{"id":23987,"date":"2026-07-07T12:23:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T03:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/cro\/?p=23987"},"modified":"2026-07-08T09:18:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T00:18:03","slug":"%e5%85%88%e7%ab%af%e6%8a%80%e8%a1%93%e3%81%ae%e6%b3%95%e3%83%bb%e5%80%ab%e7%90%86%e7%a0%94%e7%a9%b6%e6%89%80%ef%bc%8fsustainable-technology-and-law-institute-2-2-2-3-3-2-3-3-3-4-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/cro\/news-en\/2026\/07\/07\/23987\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Visit to the Institute of Sustainable Community and Risk Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

Uncovering Insights from the Frontlines of Risk<\/h1>\n

The answer is always in the field. Standing on the principles of sociology, these researchers pursue sustainability while confronting the short-term and long-term crises facing local communities. Their fieldwork extends from disaster areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake to flood-affected regions in Valencia, Spain. We spoke with Director Tatsuto Asakawa\u00a0, who incorporates urban sociology perspectives, and researcher Carmen Grau Vila, who deepens the research as a bridge between Japan and Spain.<\/h3>\n

\u25c6Considering Sustainable Local Communities from Two Perspectives: Short-term and Long-term<\/span><\/h4>\n
\"\"

ASAKAWA, Tatsuto<\/a> (Director \/ Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2500\u2500 Professor Asakawa, you are the second director of the Institute of Sustainable Community and Risk Management<\/p>\n

and if we include the disaster research group from its predecessor, the Institute of Social Sciences, you are the third director. This research organization has a long history of activity.<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> The origins of this research group at Waseda University date back to the early 1980s, when the Tokai Earthquake and the Large-Scale Earthquake Special Measures Act were topics of discussion, and disaster research was gradually gaining attention. At that time, research activities began centered around Professor Ritsuo Akimoto, a distinguished sociologist and Professor Emeritus of Waseda University, joined by Professor Masaki Urano, who is currently Professor Emeritus and an advisor to this institute. Counting from then, this research group now has about 45 years of history.<\/p>\n

Since then, major disasters have served as turning points\u2014the eruption and pyroclastic flows at Mount Unzen-Fugendake in Nagasaki Prefecture, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, and most recently the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024\u2014connecting our research on various issues facing local communities in crisis situations \u00a0and their sustainability.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 Does the “risk\u00a0 management” \u00a0 in the institute’s name primarily refer to disaster situations?<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> Not necessarily. There are two aspects to “crises” in local communities: crises\u00a0 that occur suddenly, such as natural disasters and pandemics, and crises like population decline that gradually cause chronic problems over time. The purpose of this institute is to explore what is needed for local communities to survive amid these two types of crises, and what systems should be created.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 It seems that different types of measures and research are required for short-term crises versus long-term crises.<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> It may seem that way. However, despite the difference in pace, they can actually be understood as problems of the same nature. Whether it’s a sudden crisis or a prolonged one, the approach itself remains the same: how to assess risks, \u00a0how to confront them, and what to do to prepare. However, the specific approach varies greatly depending on the stage of the crisis and the characteristics of the region.<\/p>\n

For example, in areas affected by a major earthquake, temporary housing is built first, then permanent residential areas are developed, and roads are constructed. In a large city, such social infrastructure development might be central to recovery. But what about farming or fishing villages supported by elderly residents? When the fishing port is repaired, how many people will be able to return to work? What if there is residential land but no one to live there? How can young people who lost their schools and fled from disaster areas be brought back? Without considering all of this, we cannot create sustainable local communities.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, in the case of long-term population decline, many people do not even recognize it as a risk. Few people live their daily lives viewing the Tokyo metropolitan earthquake, which is certain to come, as an imminent crisis. In such cases, raising awareness is also an important challenge. In other words, research on how to appropriately address risks by identifying what is needed, in which regions, and at what times is equally required for both short-term and long-term crises.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Disaster Prevention Systems Incorporating Education and Gender Perspectives<\/h4>\n

\u2500\u2500 Today, we are also joined by visiting researcher Carmen Grau Vila (Lecturer at Senshu University), who is originally from Spain. What kind of research are you conducting?<\/p>\n

\"\"

Adjunct Researcher GRAU VILA, Carmen<\/p><\/div>\n

Grau:<\/strong> How Japanese people overcome disasters, achieve recovery, and pass on the lessons learned in the process to the next generation. I am conducting research to learn such things directly from disaster areas and apply them to Spain and other countries. For example, how media is used during disasters, how regional leadership is exercised, how women contribute, and what is taught to children. Simply put, it’s about understanding Japan’s entire disaster prevention system.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 What are the differences between disaster prevention in Spain and in Japan?<\/p>\n

Grau:<\/strong> My hometown is in the Valencia region of eastern Spain, which has long been prone to flooding, and I myself experienced a disaster when I was an elementary school student. Most recently, there was a major flood in October 2024, which caused the worst damage on record. Despite such a long history of flood disasters and many casualties, the lessons have not been successfully passed on to the next generation. There are laws that establish disaster prevention systems. However, actual measures have not progressed much.<\/p>\n

In Japan, systems to protect lives are firmly rooted not only in laws and institutions but also within communities and schools. Disaster prevention information is shared in various places, and systems are improved each time a disaster occurs. The way resilience is built is different.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 Specifically, what aspects are you focusing on?<\/p>\n

Grau:<\/strong> I think the role of education is significant. In Japan, evacuation drills and disaster prevention training are routinely conducted in both elementary schools and workplaces. So when I returned to Valencia on business trips last year and this year, I conducted disaster prevention workshops at local high schools and training sessions for flood management staff at city hall. I also gave lectures at the Ministry of Environment and explained about disaster prevention in Japan. They listened very enthusiastically, and I have received many requests from other government offices and schools.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 I heard you also received a research award from a radio station in your home region of Gandia<\/span>. Thanks to your efforts,\u00a0 it seems that citizens’ awareness of disaster prevention is changing.<\/p>\n

Grau:<\/strong> Yes, thank you. I was able to introduce Japan’s disaster prevention through many media outlets. Another important thing I talk about is viewing disaster prevention from a gender perspective. The impact of disasters differs depending on various positions\u2014women and men, children and adults, elderly people, people with disabilities, company employees and self-employed individuals. The things people need to prepare for disasters also differ for each group. I believe that women should always be included when actually conducting support and recovery activities.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dr. Grau received a research award from Radio Gandia in recognition of her significant contributions to the community.\u3000
Photo: \u00c0lex Oltra, Radio Gandia SER<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2500\u2500 For Japan, which has a low international gender gap index, there seem to be things to learn in return.<\/p>\n

Grau:<\/strong> However, in Japanese local communities, especially rural communities, women’s associations actually have tremendous influence. When I visited the Kirikiri district (Otsuchi, Iwate), which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, I researched the local history and discovered this, which was very interesting. Women’s contributions have always been significant, but they were hidden behind the scenes and not very visible.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Standing in the Field and Learning Regional Issues from People’s Unspoken Voices<\/h4>\n

\u2500\u2500 Listening to you, I really sense the importance of going to the field.<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> In sociology, field inspections are extremely important. We also go to Oku-Noto at least once a year now, and during the Great East Japan Earthquake, I took students to the field every month without fail. My specialty is urban sociology, and I actually had little connection to disasters until then. However, working with Professor Urano on a project studying the recovery process in the Tohoku disaster areas led me to enter disaster research as a way to explore the sustainability of local communities. It was also that project that led to Carmen\u00a0 joining us.<\/p>\n

Grau:<\/strong> Yes. I studied abroad in Japan while attending the University of Valencia, then returned to Spain to complete graduate school before coming back to Japan in 2010. So I was in Tokyo during the Great East Japan Earthquake, and having experienced disasters myself as a child, I thought there was much to learn from Japan’s disaster preparedness. After working at UNESCO in Peru, I returned to Japan to focus on disaster research and started my doctoral studies. That was in 2018. Then, to see the field firsthand, I went to Tohoku through an introduction by Professor Sachiko Asano (Co-representative of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Gender Equality Training Promotion Center), which led to my meeting with Professor Urano and Professor Asakawa.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 I see, connections through fieldwork expand both personal encounters and research scope. What memories do you have of the disaster areas in Tohoku?<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> The Kirikiri district I mentioned earlier was the first site my students and I entered after the earthquake. At the time, I was at Meiji Gakuin University, and since most of the student members were women, we decided to help with relocating evacuation shelters as support work that didn’t involve heavy labor like debris removal. However, as soon as we met the local residents, we were turned away at the door: “Thank you for coming. But goodbye.” “You’re only here for now anyway. We’ll manage on our own, so no thank you.” After about two years of visiting every month, Mr. Toshiaki Fujimoto, the head of the regional reconstruction task force, finally reached out to us, and concrete discussions began.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 That’s an activity that requires a great deal of patience. Why were the local people so distrustful?<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> A fishing village is a community that functions through cooperation among its residents. Whether it’s hauling boats ashore or sorting the catch, these are tasks that can’t be done alone, so collaborative work is fundamental. That’s why solidarity within the community naturally grows stronger, and relationships between people deepen. These unwritten rules are passed down to children, and while the men are away fishing for extended periods, the women protect the community. That’s why, as Carmen mentioned, the role of women’s associations becomes significant. Outsiders cannot easily enter a community where such culture is deeply rooted.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 It seems that such human relationships are precisely what create resilience and sustainability.<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> That’s exactly right. It’s because of the bonds between people that communities can overcome disasters. Such bonds cannot be formed overnight. They are cultivated over decades and become established as part of the social system. The question is how to create such a system. This is also part of the reason for addressing sudden disasters and long-term risks within the same framework.\u3000In the case of Kirikiri, the challenge was how to preserve the bonds that were nearly severed by the earthquake. Just when they had rebuilt the town and established places and systems for people to gather, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and people could no longer come together. I heard from local residents that this was truly difficult. Now, with young people also participating, they are reviving festivals and sports events as occasions where people can reaffirm their identity and roles, while working to restore the assets and systems that this community has long cherished.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The earthquake reconstruction memorial in Kirikiri. An inscription translated into Spanish and English by Dr. Grau is also included.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u25c6 Crisis Management in Urban Areas Amid a Declining Population Is Also a Major Issue<\/h4>\n

\u2500\u2500 Could you tell us about your future plans, Dr. Grau?<\/p>\n

Grau:<\/strong> I want to take a broad view of the crises \u00a0facing local communities, including not only disaster preparedness but also climate change countermeasures, and share what I’ve learned from Japan’s systems. Right now, I’m particularly focused on giving back to Spain, but Europe as a whole has a strong interest in climate change, and disasters are actually becoming more severe due to its effects. So if there’s anything I can do, I’m willing to go anywhere and do my best.<\/p>\n

\u2500\u2500 Professor Asakawa, your first five-year term as director has ended, and the second term began in fiscal year 2026. What are your aspirations going forward?<\/p>\n

Asakawa:<\/strong> One is to further pursue what we have built up so far. Specifically, this means the issue of sustainability in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. As time passes, public memory of both fades, but many challenges still remain. In particular, what should be done about the current situation where population decline shows no signs of stopping? How can we overcome this and achieve sustainability? This is a theme we must continue to pursue.<\/p>\n

Regarding population decline, this is actually a major issue not only in rural areas but also in urban areas. Since many people migrate from rural areas to cities, if that population decreases, the impact on cities is unavoidable. How can urban sustainability be achieved in a society with a declining population? This is the second theme.<\/p>\n

More than 100 years have passed since the Great Kanto Earthquake. We must consider what should be done before disaster strikes again, and what to do when it happens. For example, the water supply and drainage issues in apartment buildings. Recent buildings have advanced earthquake-resistant designs, so they may not collapse. However, the water and sewage pipes inside buildings would likely sustain significant damage. What should residents on upper floors do? This may no longer be an issue that can be called a long-term risk\u00a0.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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