Characteristics of corporate contributions to the recovery of regional society from the Great East Japan earthquake disaster

Abstract

Municipalities in areas along the northeast coast of Japan were severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. It was difficult for these municipalities to provide support to all devastated areas. It is important for communities in devastated areas to be resilient in order to autonomously and efficiently recover from natural disasters. This study focused on corporations, since they have various resources that can support disaster recovery. A postal questionnaire was sent to 1,020 corporations that included various industry types and small corporations located in Iwanuma and Natori, which were damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The response rate was 39.22%. We analyzed the data using a logistic regression model. The study findings are as follows: (1) a total of 32.75% of corporations provided support for recovery after the disaster; (2) the ratio of corporations that provided actual support was lower than that of those that only had awareness of contributions; (3) the strongest characteristic was having not only awareness but also the opportunity to conduct support activities before the occurrence of disasters to enhance the efficient recovery of regional society; and (4) the characteristics of support differed according to industry type, location, and number of employees under certain conditions.