Abstract
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake caused many problems, resulting in obvious strains on modern
Japanese society. One such problem magnified by the aftermath of this earthquake is gender inequality.
This paper begins with a pre-earthquake examination of disaster and gender with respect to government
awareness of these gender problems. It then discusses the aftermath of the earthquake and the
manifestation of gender issues, responses to those issues, and the movement to rebuild after the disaster.
Finally, the study discusses the current state of gender equality in Japan and related issues.
Government policy already calls for gender equality in disaster prevention. Currently, however,
the disaster-prevention field is dominated by men. Because of this, with the Tohoku earthquake, the
same issues regarding women as in the past have repeated themselves. In response to these issues,
administrative action and female-supported civic action have progressed in ways never seen before.
In the future, it is important to verify the actual situation and achieve gender equality during times of
disaster.
The goal of rebuilding is to revive communities to a state of "normal, everyday life." For this
purpose, different types of people, each with his/her own perspectives and abilities, are needed.
Accordingly, women are essential to the rebuilding effort as well. Within communities, which include
people of all types, there is agreement about the rationale behind the reduction of disasters. Different
individuals are crucial to these disaster reduction plans, and without them, no true progress can be
achieved.
