Intangible Cultural Heritage contributing to Japanese Post-disaster Rehabilitation

Abstract

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the value of ICH was recognized anew in Japan. The powerful earthquake and the tsunami that followed caused large-scale destruction, and more than 15,000 people lost their lives, and 400,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Following an event like that, the restoration of cultural heritage was expected to take low priority, but it turned out that many disaster victims wished for a revival of the local festivals and folk performing arts. Initiatives to restore local festivals could be seen in the affected regions, and musical instruments and other tools were recovered from the rubble. These initiatives also started receiving private backing. From this it became clear that ICH can greatly contribute to disaster restoration, especially from an emotional aspect. With this in mind, recognizing the role ICH can have in disaster resilience, we are now making an ICH database, in preparation for future disasters. However, ICH is a concept encompassing various genres. In this case of disaster resilience, and in the case of Japan, it is customs such as festivals and folk performing arts, where the tradition upheld by the local community, that is the main focus. Other practices, such as performances by professionals, folk crafts produced by professional artisans, and traditional knowledge concerning disaster are a different type of ICH.