thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

SOCIO-ECONOMIC RECOVERYFROM THE 2004 MID-NIIGATA PREFECURE EARTHQUAKE DISASER- Report of Social Random Surveys Data 2006
from the Impacted Area of the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake 1

2Keiko TAMURA , Haruo HAYASHI and Reo KIMURA
1

3Associate Professor, Research Center for Natural Hazards and Disaster Recovery, Niigata University,
Niigata , Japan
2Professor, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
3Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
Email: tamura@gs.niigata-u.ac.jp, hayashi@drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp, reo@seis.nagoya-u.ac.jp

ABSTRACT :This study is based on the analysis of social sampling random surveys conducted in the 2004 Mid-Niigata
Prefecture Earthquake impacted area Mar 2006 and Oct 2006. Those surveys were designed on the basis of
the social random surveys conducted 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake impacted area every two-year from1999. In the case of the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake the administration in Hyogo prefecture has promoted thepolicy for the recovery which set three major fields; 1) redeveloping destructed cities, 2) revitalizing localeconomics, 3) reconstructing daily and social life; however, there was no study about what life recovery wasfrom victims’point of view. The research frame building for the survey study was hypothesized by the major
findings from the grass-root workshops, which identified seven critical factors; physical/mental health,preparedness, economic/financial situation, and relation to government. The administration in Niigata
prefecture learned from lots of experiences of Hyogo Prefecture, and asking the victims’ point of view about
the recovery process was also realized in Niigata case.
To redevelop the destructed towns and cities, there are the most two critical factors; housing and land use
planning. The satisfaction with their current housing condition is key issue of the feeling their completion ofrecovery from the damage. While respondents, who thought that they were not attached to the place where they
lived, they felt that their life recovery was not well enough.
To revitalize local economics, victims’ economic condition is a critical issue. There is strong correlation
between the degree of housing damage and the present condition of their family budget. When therespondents’ houses suffered the severe damage, their family budget was still in bad condition. Especially thecost of housing, medicine, and insurance increased compared with the condition before the event, while theexpense of having recreation activities decreased.
To reconstruct daily and social life, mental and physical condition has to be considered first. When
respondents had lower mental stress, they had high sense of life-restoration. On the other hand, when
respondents had moderate physical stress, they had high sense of life-restoration.
KEYWORDS:Life Recovery, Niigataken Chuetsu Earthquake, 7-element modelthThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

1. DEFINING RECOVERY: 7-ELEMENT MODEL
The recovery from disasters is not a new issue in Japan, which had been discussed after major disasters, such as
1923 Tokyo Earthquake and WWⅡ; however, the recovery at those times was mainly considered as thereconstruction of physical structures in cities. The reconstruction process from the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake was the first time in Japanese History to be considered not only as the reconstruction of physicalstructures but also reconstruction of social structures. The administration in Hyogo Prefecture had promoted thepolicy for the long-term recovery, which set three major fields; 1) redeveloping destructed cities, 2) revitalizing
local economics, 3) reconstructing victims’ daily and social life. The Disaster Master Plan of Japanese
Government was revised six months after the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, to which the concept of the recovery
from disasters was added in order to reflect the Hyogo Prefecture’s policy. Four social surveys were planned to
conduct in the impacted area of Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake every 2 years in 1999 to clarify what life recovery
was for the victims themselves. The research frame called “7-element model” building for the 2001 survey
study was hypothesized by the major findings from the grass-root workshops, which identified seven criticalfactors which influence long-term recovery; 1) housing, 2) social ties, 3) land use planning, 4)physical/mental
health, 5) preparedness, 6) economic/financial situation, and 7) relation to government.
Mid-Chuetsu Area in Niigata Prefecture was hit by the major earthquake in 2004. We conducted two randomsocial surveys in the impacted area of 2004 Mid-Chuetsu Earthquake based on the same framework of surveys
which were conducted in the impacted area of 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. This study showed theresults of the analysis of social sampling random surveys conducted in the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture
Earthquake impacted area Mar 2006 and Oct 2006. We planned to conduct the survey in 2007; however, it
was not conducted because another major earthquake hit in the Chuetsu area called 2007 Mid-Chuetsu Oki
Earthquake.
2. TABLES
2.1. Samples
The 2006 random sampled mail survey was conducted with 2,140 earthquake disaster victims whoexperienced severe life difficulties due to the 2004 Niigataken Chuetsu Earthquake. They were sampled
based on two-step stratified random sampling method from those residents of the areas with JMA(Japanese seismic intensity scale) 6. 907answered questionnaires were accepted as subjects in Mar 2006
survey and 1013 in Oct 2006 survey (Table 1).
Table １ Overview of two surveys
the Mid-Niigata Survey in March 2006
Earthquake occurred in

the Mid-Niigata Survey in October 2006

23 October 2004

Surveyed Area

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

Areas in Nagaoka City, Ojiya City, andKawaguchi Town, where 6 lower on theJapanese seismic scale was recorded

Surveyed person

Man and woman 20 years or older

Man and woman 20 years or older

Sampling

Sampled from resident register using
stratified two-stage sampling (each 50
points in Nagaoka City and Ojiya City, 7points in Kawaguchi Town, 20 residentsper point)

Sampled from resident register using
stratified two-stage sampling (each 50
points in Nagaoka City and Ojiya City, 7
points in Kawaguchi Town, 20 residentsper point)

2,140

2,140907

1,013

42.4%

47.3%

Number of surveyed
persons
Number of effective
answers
Rate of effective answers
Method of survey

Fill out questionnaire sent by mail andcollect it by mailFill out questionnaire sent by mail andcollect it by mailthThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

2.2. Instruments
Life Recovery Scale. The life recovery scale consists of 14 five-points Likert scale that asks 1) the recoveryof daily activity, social relationship, subjective well-being (7 items), 2) life satisfaction and quality of life (6items), and 3) optimistic/pessimistic prospect of life that is one year from now (1 item). These 14 items
were originally developed in the 1999 Kobe survey and showed unidimensionality with high reliability(Cronbach's alpha was .91) (Tatsuki & Hayashi, 2000).

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Changes in the Victims’ Dwelling Places
To grasp the data of the dwelling places and shelters quantitatively, the respondents were asked about the typesof dwellings and shelters they used on the day of the earthquake until six months afterwards (since the survey
was conducted in 2005). A previous study on the victims of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake verified that alogarithmic axis “changing at the intervals of 10 hours, 100 hours and 1,000 hours” is meaningful (Kimura etal. 1999, 2001, 2004).
In the Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake there were a low percentage of victims that dwelled in their own
homes and a high percentage that evacuated outdoors. This is most likely due to the frequent aftershocks.
Fewer victims used their relatives’ houses as shelters (Figure 1). In the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake,
relatives’ houses were the largest alternatives to shelters two to four days after the earthquake. However, thistendency was not observed in the Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake (Figure 2). This is probably because
relatives’ houses were in close proximity to the disaster-stricken area and the community was more intimate
than in an urban area so that they did not feel as uncomfortable or inconvenienced at the shelters.
100

Private home

90807060

Private home
With relatives
Company-subsidized house
At friends/neighbors
Shelter
Tent/car/garage/parking lot
Temporary housing
Rented house

Tent/car/garage/parking lot

5040

N=760-800

3020Shelters

10With Relatives
0100

The Day of EQ

2‑4days

102

102weeks 1month 2months 3‑6months ‑A year

103410hours

X=log Time elapsed since the earthquake‘Figure １ Changes in the Victims’ Dwelling Places in the 2004
Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

100 ％908070Private home
With relatives
Company-subsidized house
At friends/neighbors
Shelter
Temporary housing
Rented house60

N=381-577

Private home

50
4030

Shelter

20
Rented house
With relatives

100

Temporary housing
At friends/neighbors

1/17

In the afternoon /18
In the morning
At night

100

10/19 /20/21/22

10‑/29 ‑2/5

2Feb. Mar. ‑June‑Dec.
‑Sep.

103104

1996 ‑1998‑2003‑2000hours

X=log ‘Time elapsed since the earthquake’

Figure 2 Changes in the Victims’ Dwelling Places in the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake
3.2. Sense of Life Recovery
The life recovery scale was demonstrated scientifically in measuring the victims’ sense of recovery.
Compared the distribution of Oct 2006 survey’s result to Mar 2006, it was apparent that the situation in thesense of life recovery was changing for the better (Figure 3). Compared the average point of male to female,
it was obvious female’s average point was higher than male’s (Figure 4). At the time of Mar 2006 there wasno statistically significance between male and female; however, at the time of Oct 2006 there was statisticalsignificance between male and female.
Mar 2006（N=822) Average39.8
Oct 2006（N=887) Average34.7

Standard Deviation 7.9
Standard Deviation 7.1

15%10%

Oct 2006
Mar 2006

5%010.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

Figure 3 Distribution: Points of Life Recovery Scaleth

The 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

42

第二回調査
Mar 2006統計的に意味のある差なし
SurveyOct 2006統計的に意味のある差あり
Survey
第三回調査
41403938

MaleFemale

Figure 4 Sense of Life Recovery (Gender)
Compared the average point of life recovery scale in each generation, 20’s and 30’s average point was muchhigher than 40’s & 50’s and 60’s & above at the time of Mar 2006 while here was no statistically significancein any generation (Figure 5).
42

第二回調査
Mar統計的に意味のある差あり
2006 Survey
Oct統計的に意味のある差なし（あり）
2006 Survey
第三回調査
41403938

37

20’s & 30’s

40’s & 50’s

60’s and above

Figure 5 Sense of Life Recovery (Generation)
Compared the average point of life recovery in the occupation which victims’ had taken at the time of thedisaster, there were interesting differences among those occupations. The situation of the victims inmanagement position, “agriculture, forestry and fisheries,” housewives, unemployed(Over 60-y-old) wasgetting much better in Oct 2006 than Mar 2006 while other occupations did not show significance difference
between Mar 2006 and Oct 2006 (Figure 6). The life recovery scale is very effective tool to monitor the life
recovery process in the impacted area.

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

46

Mar 2006 Survey
Oct 2006 Survey

45444342414039ver60-yold)

yold)
ployed(Od(Under59Unem

oyepls

St
uden
ts
Unem

fow
nedsel

Hous
ew
iveor
kerlw
in

dustria

icejoblesServSa
alW
ork/er
ic

Clm

an

agem

Sp

ec
ial
i

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tp
os
iti

on

s

37

bu
sin
A
es
an gricsd u lt
Fi ursh eer , Fie ors
es
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Figure6 Sense of Life Recovery (Occupation)

REFERENCES
Kimura, R., Hayashi, H., Tatsuki, S., Tamura K. (1999). “Clarifying the human behavior of the disaster victims
after the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake,” Journal of Social Safety Science, No, 1, pp.93-102.
Tatsuki, S., and Hayashi, H. (2000). “Family system adjustment and adaptive reconstruction of social reality
among the 1995 earthquake survivors,” International Journal of Japanese Sociology, 9, 81-110.
Tatsuki, S., and Hayashi, H. (2001). “General Linear Model Analyses of Life Recovery Factors in the 2001
Kobe Panel Survey Data” Proceedings of U.S.- Japan Cooperative Research in Urban Earthquake DisasterMitigation Third Grantees’ Meeting. pp.557-574, 2001. 8
Tamura K., Kimura, R., Hayashi, H., Tatsuki, S., Kimura, R. (2001). “A Quantitative Verification of the Seven
Elements Model of Socio-Economic Recovery from the Kobe Earthquake,” Journal of Social Safety Science,No, 3, pp.33-40.
Hayashi, H. (2001). “Long-term Recovery Processes and Their Planning from Devastating Earthquake
Disasters,” Journal of Geography, 110(6) 991-998.
Kimura, R., Hayashi, H., Tatsuki S. and Tamura, K. (2001). Determinants and Timing of Housing
Reconstruction Decisions by the Victims of the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster - A 2001 Replication-. Journal of Social Safety Science 3, 23-32.
Hayashi, H. (ed) (2002). Socio-economic Recovery from the 1995 Hanshin Awaji Earthquake Disaster - Reportof Panel Survey 2005 -, Technical Report DRS-2001-01, Kyoto University, JAPAN.
Kimura, R. (2007). Recovery and Reconstruction Calendar. Journal of Disaster Research 2:6, 465-474.

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

Kimura, R., Hayashi, H. and Tamura, K. (2007). Which Roles are Citizens and the Community to Play in theField of Disaster Management? (Results from the Random Sampled Social Surveys to the Disaster Victims ofthe 1995 Kobe Earthquake and the 2004 Niigata Earthquake Disaster). 2nd International Conference on Urban
Disaster Reduction Proceedings CD-ROM (6pp.).