Abstract
Research has pointed out that women are often seen as especially vulnerable in disaster contexts. However, based on her own experiences as a survivor and local resident of Ishinomaki and interviews with more than 100 women starting from 2014, the author found that women developed various ways to cope with the tragedy and move forward. Taking an oral history approach for understanding women's resiliency in Ishinomaki after the Great East Japan Earthquake, this research found that women have continued their lives by drawing strength from various hopes and dreams that they were able to hold on to from before the disaster or developed anew after the tsunami. The interviews demonstrate that holding onto something that could be described as dreams, such as opening their cafes, starting a flower shop or continuing to tell their deceased children's stories, helped them to not lose strength to survive and to move forward even with sorrow. Testimonies by women who experienced The Great East Japan Earthquake could contribute to the empowerment of women in the future. They are encouraging and inspiring. This research note aims to enlarge and enhance women's empowerment through the recording and discussing of oral history.
