ABSTRACT

The triple disaster, and especially the nuclear accident, has fundamentally shaken people's sense of well-being, and undermined the basic pattern of their daily lives. The great challenge that Japan faces is creating a new future for itself, and especially for the people that were affected by the triple disaster, one in which this confidence in the continuity of daily life is restored. The 2011 triple disaster was unprecedented in the country's history. The magnitude 9 quake was the largest ever recorded in Japan, and the fifth largest of the last century. Japan's human security challenges are closely connected to the future. It must find a way to rebuild the Tohoku region and help in the restoration of people's daily lives, so there is a sense of certainty, regularity and continuity to them once again. It must also prepare itself for earthquakes, tsunamis and other possible disasters.