JCC E-Magazine March 2018

During the talk.

It was an insightful evening at Japan Creative Centre (JCC) on 19th February 2018, as guests were engaged in a meaningful sharing session and discussion revolving around the 2011 tsunami. Dr Naomi Aoki, Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, was the main speaker and shared her take on the four key lessons from the 2011 tsunami based on her field visits to Tohoku and her research involving nationwide surveys of Japanese citizens.

One of her lessons highlighted how people need to be prepared for the next potential disaster. However, this sense of well-preparedness may also be dangerous, so we should not give into complacency and should always expect the unexpected. Another important lesson raised by her, was how the government should be ready to take on an adaptive and flexible approach during such times of calamity. Throughout her talk, Dr Aoki shared real-life examples of how the tragedy affected the communities, as well as how certain government bodies undertook new strategies to better prepare for future disasters.

During the talk.

During the Q&A session.

Dr Tomoo Kikuchi, Visiting Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University and a Guest Research Fellow at the Keio Global Research Institute at Keio University, was the moderator, and stimulated greater discussion during the Q&A session. Many guests shared their opinions and raised more questions, which once again highlighted the socio-cultural factors which shape the people’s behavior in times of disaster – be it on an individual level or on a community level.

Afterwards, there was a networking session and many guests stayed behind to mingle with both Dr Aoki and Dr Kikuchi.

This is the first session of ‘Let’s Talk About Japan’, periodical talk events in which different speakers are invited to present about various topics about Japan. The topic can be about Japan’s economy, society or politics. Please do keep a look out for announcements on our JCC website and Facebook for the next session!

During the networking session.

During the Q&A session.

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