Memories from a Disaster: Importance of Close Relationships in Japan

My research project is based on a Japanese interview with a survivor of the disaster on March 11, 2011. The disaster became an unforgettable event in Japanese history. Thanks to the digital archive, Voices from Japan, I worked on the translation of an interview from Japanese to English. After hearing the experience of the interviewee, Mrs. Sato Chizuko. I decided to research more about social issues in contemporary Japan, for example, the effect of the disaster and how having close relationships can change your experience. Many parts of Japan were affected by the disaster, but my research focuses on a small area named Ogatsu near the west coast. I found the interview interesting because of the answers given by Mrs. Sato. She shares her experience of Ogatsu, which was her hometown and was destroyed by the disaster. The interview was recorded in 2014, by students at a Japanese university.

My methods were working on the translation to understand the perspective of Mrs. Sato. Then, do more academic research to understand the historical and cultural aspects of the interview. Finally, I will create a video summarizing the most important factors of my research. The research is still in progress, so I will not have a clear result. But my main goal is to understand the perspective and culture of Japan. The focus of my research may become clearer, but for now, my work is in progress.