Preventing International Assistance becoming a Threat to Human Security: Japan’s Experience in the 1995 Kobe Earthquake and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) in 2011 was worth noting not only because of the disaster’s massive scale but also because Japan received international assistance even as it is recognized as one of the countries most prepared to handle disasters. Due to globalization, more and more countries and organizations give assistance across state borders, with recipients not limited to only developing countries. Developed countries such as Japan, the United States, and New Zealand have also received assistance in recent years. While assistance itself is based on the goodwill of the international community, past examples have shown that receiving too much or unnecessary assistance can become a further burden to the affected countries, which can threaten human security. All countries now have to consider international assistance as part of their disaster response plan; relaying timely information from the affected country is the key to successful management of foreign assistance. This chapter looks at how the Japanese government managed the international assistance it received during the GEJE, focusing on information management and reception of international search and rescue teams. It also discusses how the government utilized the lessons learned from the 1995 Kobe earthquake. The government, getting support from the United Nations, successfully released timely information in English to the world. However, there were difficulties in coordinating activities to meet the needs of the affected areas. In requesting for foreign assistance, the government had to consider diplomacy and the feelings of families who lost their loved ones.