The Process from Ambiguous Loss to Acceptance:

The Role of Ritual in the Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

　　The aim of this study was to ascertain how individuals who lost close relatives in the Great East Japan Earthquake dealt with their ambiguous loss through rituals and the process they went through to move from loss to acceptance. A survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adults (ages 49‐73) who lived in areas severely affected by the disaster and who had experienced the loss of a close relative. Results indicated that disaster victims faced with ambiguous loss come to face reality as time passes with the support of those around them. Results revealed that rituals played a role both in aiding victims and also in forming relationships with others around them and connecting them to the culture of the community in which they lived. Rituals are a means of recalling an object of loss with little resistance, but results indicated that victims perform them unintentionally and spontaneously rather than intentionally in order to reduce stress. These findings suggest that providing support to those who have experienced ambiguous loss due to disasters is imperative.