Thirty years have passed since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, often referred to as “the birthplace of volunteerism” in Japan. Today, it is common to see volunteers involved in the recovery and reconstruction of disaster-stricken areas. On the other hand, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024 has raised various issues, including moves by the government to restrict the activities of volunteers. What is the role of volunteers in disaster-stricken areas? We interviewed Professor MATSUOKA from the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, who as a specialist in social education continues to do research on and practice community empowerment.

After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, you have continued to interview volunteers in various disaster areas. What were your impressions?

Matsuoka:

I was appointed to Kobe University in 1996, the year after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. My research has focused on the role of volunteers in Kobe’s recovery process, and I have learned a lot from the people involved in these activities.

In simple terms, the disaster-stricken areas of the Hanshin-Awaji region (which extends across Kobe from east to west) were “bustling.” Many people came to Kobe, wanting to be a part of it. While the victims must have harbored various emotions, there was a sense of hope embodied in the presence of so many volunteers.

However, since around the time the “Law concerning the promotion of specific non-profit organization activities” was enacted in 1998, there has been a growing trend to prioritize the improvement of nonprofit organizations, and nonprofits have been seeking to work with government and business to raise funds to create a win-win relationship.

Volunteers are connected through their weakness. Each one may lack something, but they complement each other’s weaknesses and act in networks. During the Hanshin-Awaji disaster, this networking was very important. On the other hand, when the emphasis is on organization, only the strengths of each individual are required, and only those with certain skills can participate.

When it comes to volunteering, what’s important is having a heart that says, “I don’t know what I can do, but I am concerned about the disaster area.” It’s not about the quality of one’s skills.

You’ve also been continually visiting the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Matsuoka:

I have been involved with a district called Akasaki in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture. After the disaster, we established the 3.11 Reconstruction Support for Ofunato Work Camp Project centered around students at the Action Research Center for Human and Community Development of the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, and later activities continued under different names. Currently, it operates as part of the “ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) Platform WILL,” with participation from various individuals inside and outside the university.

Specifically, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment and the Akasaki Community Center the year after the earthquake, initiating various activities using the community center as a base for recovery. As a basis for considering the reconstruction of the district, we planned to conduct an all-inclusive survey of residents, asking about their living conditions, issues and hopes, and to have the residents themselves consider the items on the survey form. The survey was not conducted by researchers for research purposes, but rather by the residents themselves. Remarkably, the first survey had a 100 percent response rate.

Since then, we have conducted a variety of activities with residents, including information sharing workshops, small community meetings to think about reconstruction, an attempt to create a diorama of the town’s future, and the Akasaki Revival Market, where residents enjoy opening stores and holding events.

These initiatives are tools to advance community empowerment, a process where regions regain their strength. Events like the revival market are also important venues where people who have relocated can participate.

The community we consider is not large but small units like traditional local “aza” districts. We believe that it is essential for the recovery process that these small groups gain strength, regain authority over their own community development, and speak up.

However, when discussions are held only within a small group, ideas may dry up or be swayed by the opinions of those who are more influential. In times like these, I think volunteers can play a role to step in from the outside while making sure to include and support minority communities who are often placed on the periphery of the group. If there are gaps in relationships within the community, there is the possibility of connecting them through volunteers.

In the Akasaki district, local youths, who were elementary school students when we started visiting, now join us as adults in these activities. Such connections contribute to community empowerment.

In the disaster-stricken areas of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred in January 2024, issues have been raised with Ishikawa Prefecture’s response to volunteer applicants and those already volunteering, and compared to past disasters, the noticeable lack of volunteers is also evident.

Matsuoka:

In the case of Noto Peninsula earthquake-stricken areas, I believe the problem lies in the tendency to view people’s conflicts and confusion as negative. It seems that too much priority is given to organizations with specialized skills, funds and other resources, while neglecting the “strength of the flock,” which arises from groups of diverse individuals.

Even if individuals think, “I have no power,” when they come together as a “we,” great strength can emerge. This was evident at the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. I think we should reconsider the current situation in which we deny the impulse to work in the disaster area and focus only on coordinating volunteers to meet the needs of the troubled community. If we can view the volunteers who entered the disaster-stricken areas as new young people participating in labor and events for the local community, and create bonds with them, it will lead to the empowerment of the community in the long run.

The “ESD Platform WILL” is also involved in supporting the disaster areas of the Noto Peninsula. One advantage of university-based activities is that they are not as constrained by funding or reputation. Under the name “Bansou Project” (which can be read as “accompanying,” “harmonizing,” and “bonding”), students continue to engage with the community, fostering various connections. This leads to an increase in the number of related people, and for the students, it also creates an opportunity to develop a place that feels like a second home.

Currently, there are volunteer centers in the disaster areas of Noto Peninsula that are open to everyone. I hope that student volunteers will be the ones to carry more and more firewood to keep the lights of those centers burning. I encourage students to visit the Noto disaster areas at least once and talk to the residents. Even if it is just a semi-tourist visit, that’s fine. I want them to have an experience that will break down their assumptions about the disaster area by actually talking to the people there.

From the perspective of your specialty in social education, how do you see the current state and challenges of disaster prevention and mitigation education?

Matsuoka:

Currently, disaster prevention and mitigation education primarily focus on school programs. However, there is a need for initiatives generated within the community. Activating the network of social education facilities, such as community centers, on a regular basis is also essential.

Disaster prevention and mitigation education tends to focus on individual preparedness and awareness. However, we need to think more about cooperation among small communities and mechanisms for groups to support each other. I believe we are entering an era where disaster prevention and mitigation will be created collectively.

Volunteer work done by a single person is often limited. We should develop the habit of asking others for help. This habit will reduce the burden on each individual and cultivate appreciation for others.

Could you share your insights on the significance of volunteering?

Matsuoka:

Everyone holds multiple commitments and stakeholder perspectives. Even if you think you know yourself well, there might be aspects you are not aware of. For instance, someone with a disability not only has the perspective of being a person with disability, they also embody various other facets.

The appeal of volunteering lies in encountering diverse people, where various stakeholder perspectives intersect, enabling the discovery of new possibilities within oneself. I believe that you might even discover a new path for your life through it. You may also realize the significance of the strength of the flock. This is different from learning to accept knowledge unilaterally.

Therefore, I believe that volunteer programs should not be centralized but rather multidimensional and decentralized. Likewise, the ESD Platform WILL is involved in various projects, such as activities in leprosy sanatoriums, rural communities, and creating places where residents feel a sense of belonging and acceptance within communities, as well as disaster recovery support. We believe that networking happening in each activity will expand the possibilities of intersecting commitment and stakeholder perspectives and create even greater strength.