August 2013
NIRA Report

Status of Recovery and Current Problemsin Three Disaster-hit Prefectures
What the Data Tells Us
Indexes for Recovery and Reconstruction
following the Great East Japan Earthquake (IV)

Executive Summary

The National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) developed indexes forrecovery and reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake to enable acomprehensive understanding of the status of recovery and reconstruction efforts.
A review of the changes in the indexes from the date of the earthquake to March 2013shows that in each of the three prefectures under consideration, there has been a slowbut progressive recovery of basic infrastructure. While differences can be observed in
the level of progress made by individual cities, towns and villages, these are chiefly
differences in the status of recovery of rail systems and the treatment of debris.
With regard to the status of economic activity, including production, consumption, anddistribution, there are differences in progress between the three prefectures, withrecovery lagging behind in Fukushima Prefecture, for example.
In addition, the proportion of elderly people living by themselves in emergency
temporary housing has increased, and women are experiencing stress in caring forchildren and in seeking employment. Significant problems are still being faced in daily
life in the region struck by the earthquake and tsunami, and these problems demanddetailed analysis and response.

●There has been gradual progress in the status of recovery of basic infrastructuresince fall 2011 (Figure 1)
The recovery of basic infrastructure is proceeding gradually in each of the three prefectures,
but the tempo has slowed somewhat in Iwate Prefecture in the most-recent one-year period.
There have been significant improvements in the status of treatment of debris in all threeprefectures, and there has also been improvement in indexes related to the relocation andmigration of the population. However, progress in the fields of education and medical careremains slow.

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Figure 1

Trends in index expressing status of recovery of basic infrastructure(Note)
The actual figure for 2012 is the figure at the end of the second quarter.
(Source) Review of Operations in Fiscal 2011and the 2009 Actuarial Valuation of the Public
Pension Plan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare●The index expressing the status of recovery of basic infrastructure by city, town
and village is affected by the level of progress in recovery of rail systems andtreatment of debris
While progress is slow, recovery is proceeding in the 37 cities, towns and villages focusedon. The level of progress in the recovery of rail systems and the treatment of debris has aneffect on the progress of recovery in the specific area under consideration, and Fudai Village,
in Iwate Prefecture, which is close to realizing these goals, scores 100 on the index
expressing the status of recovery of basic infrastructure. Other municipalities, such as
Hirono in Iwate Prefecture and Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, also display high scores for thisindex.
● In 2013, the index expressing the status of activity displayed an increasing
tendency (Figure 2)
Following the earthquake, recovery proceeded centering on production activities, but theindex expressing the status of activity remained basically static from spring 2012. In 2013,
however, Iwate Prefecture has displayed rapid growth, and its level for this index has
recently exceeded its pre-earthquake level. The figure for Miyagi Prefecture is also
displaying a gradual increase, while Fukushima Prefecture remains relatively static at alower level.

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Figure 2

Trends in index expressing status of activity(Note 1) For the sake of expedience in data processing procedures, it is not possible to directly compare
figures for the three disaster-hit regions and the entire country here.
(Note 2) The index expressing the status of activity provides an understanding of the status of damage andrecovery and reconstruction over time with regard to production, consumption, distribution, andother essential activities in the region in question, taking into consideration factors including
indexes of industrial production and indexes of sales for large retail stores.

●Problems are being encountered in the recovery of agriculture, fisheries, andmedicine in Fukushima Prefecture
While the majority of affected agricultural and fisheries businesses in Iwate and Miyagi
Prefectures have recommenced operations, figures remain low in Fukushima Prefecture. In
the field of medicine, the number of doctors in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures is now close topre-earthquake figures, but there has not yet been a recovery in Fukushima Prefecture.
●The proportion of elderly people living alone in emergency temporary housing
has increased
The proportion of elderly residents of emergency temporary housing is high, and thenumber of elderly people living alone in temporary housing has increased. For women,
there has not been adequate recovery in the child-raising and job-seeking environments.
Elderly residents and women in the disaster-affected region are experiencing high levels ofstress, and it is therefore essential to address the issue of disparities in health between
generations and between men and women.
NIRA Report

Status of Recovery and Current Problems in Three Disaster-hit Prefectures
What the Data Tells Us
Indexes for Recovery and Reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake (IV)The Japanese version of the full report: http://www.nira.or.jp/pdf/1301report.pdfⓒ 2013 National Institute for Research Advancement(NIRA)

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