ABSTRACT
Disaster resilience is not just about building hard infrastructure and urban systems. It is also about capacity of residents and communities in coping with unexpected incidents, chaos and prolonged process of recovery. This chapter highlights how Japanese communities fostered social capital through their responses to natural hazards. Historically, small groups formed in each community played significant role in managing community-based infrastructure such as irrigation canals. The ‘gonin-gumi’ system (established during the reign of Tokugawa Government 1603-1867) is the origin of neighbourhood association which used to help residents to develop and share knowledge in dealing with disasters. In current individualistic Japanese society, many people do not belong to neighbourhood association. In this chapter, author discusses the transition of Japanese society, contemporary challenges and how social capital plays an important role in disaster recovery.
