Publishing type：Doctoral thesis  

This paper aims to promote understanding of the dynamics of creative support in resource-poor environments for latent victims of disasters. The existing literature provides important insights on the practices of experts during disasters via the notion of improvisation, but also suffers a lack of systematic discussion of practices outside expert systems. Here case studies are conducted of two local cafeterias launched by private citizens in the aftermath of disasters that took place in Japan recently. From the perspective of bricolage, the idea of "making do with what is at hand", both the outcomes and processes related to the cafeterias are discussed. By re-imagining the value of material and non-material resources, the cafeteria organizers were able to mobilize a creative disaster response that was beyond the abilities of experts and the existing system. The analysis of the two cases shows the importance of bricolage as a tool of value creation rather than of value appropriation.

DOI： 10.18910/79053

CiNii Article

In recent times, the organization of volunteers during disaster responses has shown remarkable progress. Previous studies have indicated that the spontaneous creativity of individual volunteers in responding to the needs of disaster victims has been overlooked because of the striving for effectiveness in the organization of volunteering. This paper focuses on the initiative of volunteers belonging to organizations in responding to potential victim needs. A case study was conducted on the "Yokatai Net Kumamoto" networking organization, led by local volunteers, and launched in the aftermath of the Kumamoto earthquake. It focuses on two relief efforts this organization carried out on behalf of the most disadvantaged, and outlines how local volunteers became aware of the potential needs of victims, and acted to respond to these needs. First, the paper explores the process by which local volunteers conducted interviews of disaster victims who evacuated in their vehicles without administrative support, instead of going to shelters, and publicized their situations. Second, by depicting what took place during a party held in temporary housing, the paper reveals how local volunteers collectively collaborated with government agencies.

DOI： 10.18910/77182

CiNii Article

Authorship：Lead author,　Last author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   International / domestic magazine：Domestic journal  

<p>This study aimed to clarify the key factors related to the organization of volunteers following the Kumamoto Earthquake of 2016. Semi-structured interviews and participant observations in Mashiki and Nishihara were used to compare two disaster-volunteer centers, both of which coordinated volunteers to meet survivors' needs. The results showed that the centers were markedly different organizations. The command and control (C&C) model was used in Mashiki to avoid chaotic behavior by volunteers and survivors, whereas the improvisational and autonomous (I&A) model was used in Nishihara to solve a multitude of problems. Structural holes arose in Mashiki because of the disaster center's C&C model, although Mashiki was the town that was most seriously damaged by the earthquake. It is unlikely that employing both organizational styles in Mashiki would have resulted in appropriate responses. The C&C model creates a vertical hierarchical organization, whereas the I&A model avoids such a hierarchy, producing a horizontal organization instead, which worked better in Nishihara. Thus, we conclude that after disasters it is necessary to prevent the emergence of the C&C model and leverage the I&A model instead, to prevent structural holes occurring.</p>

DOI： 10.2130/jjesp.1911

CiNii Article

Authorship：Lead author  

In the face of disasters, organizations and groups collaborate continuously and fluidly, coordinating with one another in order to overcome extraordinary challenges. When researchers explored this phenomenon in-depth, they employed the concept of "improvisation." However, there is a dearth of research in the area of "creative improvisation" relating to civic agencies that do not have special plans or approaches to disaster response. This study, therefor, aims at identifying some of the most effective improvisational approaches taken by civic agencies in the field of communication where information, consciousness, and ideas converge. This paper classifies cases of creative improvisation observed during the April 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes into two types and considers the respective conditions of improvisation. These are: 1) "Place-making": by raising several cases representing "place to convergence" scattered throughout the region, the improvisational condition that can be summarized as, "Awareness of gathering to support the affected key places" is highlighted. 2) "Forming a commonality": through participant observation at the "informal talk" held by local civil agencies, the interaction between agencies in the sense-making process is highlighted, thus clarifying the improvisational approaches of, "the process of realizing the role while being encouraged to participate initially," and "ingenuity to induce new movement by co-editing opposite opinions".

DOI： 10.18910/73156

CiNii Article

Presentation type：Oral presentation (invited, special)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (invited, special)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Presentation type：Public lecture, seminar, tutorial, course, or other speech