This study applied the "prospect and refuge theory" in the light environment and examined the effects of non-uniform lighting on the evaluation of a room. In Experiment 1, pictures of a scale model of a room were evaluated. In Experiment 2, participants themselves adjusted the brightness of the lights on a scale model of a room. Results of Experiment 1 revealed that 1) the evaluation on the room related with subjective brightness as a whole room, 2) the impression of the room was evaluated positively when the stranger's position was brightly lit, 3) the rating on relaxation was higher when the their own position was not brightly lit and 4) participants rated the room as more prospect when the stranger's position was brightly lit and they rated the room as more refuge when the their own position was not brightly lit. Results of Experiment 2 revealed that 1) participants felt comfortable when the stranger's position was lit more brightly than their own position. However the difference of brightness was not salient and 2) to make the comfortable condition, both stranger's and own points needed to be brightly lit.

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The committee of Architecture-Society Studies works on meaning or role of architecture directly related to our quality of daily life with academic reconsideration from the viewpoint of society. The committee proposed and held the workshop "How do we face the Great East Japan Earthquake as Architecture-Society Studies" in Annual Meeting of Man-Environment Research Association on May 21st, 2011. We aimed to make the workshop as an opportunity to consider the reason for being of Architecture-Society Studies in a social emergency. In this workshop, we had deep discussions based on some queries. How does our Architecture-Society Studies face with the reality of this unprecedented disaster? Can our academic assumptions handle facts in the most disastrous earthquake on record? This feature is a collection of contributions by the speakers and members of this workshop.

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Follow the course of the past while immediately after the earthquake, which is the subject of this paper is the question the way the accident investigation and social significance of architecture planning system. The survey, damage survey was broad-based plan for the earthquake damage could not be carried out only partially. Result of the study, 1) to clarify the purpose of disaster research. 2) the importance of feedback and output. 3) creating a database outside the disaster area, such as through the web in order to increase the efficiency of the survey. 4) It is important for the formation of a network of regional and fourth day.

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The objective of this study is to introduce the research regarding the refuge life and residential environment in Hokkaido, and to examine the issues emerging from the survey. It became possible with the help of the accepting local community to conduct a survey on the environmental immigration with regard to the refugees out of the devastated district where it was difficult to have a good grasp of the living conditions so far. I intend to share the basic understanding of the survey, namely, for whom the survey will be conducted and to where the survey will lead us, from the viewpoint of both academy and administration. Also I will discuss the need of careful attention on how it will be accepted by the residents. Then, I will discuss the conflict between what is needed for the residents and my role as a researcher. Lastly, I will point out the issues that need to be understood by the researchers who are not specialized in disaster research, and then discuss the connection with my research tasks accumulated over the years as well as the prospect of the synergistic effect.

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In Japan, social scientific approaches of disaster studies were developed after the 1964 Niigata Earthquake based on research findings from America. Okushiri Island was severely damaged by the Hokkaido Nansei-oki Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 1993. Nevertheless, only a few researchers continued to study the social effects of earthquakes and tsunamis. But after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, media, researchers, and local governments started again to focus on Okushiri Island. First, town officials were asked how to respond to the disaster and were requested to relay massages to the people in disaster areas until a month after the tsunami. Then, they were asked about reconstruction projects and reconstruction contracts, and to report the recovery process of the affected areas. However, some information gathering was conducted in an insensitive manner and Okushiri people were hurt in their feelings. In addition, some researchers and commentators criticized that the reconstruction of Okushiri Island has failed. In order to prevent such a situation in the future, it is very important for researchers to make a solid connection with disaster areas and victims.

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Based on the theory of risk society proposed by U. Beck (a German sociologist), I discussed the gaps in the damage by great earthquakes and the reconstruction. Beck pointed out the distribution of risks to humans, such as pollution and natural disasters had been important in modern society. Risk is distributed to people equally to some extent, but it is also distributed to people unequally depending on social class. To clarify and correct the bias of the distribution of risks is one of the challenges of modern sociology. In the Southern Hyogo Prefecture Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, there had been gaps in the damage depending on social class and family structure. The conditions of houses had been related to the gaps. Also, in the reconstruction, there had been gaps in the situations depending on social class, family structure, savings and human network. The bias of risk allocation emerges in the disasters. However, it is lurking in everyday life. Architecture-Society Studies intend to reveal the social characteristics and social influences of architectures. To clarify and correct the bias of the distribution of risks concerning architectures is one of the challenges of Architecture-Society Studies.

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After the great East Japan earthquake, more than 50,000 temporary residential units are built. Temporary housing is the place where victims attempt to recover from the mental and physical damage caused by the disasters. But it does not meet demands of victims perfectly because it is designed to provide minimum residential space quickly in any place attacked by unexpected disaster. So it is important the residents modify the temporary residential unit by themselves. Author opened website providing information for residents to modify the temporary residential unit by themselves, basing on academic research in Niigata where 5,000 temporary residential units were built by consecutive three disasters. The purpose of this paper is to argue the application of academic studies to actual field. Focusing on the information platform in internet that various person operating action in disaster area can access the information provided by academic sector and react their feedback quickly, it points as follow; (1) Possibility of new academic approach closely relating to actual field. (2) Risk that part of the information would be interpreted arbitrary from the information platform and lead to wrong application. In conclusion, it suggests carefully consideration to unexpected reaction in application of academic studies to actual field.

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This paper introduces residents' practices and proposals on the relocation to the high ground in Koizumi area, Kesennuma city, Miyagi Pref., Japan. The author has been cooperating with this project. Also, this paper argues about the relationship between architectural practices and social structure for rebuilding from the Great East Japan Earthquake, especially considering issues in the small village like Koizumi area. It was found by participating in the Koizumi project that some problems will be revealed in emergency, which can't be recognized in our every day life. The following points are focused in this paper; (1) Burdens and confusions in residents' decision making influenced by the administrative methods. (2) Waste on mutual adjustments among parallel projects. In conclusion, it is having a view that academic approach can be one with practices, not will be for works.

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The Great East Japan Earthquake has become the trigger to reconsider the relationship of architecture with the social system which is laid behind actual architecture. It is urgently requested to discuss, and to share the way to keep and recover the quality of local people's life under the crisis caused by the natural disaster. This is the serious issue for the Architecture-Society Studies, and is critical not only in the time just after the disaster happened but also in the ordinal situation. This article pick up the problem concerning about the "Quality of life" (QOL) of the residents in the temporary housings, and points out the following necessity of the discussion; the way to recover the QOL of the residents; the strategic way to prepare alternatives to the present temporary housing in the highly aged and the shrinking society; the role of the Architecture-Society Studies which can integrate actual architecture and social system and is requested.

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On the Great East Japan Earthquake, from the view-point of "architecture-society studies" which has been discussed by the author and colleagues for a few years, this paper considers the meaning and raison d'etre of "research" and "recovery-plan" of a disaster. Facing a great number of the victims and huge damage-stricken areas what should a "researcher" dealing with people and their society do? Should he/she, first of all, volunteer to any supporting activities regardless his/her specialized discipline, or investigate the issue of a particular purpose with a specific methodology? In the latter case, could the researcher, as an intruder from an outside world for victims who need immediate helps, record something for a next disaster in another place in the future? Here, an unavoidable soliloquy, which the researcher should think about in the disaster study, must appear. The author hopes, as one of possibilities to tackle the problem, that a long-term action-research in the target area based on the "one-community" formed by victims and outsiders would become significant. On the so-called "recovery-plans" which are proposed by academic societies and other organizations, it is important to clarify the purposes and their reasons and also to be careful about the logical structure and the reality of decision-making process including "citizen-participation."

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