Impression of the Reconstruction and Satisfaction with Life After the Great East Japan Earthquake: Tago Nishi’s Disaster Restoration Public Housing

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate life in disaster reconstruction public housing, and structurally clarify the relationship between the impression of the reconstruction from the viewpoint of the sufferers’ sense of recovery and the residents’ internal satisfaction. The target area of the study was the earthquake disaster reconstruction public housing in the Tago Nishi area, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. The impression of the reconstruction, as expressed by people living in disaster recovery public housing, consists of an evaluation of external environments, such as the living environment and the working environment. Moreover, the impression of the reconstruction that is evaluated in the external environment is measured through a psychological evaluation, both before and after the restoration of the residence. Further, the impression of the reconstruction affects the satisfaction with life in the reconstruction public housing. This study quantitatively clarified this relationship as a model. The impression of the reconstruction was evaluated on the basis of three items – living environment, disaster threat, and work environment – which encompass the external environment of the residents. The results are as follows. The maintenance of the work environment was rendered an important factor to improve the impression of the reconstruction. As a result of measuring the differences between the seven psychological items before and after the earthquake, the prevalence of the feelings of “Anger/Joy,” “Depression/Bright,” and “Apathy/Willingness” made it clear that the monitoring of change in the area had a strong influence on the impression of the reconstruction. In addition, satisfaction with life, which makes up the residents’ internal environment, was evaluated using the following four items: Convenience, Comfort, Safety, and Community. The results made it evident that all four items had a strong influence on life satisfaction, and, among them comfort had the greatest influence.