Changes in the input–output structures of the six regions of Fukushima, Japan: 3 years after the disaster

Abstract

This study investigates the changes in input–output and trade structures within the six regions of the Fukushima prefecture in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, tsunami, and accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Japan. The model is based on the 2005 multiregional input–output tables of Fukushima prefecture and its extended version, constructed by Yonemoto and Kanno (Innovation I-0 Tech 20: 11–23, 2012). Using more recent data, trade coefficients (intra-prefectural) and import coefficients (inter-prefectural) are modified. A sensitivity analysis, which quantifies the changes in backward-linkage effects, is then performed. The results show that the ripple effect, which decreased across many sectors and regions following the disaster (primarily due to the increase in import rates), has since returned to normal and in some cases has even improved beyond pre-disaster levels. However, in regions which suffered severe devastation, the effects on several sectors such as “Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery” are small and there are indications that those sectors have benefitted less from reconstruction.