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Abstract |
On Friday at 2:46 pm Japan standard time, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred at the level of the Japan Trench, approximately 130 km east of Sendai. The sea floor was lifted up, causing a major tsunami that inundated 516 km2 of the eastern coastline of Japan. Together, the earthquake and tsunami resulted in around 16,000 deaths and approximately 2,600 missing people (Renaud and Murti (eds.) 2013, Japan National Police Agency 2016). In order to support the revitalization of the Sanriku area, the Sanriku Reconstruction National Park was created after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. However, large construction projects provoked adverse reactions in the tsunami-hit areas. For example, a giant conveyor belt is bringing mud to raise the ground level in Rikuzentakata City and some researchers have pointed out resulting negative effects on the ecosystem. In the case of Sri Lanka, dumping of debris from the cleanup into waterways and wetlands created pollution and drainage problems that hampered long-term recovery after the Indian Ocean tsunami (Sudmeier-Rieux and Ash 2009). These kinds of negative impacts have occurred in the aftermath of disasters and it is very important to pay close attention to the post-disaster recovery period and also to address how to strengthen the function of protected areas in eco-based disaster risk reduction. In addition to this viewpoint, this research focuses on visitor use, including visitor consciousness that can offer information on the value of a national park. Not only visitor use but also the consciousness of visitors, such as interest in disaster risk reduction and expected countermeasures, are thought to change gradually after a disaster but very little research has focused on such types of changes in psychological states. |
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