2025 Volume 89 Issue 4 Pages 546-562
Natural disasters are receiving a lot of public attention, especially in Japan, a country with a high rate of natural disasters. Disaster recovery has become a pressing public issue. This paper examines the "resilient social model" from the perspective of public anthropology. It uses the example of Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture, which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt to changing conditions and, in the context of disasters, to recover after a disaster. It is important to note that this does not mean returning to the previous state. After the disaster, this town set its vision for the future by promoting a recycling-oriented society. It focuses on the connection between people and nature. The program is called "People, Mountains, Settlement and Sea: A Town That Restores Life." Methodologically, the paper aims to contribute to the development of public anthropology by introducing the method of digital ethnography.
