 2021. "Population Preparedness for Disasters and Extreme Weather Events as a Predictor of Building a Resilient Society: The Slovak Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-24, February.
    13. Josep Pastrana-Huguet & Maria-Francisca Casado-Claro & Elisa Gavari-Starkie, 2022. "Japan’s Culture of Prevention: How Bosai Culture Combines Cultural Heritage with State-of-the-Art Disaster Risk Management Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-19, October.
    14. Jae-Eun Lee & Seol-A Kwon & Eugene Song & Sang Il Ryu, 2022. "Disaster Resilience Differs between Survivors and Victims’ Families: A Semantic Network Analysis," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, March.
    15. Subhajyoti Samaddar & Norio Okada & Junho Choi & Hirokazu Tatano, 2017. "What constitutes successful participatory disaster risk management? Insights from post-earthquake reconstruction work in rural Gujarat, India," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 85(1), pages 111-138, January.
    16. Md. Mashrur Rahman & Uttama Barua & Farzana Khatun & Ishrat Islam & Rezwana Rafiq, 2018. "Participatory Vulnerability Reduction (PVR): an urban community-based approach for earthquake management," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 93(3), pages 1479-1505, September.

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