thThe 17 Annual Conference of TIEMS(The International Emergency Management Society)
June 8-12, 2010, Beijing, China

DEVELOPMENT OF THE METHOD OF CLARIFYING THE
LIFE RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS BASED ON THE RANDOMSAMPLED SOCIAL SURVEYS OF THE VICTIMSRECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION CALENDAR
Reo Kimura
Graduate School of Environment and Disaster Research, Fuji Tokoha University, Japan1

Keiko Tamura
Risk Management Office, Niigata University, Japan2

Haruo Hayashi
Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan3

Keywords
Random Sampled Social Survey, Life Reconstruction Process, Victims’ Behaviour

Abstract
Three major earthquake disasters that occurred in Japan formed the basis of our surveys of
disaster victims, the Kobe (Hanshin-Awaji) Earthquake that struck on January 17 1995, the
Mid-Niigata Earthquake that struck on October 23 2004 and the Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake thatstruck on July 16 2007.
Our research team conducted random sampled social surveys periodically (like fixed-point
survey observation) in the areas affected by three earthquake disasters. We asked the victims
using some scales that were developed for clarifying the long-term life reconstruction process.
In this paper we discussed “recovery and reconstruction calendar” scale we developed forclarifying the process that earthquake victims undergo in rebuilding their shattered lives.
We have examined the generality of the process clarified by the proposed calendar
concretely, based on results for the calendar in random surveys on the three earthquakes. We
concluded that (1) the patterns of victims’ behaviours are found, which were changed at the
points of 10 hours, 100 hours (4 days), 1,000 hours (2 months), 10,000 hours (1 year) and
100,000 hours (10 years) after the event occurred, (2) the recovery and reconstruction
calendar is highly reproducibility in clarifying the recovery and reconstruction process and (3)generalization can be recognized in this process in time phases after disasters despite
differences in disaster size and mode.

1

Address: 325, Obuchi, Fuji city, Shizuoka, 417-0801, Japan
Tel: +81-545-37-2030, E-mail: reo@fuji-tokoha-u.ac.jp
2
Address: 8050, Ikarashi Nino-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata city, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
Tel: +81-25-262-6115, E-mail: tamura@gs.niigata-u.ac.jp
3
Address: Gokasho, Uji city, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
Tel: +81-774-38-4273, E-mail: hayashi@drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp

1. Introduction
A gigantic disaster not only caused physical damage to cities’ development, but also hadsignificant psychological and social impacts upon the bodies, minds, and lives of disastervictims, local community relationships, organizations, groups, and social systems. As a resultof a major disaster, victims may sustain both person and material damage, and struggle tocarry on with their ordinary lives as normal. The process for recovering everyday life whilepeople and society adapt to a post-disaster environment is called the disaster process or life
recovery/reconstruction process if the lives of people are brought into focus. If the disasterprocess is understood objectively, the situation and needs of victims and their society can berealized by answering the following questions, which problems occur for whom in what
sequence, and how these problems can be solved.

2. Five time phases following the occurrence of the disasterWe have been studying the life reconstruction processes of victims of the Kobe (HanshinAwaji) Earthquake that struck on January 17 1995, and, in particular, how the disaster victims
established new daily lives in the post-disaster environment. We conducted random mailsurveys of the Kobe Earthquake disaster area in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005. In these surveys,
we verified the hypothesis that the feelings and behaviours of disaster victims change during
five periods of time that are separated by five time axes: the day of the disaster (10 hours),
two to four days (100 hours) after the disaster, two months (1,000 hours), the one year
(10,000 hours) and the 10 years (100,000 hours) after the disaster. [1]These five stages are defined as follows:
I. Disorientation phase – a period in which victims suffer from the impact of disaster soseverely that they have difficulty in orienting themselves in the new environment.
II. Acceptance of new reality phase – a period in which victims accept damage rationally andundertake to adapt themselves to a new society based on a new order.
III. Disaster utopia phase – a period in which life resembling primitive communism forms
based on social values different from those of ordinary times because of the paralysis of social
function such as lifeline services.
IV. Reentry to everyday life phase – a period in which victims undertake to reconstruct theirlives due to restoration of social infrastructures such as lifeline services.
V. Reconstruction phase – a period in which the most of the victims and organizations believethat the impact of the disaster is reconstructed and the society in the impacted area isrecovered (figure 1).

time
10 hours

102 hours

103 hours

104 hours

105 hours

disaster

I

Ⅱ

Ⅲ

Ⅳ

Ⅴ

Disorientation

Acceptance of
New Reality

Disaster
UtopiaReentry toEveryday Life

Reconstruction

The day of
the impact

Few days
after EQ

Two months
after EQ

The First
one yearafter EQ

Figure 1. Five Stages after the earthquake

Several years
after EQ

3. Implementation of Surveys
3.1. Three major earthquake disasters in Japan
Three major earthquake disasters that occurred in Japan formed the basis of our surveys of
disaster victims, the Kobe (Hanshin-Awaji) Earthquake that struck on January 17 1995, the
Mid-Niigata Earthquake that struck on October 23 2004 and the Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake thatstruck on July 16 2007. Table 1 shows the overview and figure 2 shows the characteristics ofthese disasters.
Table 1. Overview of three earthquakes
The Kobe (HanshinAwaji) EQ in 1995

The Mid Niigata
Prefecture EQ in 2004

The Chuetsu-oki EQ in
2007

7（M7.3）

7（M6.8）

Upper 6（M6.8）

Impact Area

Density populated urban
area(Hyogo prefecture)

Remote and isolatedarea among mountains(Niigata prefecture)

Local cities area
(Niigata prefecture)

Casualties

6,437

68

15

Seismic Intensity(JMA)

Injuries

43,792

4,805

2,346

Housing Damage

about 650,000

about 120,000

about 44,000

Emergency Shelters

over 1,200

603

116

Evacueesover 300,000

about 103,000

about 12,500

Temporary Housings

48,300

3,460

1,222

Public Collective
Housings for victims(number of houses)

about 40,000

493

178

The Kobe (Hanshin-Awaji)
Earthquake in 1995

•
•
•
•

Severe damage tophysical environment
Severe damage tosocial systems
Recover process tookvery long time
Hard to construct thepolicies on the processof recover because
never examined theprocess before
Disaster in a densitypopulated urban area

The Mid Niigata Prefecture
Earthquake in 2004•••

Wreak havoc on public
infrastructure
Get several villages
isolated in the rural areas（Communication, traffic,
material flow were
disrupted）
Gather attention on
Disaster related Death

The Chuetsu-oki
Earthquake in 2007

•
•
•

•

Wreak havoc on
individual properties
Get some people doubly
victimized by 2 EQ
Spread harmful rumors
about the damage of
nuclear power plant
Damage subcontract
factory of national-wide
enterprises and occur
supply-chain disruption

Disaster in a remote
and isolated area
among mountains

Figure 2. Characteristics of three earthquakes

Disaster in local
cities area

3.2. Recovery and Reconstruction Calendar
Our research team conducted random sampled social surveys periodically (like fixed-point
survey observation) in the areas affected by three earthquake disasters. (Table 2) We asked
the victims using some scales that were developed for clarifying the long-term life
reconstruction process. In this paper we discussed “recovery and reconstruction calendar”
scale we developed for clarifying the process that earthquake victims undergo in rebuilding
their shattered lives.
Table 2. Survey overview of three earthquake disasters
Kobe Survey in Jan. 2003 and 2005

Mid-Niigata Survey in Mar. 2009

Chuetsu-oki Survey in Mar. 2009

Earthquake occurred in

17 January 1995

23 October 2004

16 July 2007

Surveyed Area

Areas where 7 on the seismic scale
was recorded and gas was stopped +Kobe City Kita ward and Nishi ward

Areas in Nagaoka City, Ojiya City, andKawaguchi Town, where 6 lower on
the Japanese seismic scale wasrecorded

Areas in Kashiwazaki City, Izumozaki
Town, and Kariwa Village, where 6
lower on the Japanese seismic scale
was recorded

Surveyed person

Man and woman 20 years or older

Man and woman 20 years or older

Man and woman 20 years or older

Sampling

Sampled from resident register using
stratified two-stage sampling (165
points, 20 residents per point)

Sampled from resident register using
stratified two-stage sampling (69points in Nagaoka City, Ojiya City, andKawaguchi Town, 20 residents per
point)

Sampled from resident register using
stratified two-stage sampling (56points in Kashiwazaki City, Izumozaki
Town and Kariwa Village, 20 residents
per point)

3,300 (in 2003), 3,300 (in 2005)

1,380

1,120

1,203 (in 2003), 1,028 (in 2005)

619

483

36.5% (in 2003), 31.2% (in 2005)

44.9%

43.1%

Fill out questionnaire sent by mail andcollect it by mailFill out questionnaire sent by mail andcollect it by mailFill out questionnaire sent by mail andcollect it by mailNumber of surveyed
persons
Number of effective
answers
Rate of effective
answers
Method of survey

We developed a recovery and reconstruction calendar for measuring overall reconstruction
quantitatively for victims and stricken areas, clarifying the disaster process by ethnographyinterviews verified through quantitative examination.
Milestones in recovery andreconstruction are mentioned in the social survey, questions ask when events happened andanswers obtained. This set of procedures is called the recovery and reconstruction calendar.
Table 3 shows questions. [1, 2]
Table 3. Items of recovery and reconstruction calendar•

Eleven items, which are milestones of ethnography survey findings as events
marking restoration and reconstruction many victims experienced① I understood the entirety of the damage.
② I felt safe.
③ I was prepared to have an uncomfortable life for a while.
④ Office/school have resumed.
⑤ Problem of housing was finally settled.
⑥ Personal financial situation was no longer influenced by the earthquake.
⑦ Everyday life settled down.
⑧ Local activity was restored.
⑨ I did not define myself as a disaster victim.
⑩ Local economy was no longer influenced by the earthquake.
⑪ Local roads were reconstructed.

4. Result of recovery and reconstruction calendar
4.1. Kobe earthquake
Figure 3 shows results of the 1995 Kobe earthquake disaster survey conducted in
2003/2005, eight/ten years after the earthquake. At 10 hours after the earthquake anddisorientation phase, victims prepared to have an uncomfortable life for a while (the night ofthe day of the earthquake, 56.3%) and understood the entirety of the damage (on the morningof the day after the earthquake, 54.2%). Three weeks after the earthquake, they felt safe
(50.1%). The percentage who answered office/school have resumed exceeded 50% one
month (1,000 hours) after the earthquake when disaster utopia phase finished (54.1%) and
94.2% answered so 10 years after the earthquake (in the survey). Each percentage of those
who answered everyday life settled down and problem of housing was finally settled
exceeded 50% about half a year after the earthquake, which corresponds to reentry to theeveryday life phase (55.3%, 52.2%). We supposed that many people felt that everyday life
settled down by settling their housing problems.
The percentage of those who answered personal financial situation was no longer
influenced by the earthquake exceeded 50% one year (10,000 hours) after the earthquake(59.2%). 76.9% answered so 10 years after the earthquake (at the survey). The percentage of
those who answered I did not define myself as a disaster victim exceeded 50% one year
(10,000 hours) after the earthquake (51.5%). 75.5% answered so in 2005 when the survey was
conducted.
We also found that the number of respondents who felt local economy was no longer
influenced by the earthquake exceeded the majority (52.6%) 10 years after the earthquake at
the survey. In areas stricken by a catastrophic urban disaster, it can be seen that 10 years after
the earthquake. The local economy had finally recovered from the earthquake’s influence,indicating that response and measures would have to span up to a decade after a great quake
to recover and reconstruct a modern society.
Although over 50% of victims no longer felt influenced, a look at individual life
reconstruction suggests that over 40% still lived with the feeling that local society had not yet
recovered from the disaster. This indicates the need for careful support in life reconstruction
among individual victims for at least 10 years.
① I understood the entirety of the damage (n=947)②％I was prepared to have an uncomfortable
100 life for a while. (n=994)③ Everyday life settled down. (n=800)④ I felt safe. (n=1007)
90 ⑤ Office/school have resumed. (n=651)⑥ Personal financial situation was no longer
influenced by the earthquake , (n=694)
80 ⑦ Problem of housing was finally settled. (n=759)

70⑧ Local economy was no longer influenced by theearthquake. (n=582)⑨ I did not define myself as a disaster victim. (n=709)

②99.2
①99.0
④94.9 ③95.1
⑤94.2
⑦93.9

76.9
75.5

①②④ in 2003 survey
Others in 2005 survey

60

②

50

④

①

⑤

③

⑦

⑥

⑨

⑧

52.6

40

30

20

10

0

Jan17

am

100

pm

/18
night

/19 /20/21/22

Disorientation-/29 -2/5

102

10
Acceptance of New Realities

Feb. Mar. -Jun. -Sep.-Dec. 1996 -1998
-2003
-2000

103
Disaster Utopia

104
Reentry to Everyda y Life

hours
Reconstruction

Figure 3. Recovery and reconstruction calendar (Kobe survey in Jan. 2003 and Jan. 2005)

4.2. Mid Niigata earthquake
Figure 4 shows the result of the 2004 Mid Niigata earthquake disaster survey conducted in
2009, five years after the earthquake. For I was prepared to have an uncomfortable life for awhile, it took 10 hours (the day after the earthquake, 63.4%), which corresponds to the time
for overcoming disorientation to understanding the disaster. It took a week for acceptance ofthe new reality phase to finish to understand damage (a week after the earthquake, 76.2%). It
took more time to grasp the scale of damage, because the disaster occurred in a mountainous
area far different than in the urban Kobe Earthquake. After two weeks, office and school
began to resume rapidly and 51.7% answered that they had resumed two weeks after theearthquake.
For other questions, the percentage exceeded the majority of 1,000 hours after theearthquake when heavy winter snows began to melt in stricken areas. The percentage of
those who answered I felt safe and everyday life settled and exceeded the majority in March
2005, about half a year after the earthquake (53.2%, 53.9%). From spring, the number of
respondents who answered problem of housing was settled (about six month after theearthquake, 56.6%) and local activity was restored (six months after the earthquake, 58.4%)
increased notably.
At one year after the earthquake, the numbers of respondents who answered personal
financial situation was no longer influenced by the earthquake (about one year after theearthquake, 64.2%) and local roads were reconstructed exceeded the majority (66.5%).
increased notably. It took two years half until the percentage of those who answered I did not
define myself as a disaster victim (about two years after the earthquake, 62.6%). It took three
years half until the percentage of those who answered local economy was no longer
influenced by the earthquake (about three years after the earthquake, 64.4%). Even at thetime of the survey, about five years after the earthquake, the percentage of those who
answered local economy is no longer influenced by the earthquake is 78.2%, and I did not
define myself as a disaster victim is 82.2%, suggest that it will take much more time to restore
local economy and individual lives.
⑩ Local economy was no longer influenced by
the earthquake. (n=458)① I understood the entirety of the damage. (n=537)②％
I felt safe. (n=527)
100③ I was prepared to have an uncomfortable life

100 ③ 99.8 ①
98.9 ⑦ 98.8 ④
98.2 ⑧ 97.5 ⑪
94.9 ②93.9 ⑤
88.0
84.8
82.2

⑪ Local roads were reconstructed. (n=484)

for a while. (n=544)④ Office/school have resumed. (n=491)
90⑤ Problem of housing was finally settled. (n=521)⑥ Personal financial situation was no longer
influenced by the earthquake, (n=495)
80⑦ Everyday life settled down. (n=543)⑧ Local activity was restored. (n=497)⑨ I did not define myself as a disaster victim.
70(n=511)

78.2

60

③

50

②

④

①

⑧⑤
⑦ ⑥ ⑪

⑨

⑩

40

30

20

10

0

Oct.23
10

night

0

next morning /24-26

10
Disorientation

-/30

10
Acceptance of New Realities

Nov.

2

Dec.

10
Disaster Utopia

Mar./2005-Nov. -2006-2007
-2014
-2009

3

Reentry to Everyday Life

104

hours
Reconstruction

Figure 4. Recovery and reconstruction calendar (Mid Niigata survey in Mar. 2009)

4.3. Chuetsu-oki earthquake
Figure 5 shows the result of the 2007 Chuetsu-oki earthquake disaster survey conducted in
2009, one and a half year after the earthquake. At 10 hours after the earthquake anddisorientation phase, victims prepared to have an uncomfortable life for a while (the night ofthe day of the earthquake, 69.8%). One week after the earthquake, they understood theentirety of the damage (one week after the earthquake, 80.4%) and two weeks after theearthquake, office/school have resumed exceeded 50% (two weeks after the earthquake,
54.4%). One month after the earthquake, they felt safe (55.5%). The percentage who
answered everyday life settled down exceeded 50% two months when disaster utopia phasefinished (51.5%).
In reentry to everyday life phase, problem of housing was finally settled exceeded 50%
three months after the earthquake (51.7%). The percentage who answered personal financial
situation was no longer influenced by the earthquake and local activity was restored exceeded
50% six months after the earthquake (57.1%, 59.1%).
The percentage of those who answered local roads were reconstructed exceeded 50% one
year (10,000 hours) after the earthquake (59.6%). 82.2% answered so 1.5 years after theearthquake (at the survey). The percentage of those who answered I did not define myself as
a disaster victim exceeded 50% one year (10,000 hours) after the earthquake (58.9%). 70.1%
answered so in 2009 when the survey was conducted. We also found that the number of
respondents who felt local economy was no longer influenced by the earthquake do not
exceed the majority (48.0%) 1.5 years after the earthquake at the survey.
⑩ Local economy was no longer influenced by
the earthquake. (n=331)① I understood the entirety of the damage. (n=378)②％
I felt safe. (n=366)
100③ I was prepared to have an uncomfortable life

99.5 ③99.2 ①⑪ Local roads were reconstructed. (n=349)

for a while. (n=371)

96.0
94.2
91.5

④ Office/school have resumed. (n=331)
90⑤ Problem of housing was finally settled. (n=360)

85.6
82.2

⑥ Personal financial situation was no longer
influenced by the earthquake, (n=340)
80⑦ Everyday life settled down. (n=371)

78.8⑧ Local activity was restored. (n=347)⑨ I did not define myself as a disaster victim. (n=358)
70

70.1

60

③

50

①

④

⑦ ⑤ ⑥⑧ ⑨ ⑪

②

⑩
48.0

40

30

20

10

0

Jul.1610evening0

next/17-19morning

10
Disorientation

-/23

10
Acceptance of New Realities

Aug.

2

Sep.

10
Disaster Utopia

Dec.

Jul./2008 -2009-2010
-2017
-2012

3

Reentry to Everyday Life

104

hours
Reconstruction

Figure 5. Recovery and reconstruction calendar (Chuetsu-oki survey in Mar. 2009)

5. Calendar reproducibility
To determine the calendar’s reproducibility, whether the calendar could be understood byrespondents and answered similarly, other respondents sampled within the same surveyed
areas were asked to answer the same questions multiple times.
Figure 6 shows results of overlapping 11 overlapping questions in surveys in 2006 and2009 in the same areas surveyed in the Niigata Earthquake. Fine lines show results in 2006
and bold lines in 2009. We recognized many common points, for example, how thepercentage of recovery and reconstruction rises in each item and the time when each item
exceeds the majority.
① I understood the entirety of the damage. (n=537)②％
I felt safe. (n=527)

100③ I was prepared to have an uncomfortable life

⑩ Local economy was no longer influenced by
the earthquake. (n=458)⑪ Local roads were reconstructed. (n=484)

for a while. (n=544)④ Office/school have resumed. (n=491)
90⑤ Problem of housing was finally settled. (n=521)⑥ Personal financial situation was no longer
influenced by the earthquake, (n=495)

80⑦ Everyday life settled down. (n=543)⑧ Local activity was restored. (n=497)⑨ I did not define myself as a disaster victim.
70(n=511)

Numbers in 2009 survey
60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Oct.23
10

night

0

next morning /24-26

10
Disorientation

-/30

10
Acceptance of New Realities

Nov.

2

Dec.

10
Disaster Utopia

Mar./2005-Nov. -2006-2007
-2014
-2009

3

Reentry to Everyday Life

104

hours
Reconstruction

Figure 6. Recovery and reconstruction calendar(Mid Niigata Survey; fine lines show results in Oct./2006 and bold lines in Mar./2009)

6. Comparison between the Kobe and the Mid Niigata earthquake disaster using
recovery and reconstructing calendar
Reviewing the question of how multiple disasters can be compared and examined using therecovery and reconstruction calendar, we found that the recovery and reconstruction calendar
in the Kobe Earthquake Disaster and that in the Mid Niigata Earthquake overlapped (Figure7). In Fig. 7, fine lines with the letter K show results of the survey in the Kobe Earthquake
and bold lines those of that in the Mid Niigata.
The process of life reconstruction in the Kobe Earthquake and in the Mid Niigata
Earthquake showed many common elements despite is significant differences in damage scale
and mode. For example, at 10,000 hours after the earthquake, the number of respondents who
answered I did not define myself as a disaster victim exceeded the majority. This occurred
about one year after either earthquake, so it appears important to take responses and measuresagainst disaster for victims to return from emergency to ordinary life, setting the firstanniversary as one objective. As for the item local economy was no longer influenced by theearthquake, the majority was exceeded finally about 10 years (100,000 hours) after the Kobe

Earthquake, while the local economy was rapidly reconstructed by the earthquake five years
after the Niigata Earthquake.
① I understood the entirety of the damage. (n=537)②％
I felt safe. (n=527)⑩ Local economy was no longer influenced by
the earthquake. (n=458)⑪ Local roads were reconstructed. (n=484)

100 ③ I was prepared to have an uncomfortable life
for a while. (n=544)④ Office/school have resumed. (n=491)

90 ⑤ Problem of housing was finally settled. (n=521)⑥ Personal financial situation was no longer
influenced by the earthquake, (n=495)

80 ⑦ Everyday life settled down. (n=543)⑧ Local activity was restored. (n=497)⑨ I did not define myself as a disaster victim.

⑦

70 (n=511)⑦K

Ｎumbers in Mid Niigata EQ in 2009

60⑨

K: Kobe EQ in 2003 and 2005

③

50

②K

③K

①K

④

①

②

④K

⑤
⑥

⑨K

⑤K ⑥K
⑩

⑩K

40

30

20

10

0

Oct.23night

100

next morning /24-26

Nov.

102

10
Disorientation-/30

Acceptance of New Realities

Dec.

Mar./2005-Nov. -2006-2007
-2014
-2009

103
Disaster Utopia

Reentry to Everyday Life

104

hours
Reconstruction

Figure 7. Recovery and reconstruction calendar(Mid Niigata Survey; fine lines with K show results in Kobe and bold lines in Mid Niigata)

7. Further work
We developed a recovery and reconstruction calendar for measuring overall reconstruction
quantitatively for victims and stricken areas, clarifying the disaster process by quantitative
examination. We plan to improve the recovery and reconstruction calendar and to study
milestones by asking ourselves three questions – how the process can be traced, how therecovery and reconstruction calendar can be used in small- and large-scale social surveys, andhow results obtained using the calendar can be applied concretely in disaster response.

References[1] KIMURA, R., HAYASHI, H., TATSUKI, S. and TAMURA, K. “Clarifying the Life
Reconstruction Processes of Victims of the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on thePsychological Timeline”, 1st International Conference on Urban Disaster Reduction
Proceedings, CD-ROM (10pp.), 2005.1.
[2] KIMURA, R., "Recovery and Reconstruction Calendar", Journal of Disaster Research,
Vol.2, No.6, pp.465-474, 2007.12.

Author Biography
Name:
Reo Kimura, Ph.D.
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environment and Disaster Research, Fuji Tokoha
University, Japan
Brief Career:
1994-1998 School of Human Science, Waseda University, Japan
1998-2003 Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Japan
2003-2009 Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya
University, Japan
2009- Associate Professor, Graduate School of Environment and Disaster Research, Fuji
Tokoha University, Japan