Paper short abstract:

Differences in loss and support in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures after the 3.11 disaster lead to "hierarchies of affectedness." This paper examines such hierarchies' influence on the social dynamics among the disaster survivors and their abilities to shape the future of the Tohoku region.

Paper long abstract:

The domestic and international praise of the Japanese people for their mutual support and social cohesion after the 3.11 disasters corresponds with what has been called a disaster utopia - a short period of time when people support each other and seem to be equal in their suffering and loss. However, inevitable varieties of affectedness, their social consequences after large scale disasters and the impact on long-term recovery efforts remain understudied. Expanding on an earlier version, this paper examines how differences of loss and social and financial support in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures influenced the social relations among the people of the disaster-affected areas and whose voices are heard when it comes to shaping the future of the Tohoku region. While some survivors feel unable to speak about their experiences or thoughts on recovery because their opinions might differ from the majority, or due to concerns of being seen as hindering recovery efforts, others hold back since "some might have it worse" or because of not being regarded as disaster victims. Especially since the borders and divisions deciding on support distributions not always reflect the actual or perceived sort of affectedness, many of the 3.11 survivors additionally feel treated unjust or lost in the recovery process. Based on almost three years of ethnographic field research in Northeast Japan, I propose that the different experiences in 3.11 resulted in the construction of such "hierarchies of affectedness" that ultimately impact social relations among disaster victims, and determine access to support measures and the ability to influence recovery processes.