Displaced people’s preferences for living places in earthquake-stricken areasconsidering “Transitional Towns”

Abstract

The Great East Japan Earthquake displaced many people. A plan of a “Transitional Town,” which was the firstattempt in Japan, was suggested because of long-term evacuation necessitated by the Fukushima nuclear power plantaccident. This study clarified the expectations and factors related to moving to the “Transitional Town,” specificallyexamining target persons of the “Transitional Town.” Results show that residents put their hopes on a consistent lifeand smooth reconstruction when choosing to live in the “Transitional Town.” We also clarified that attachment toareas where they had lived before the earthquake was a positive factor for moving to the “Transitional Town,” butattachment to the present living area is a negative factor for moving to the “Transitional Town”.