ブックタイトル人道ジャーナル第3号

概要

人道ジャーナル第3号

The Journal of Humanitarian Studies Vol. 3, 2014Table 1: Research sites: demographic featuresDemographic featuresMiyako cityIwate prefectureIshinomaki cityMiyagi prefectureTotal population（land area in square kms）99,885（2,672）163,216（555）% of total population over 65 years30.227.2% of older population that are couples both over 6523.110.8% of older population who live alone21.79.3A structured questionnaire, with multiple choice and open-ended questions, was carried out with 206 older peoplein Miyako and Ishinomaki cities. Information was gathered through face-to-face interviews, and through groupdiscussions and self-recorded questionnaires during organized events in temporary housing units.Table 2: Respondents: age and genderCityTotalWomen（60-74）Women（75+）Men（60-74）Men（75+）TotalwomenTotal menMiyako11153369138922Ishinomaki95362915156530TOTAL20689652428（154）（52）Limitations: Resource restrictions did not allow for the collection of a sample large enough to produce statisticallyrobust findings. Rather, the focus was on trends in the experiences of survivors. Men were under-represented inthe sample: largely due to their absence from temporary accommodation during daytime when most interviewswere conducted.2］IMMEDIATE EVACUATION RESPONSE2.1 The evacuationAbout 70% of the survey respondents were at home when the earthquake began. They described their alarm atbeing unable to stand up and fears of injury from falling belongings or the collapse of their houses as the tremorsintensified. Reports on the severity of the tsunami were initially unclear and many older people remained in theirhomes tidying up and waiting for family members to return. While in many cases neighbours urged older peopleto leave their homes, some were unable to move immediately due to their physical or mental frailty.Consequently, older people who were not at home at this time were quicker to evacuate to higher ground,including those in functioning residential care homes who were immediately assisted.More than half the respondents moved to their assigned evacuation sites. Others went to higher ground such asmountainsides, temples and multi-story buildings, judging these areas to be safer than the evacuation sites or tobe the nearest place of safety.Almost half of respondents in both cities evacuated with family members, indicating the large numbers of olderpeople living with or near to family members. However, further analysis highlights regional differences in theproportion who escaped alone; a third of respondents in Miyako city, compared to 16% in Ishinomaki city. Thisfinding could be explained by the higher proportion of older people living alone in Miyako city（21.7% comparedto 9.3% in Ishinomaki）, as well as established city-wide evacuation drills encouraging‘Tsunami tendenko’withthe slogan‘Run to higher ground and save yourself first’.88人道研究ジャーナルVol. 3, 2014