2020 Volume 85 Issue 768 Pages 351-359
In Japan, victims support is accredited based on the four grade of building damage such as Severe (Zenkai), Major (Daikibo Hankai), Minor (Hankai), Slight (Ichibu-sonkai). Those who can enter an interim housing is limited to the person suffering from over Minor damage. And the target of Victims Support Act is over Major damage victims, and those who accredited to Severe damage can get maximum JPY 3,000,000 public support for their life and housing recovery. However, in US, more holistic approach is used to decide the support of victims by interviewing them. Now there are discussion about what is the good way to decide the category of victims’ support. Some city introduces disaster case management system in Japan. This paper discusses about the possibility of changing Japanese policy on disaster victims support based on housing damage severity. The possibility of changing will be discussed analyzing the policy of victims support in previous disasters.
Twelve big earthquake and tsunami disasters during 1945 to 1995 (from the end of world war 2 to the 1995 Kobe earthquake) are the target of analysis. The reports of disaster response and recovery of those disasters were reviewed, and the article on damage inspection and victims support were collected. From the analysis, the following things were clarified.
1) Before the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the government damage inspection was conducted to apply the disaster relief act.
2) Though main purpose of the government building damage inspection was for the disaster relief act application, the result was also used for the criteria of victims supports. And victim’s database was used for the victim’s support in previous disasters.
3) The application for housing reconstruction loan were decided based on the other criterion in addition to the government damage inspection results. The government damage inspection result was not realized as the only criteria of victim’s support.
4) There existed various issues about building damage inspection before the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Simple inspection sheet was used in the 1981 Nihonkai Chubu Earthquake Disaster. The contribution of each parts such as roof and wall to total damage was considered in this sheet.
5) Policy of victim’s support is changing corresponding to the situation. Victim’s support based on the severity of building damage is new concept after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. It is possible to change the policy reflecting the issues about recent disasters.
