15 Years since Great East Japan Earthquake: How Can Affected Areas Boost Their Vitality Themselves?

Editorial

16:21 JST, March 11, 2026

It has been 15 years since the disaster. Even as the government’s reconstruction projects reach a milestone, disaster-stricken areas still face population decline and an aging resident base among other difficult challenges. The question now is how the revitalization of the regional areas can be improved.

Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which left over 22,000 people dead or still missing.

To date, the central government has invested ¥42 trillion in reconstruction projects, relocating homes to higher ground, improving roads and installing seawalls. In Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, infrastructure development is deemed largely complete, and support there will be scaled back this fiscal year, with the focus reportedly shifting to rebuilding areas in Fukushima Prefecture.

Efforts to attract factories have also progressed, and the total shipment value of industrial products from these three prefectures has surpassed pre-disaster levels. It is probably true that national support played a certain role in the recovery of the disaster-stricken areas.

On the other hand, although large sums were invested to build massive seawalls, the shrunken population has left behind a desolate scene in some of the areas. Meanwhile, infrastructure development was taken advantage of, and some funds were allocated to areas unrelated to the disaster, such as for road maintenance outside the disaster zones.

With national support being scaled back, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures are now at the stage to take concrete measures on their own in order to revitalize their regions.

The disaster-stricken areas face diminished populations, with one municipality only at 40% of its pre-­disaster level. The aging of residents is also severe. Under these circumstances, how can they move forward independently?

In the Tokura district of Minami-Sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture, where all 1,000 oyster farming floats were swept away by tsunami, efforts began after the disaster to reduce the number of floats — with the area previously being called overcrowded — to one-third the previous total, so as to give more nutrients to each oyster.

As a result, farmers succeeded in shortening the cultivation period and doubling production. The oyster culture there also became the first in Japan to obtain international certification demonstrating high-quality hygiene management.

It is crucial to enhance the appeal of industries through ingenuity. The central and local governments should compile information on such initiatives and make it possible to share it among affected municipalities.

In Fukushima Prefecture, decommissioning of the nuclear power plant is not progressing as planned, and “areas where returning is difficult” — which refer to zones where radiation levels remain too high for habitation — still exist. The population of the 11 municipalities given evacuation orders now stands at about 18,000 people in total, just 20% of the pre-accident level.

There is also the issue of where to transport the soil generated when cleaning up contaminated soil. The central government should thoroughly explain its level of safety and secure a wide range of disposal sites.

About 70% of the roughly 1,000 residents in the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, are newcomers. This is said to be due to a grant for those who moved into the town as well as the improvement of school facilities. Building a new community with new residents can also be one form of recovery.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 11, 2026)