The number of foreign residents in Japan has increased over the years, giving rise to growing multiculturalism in the country. This has also highlighted the challenges of involving foreign residents in the local Japanese community for disaster preparedness and the need to consider cultural differences among foreigners. A survey and in-depth interviews with 23 Spanish speakers in Japan who experienced one or both of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Typhoon No.19 in 2019 were conducted between August and December 2023 to understand their shared experiences during disasters, their disaster preparedness, and their level of connection with Japanese people. The results showed that Spanish-speaking residents faced difficulties during disasters due to cultural differences with the locals. They were unfamiliar with evacuation protocols and unaware of the existence of multilingual information provided by the Japanese government and agencies. In addition, many relied on secondary sources of information such as friends and acquaintances, indicating the importance they give on interpersonal relationships within their social circles. The relationship between Spanish-speakers and local people appeared to be weak, as evidenced by the fact that only three respondents had interacted with their neighbors. Moreover, many did not participate in disaster drills, despite having lived in Japan for a long time. These challenges highlighted the need to improve current communication strategies, which often fail to account for the disaster response and preparedness needs of diverse foreign residents, as well as the need to involve foreign residents in the local Japanese community.

Authors:
Maria Laura Martelli Giachino, Tohoku University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Maria Laura Martelli Giachino, a doctoral student at Tohoku University, conducts research on the role of intermediaries in facilitating connections between Japanese and foreign residents to foster community engagement in disaster preparedness.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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