In the aftermath of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11, Japan has experienced devastation the likes of which few places have ever felt. To UK geography professor Pradyumna Karan, this disaster feels personal.

“I have been leading UK Summer Field Seminars in Japan along with professor Todd Stradford for many years. My students and I have many friends in each region that we will have for the rest of our lives.”

The earthquake and tsunami did major damage to a string of coastal settlements along Japan’s northeast coast, including the town of Taro, where Karan and his students stop each summer.

 “We study Japan’s effort to mitigate damage from tsunamis. Taro has suffered serious damage through its history,” Karan said. Hillsides in Taro indicate the run-up – the maximum height reached by a tsunami as it encounters the shore – from previous massive disasters in 1896 and 1933.

A tsunami completely destroyed Taro on the morning of March 3, 1933 while its citizens were still asleep. In response to the recurring threat of tsunamis, a 30 foot tall, 1.5 mile long wall was built along the coast.

“Japan has among the strongest sea fortifications and most sophisticated tsunami warning and evacuation systems on Earth. Seawall defenses have been repeatedly extended and modernized as the first line of defense for coastal communities,” Karan explained.

Coastal towns also employ automated warning systems, define safe areas and take part in regular evacuation drills to mitigate the impact of tsunamis.

In spite of all this, the March 11 hit Taro hard, destroying all but 8 of the homes within the town limits. Press reports indicate that half of the town’s population have been reported missing in the aftermath.

“The size and power of the tsunami was such that the seawall was unable to hold back the waves,” Karan said. “The ease with which the tsunami broke through Japan’s seawall defenses was frightening.”

In light of these disasters, Taro and other coastal communities in Japan have made efforts to pass down tsunami history to younger generation. One survivor of the 1933 tsunami created a picture story book which she uses as a guide to instruct children on how to deal with tsunamis.

As Karan explains, picture story books are a popular form of entertainment and education for children in Japan. “Pictures are drawn on card and shown one-by-one in dramatic fashion as the story is told, acting out the scene. In this case, children learn how to escape from a tsunami.”

During UK’s Summer Field Seminars in Japan, students learn how teaching materials, local history and evacuation drills create a culture of disaster mitigation that protects the community. Without them, the effects of the March 11 tsunami would have likely been worse.

“These efforts were essential in saving the lives of at least half of Taro’s population,” Karan said.

Karan believes Japan’s post-tsunami reconstruction plan must take into account that nature cannot be tamed by technology and seawall engineering.

“It is better to follow geography to avoid destruction from future tsunamis. Japan will need to evolve development policies that incorporate vulnerabilities of coastal lands and of the people who live there,” he said.

Japan’s natural landscape proves difficult in this regard, however. With steep mountains, narrow coastal plains and high population density, avoiding the construction of homes in low-lying coastal areas is no easy planning task.

“The resilience and phenomenal work ethic of the Japanese people enabled them to rebuild after World War Two,” Karan said. “Japan will overcome what has happened and reshape an efficient, prosperous, and smoothly-functioning society.”

“During times of disaster in the past, Japan has shown its mettle and will do so again. From a distance of 6,000 miles, Kentucky is there in spirit with the people of Japan.”

Article Date: 4/5/2011