ICT (Information and Communication
Technologies) challenges forpost‐disaster activities in Japan
July 25, 2011
Izumi Aizu
Co‐Director,
Information Support pro bono Platform (iSPP)
Senior Research Fellow and Professor,
Institute for InfoSocionomics, Tama University<iza@anr.org>

The worst disaster in Japan since WW II• The earthquake, 4 waves compound: M9.0
• Tsunami: 10 ‐ 30 meters, 3 times higher thanexperts anticipated– Washed away everything: 30+ cities and towns• Fukushima Nuclear Station• Death: 16,058, Missing: 7,781• Total: 23,839 – so far

After four months• Things are not getting better, some parts worse• Natural Disaster turning out to be Social Disaster• With all due respect, not capable of handling problems• Many people are suffering ‐ even those who moved fromshelters to “temporal houses”– rooms too narrow, rain leaks, ants coming in, flies fromdead fish etc.
– no reconstruction plan yet announced from central gov’nt• According to previous experiences of Kobe, many more
problems will surface3

I lost my voice ‐couldn’t say anything4

This was a 3‐story building5

6

7from where I stayed8910

Waves in society at large• Shortage of goods: gas, water, food, batteries etc.
• Fukushima Nuke station – serious chain of troubles• Rotating power cuts in Tokyo suburbs• One large bank network halted to function• Waves of information spreading, but only outside theareas hit badly– Twitter, SMS, SNS … partially effective– Mass media – provided lots of info, some are helpful andothers are too sensational

Initial observations• No communication & information:– “blankets, food, oil, please help!!”• One week to three weeks – just idling– Background – unlearned lessons from Kobe

• ICT has become part of core infrastructure,
Command and Control – yet• Insufficient capabilities of existing mechanisms– Government (central & local), Industry…

What can ICT/Internet do for them?
• There were little Emergency Preparedness
among Internet/ICT community• Informational gap was the source of wider
problem – ineffective logistics, relief andsupport works• Started “pro bono” platform for information
support based on individual capacity – anothertrials & errors

Information Support Pro bonoPlatform (iSPP) established– Multi‐stakeholder platform to address info‐gaps– Individuals from gov, industry, NGOs and academia– Projects and coordination beginning

iSPP aimed at• Lateral collaboration• among relief information providers such as Yahoo,
Google, Amazon, Shinsai‐info, Tasukeai Japan, Save
MLAK etc.)• among relief ICT providers• Vertical collaboration• between devastated areas and relief providers
outside• Project Management – platform and system being
proposed for longer term activities

Projects underway
1. Provide ICT solutions (packages) to recovery
works – sending machines and people
2. Common API for Informational Support
3. Information matching for relief works (goodsand people)
4. NPO・NGO Coordination
5. Visits to local governments who need more
support ‐ coordinate with Prefectural & Central
Governments
6. Survey on people’s informational behaviors

Survey on people’s informational
behaviors• Personal interviews– 200+ people in the devastated areas– By people in the same region• Easier to share stories• Online questionnaire– 2,815 samples in the devastated areas– Mostly ICT literate• Conducted in early July
• First of its kind in scale• Funded by Telcos, supported by Govn’t

Questions:• Which tool and media were useful? Which are not?
• How devastated people relied on which inforesources?
• Any difference in chronological order and locale?
• Was Internet or twitter really useful?
• What kind of lessons can we draw from?

Devices that worked: Radio, Mobile, TV, Internet…
all but Radio dropped at Day 1
Fixed phones much popular after one monthUseful info sources:
radio, TV, mobile‐TV for Day 1
Internet, Newspaper came lateTVInternetNewspaperRadioMobile

Tsunami area and Inland• Not much difference in devices between
Tsunami‐hit areas and inland for the Day 1• After 1 week, Tsunami areas showed little
recovery in use of Internet, TV, mobile andfixed phones – indicates slow recovery ofpower supply, communication infrastructure

Multi‐stakeholder came, naturally• Traditional government structure does notwork sufficiently for such emergency• Industry and Civil Society must work together
with Central and Local governments• But how? ‐ complementarily• No official recognition made (yet)Thank you
For your help and support
This could happen to youLet’s learn the lessons and be prepared

We shall build new and better society
together