Trauma and Healing in Stricken Japan
Special Japan Studies Program and CEAS Series: Winter-Spring 2011-12Looking Back, Looking Forward: Japan's March 11 Disasters One Year Later
William Masuda, Reverend , Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, Stanford School of Medicine George Kitahara Kich, PhD, Psychologist and Litigation Consultant and Adjunct Faculty , California Institute of Integral Studies Mio Yamashita, Art Therapist/Marriage and Family Therapist
The triple disasters in Japan in March 2011 have created overwhelming trauma in the stricken areas for people of all ages. The mental health needs are immense, both immediate and long term, and ripple out into Japanese society. Members of the Nichibei Care Network, a group of mental health professionals in the Bay Area who organized to assist relief activities, will offer their reflections on the trauma suffered. They will also report on the heroic efforts that are taking place daily as people rebuild lives through compassion and caring.
---------
Special Japan Studies Program and CEAS Series: Winter-Spring 2011-12Looking Back, Looking Forward: Japan's March 11 Disasters One Year Later
The earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that hit Japan in March 2011 had both immediate catastrophic consequences and long term repercussions. Fundamental areas of Japan’s environment, economy, society, and collective national psyche were deeply affected, giving rise to a broad range of urgent issues. These include economic debates about how to meet the country’s energy demands with nuclear power plants offline, and what path to take for the country’s energy future; political crises, including criticism of the government’s disaster response; the psychological challenges of coping with trauma and grief; a daunting environmental clean-up; and social developments, including a new wave of civil society activism. This series brings together scholars and activists from a wide range of specialties to take stock of how the Japanese have been affected by the disasters, and to assess the efforts of residents, volunteers, and policy makers to recover and move forward.