Changes in the Commercial Structure of an Area Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster: The Case of Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture

• KOMAKI Nobuhiko

  Faculty of Regional Policy, Aichi University

• IWAMA Nobuyuki

  College of Literature, Ibaraki Christian University

• TANAKA Koichi

  College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ibaraki University

• SASAKI Midori

  Faculty of Human Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Shudo University

• IKEDA Masashi

  Faculty of Commerce, Takushoku University

• ASAKAWA Tatsuto

  Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 東日本大震災被災地における小売業の空間構造とその再編
• 東日本大震災被災地における小売業の空間構造とその再編 : 岩手県下閉伊郡山田町を事例として
• ヒガシニホン ダイシンサイ ヒサイチ ニ オケル コウリギョウ ノ クウカン コウゾウ ト ソノ サイヘン : イワテケン シモヘイグン ヤマダマチ オ ジレイ ト シテ
• ─岩手県下閉伊郡山田町を事例として─

Abstract

 Changes in commercial structure following the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster are examined from organizational and spatial perspective. The study area is Yamada Town in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, which was severely damaged by the huge tsunami caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Supported by the municipality, three main actors—local minor retailers, local major retail companies, and major retailers outside the area—pushed through a restructuring of the commercial environment. Two commercial institutionalizing movements occurred during this process. One was led by a local major retail company, while the other was led by local small retailers with municipality support. In the case of Yamada Town, a local major retail company had a significant role in changing the commercial structure because of its financial power and human resources. This retailer established its business in local infrastructural facilities, including as temporary stores, and rapidly organized local retailers with its future business plans. In contrast, the municipality projects assumed a role in reconstructing the stores of other local retailers that had difficulty making management decisions about the future. Moreover, in suburban areas, local retailers supported residents. The spatial changes in the commercial structure may be understood from the perspective of regional structure, in terms of the central district, its suburban areas, and areas outside Yamada Town. The local retailers and the municipality organized a commercial hub in the central district. In addition, major retailers located large stores in suburban areas that were easily accessible. Moreover, large shopping centers in other cities exerted a commercial influence on all of Yamada Town. These results are evaluated from a geographical perspective to record and systematically analyze regional characteristics based on several spatiotemporal scales. It is necessary to describing the disaster recovery process in detail so that records of the event and its experience are preserved for future generations.

Journal

• Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi)

  Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi) 130 (2), 239-260, 2021-04-25

  Tokyo Geographical Society

Keywords

• the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster
• recovery and reconstruction
• institutionalization of local merchants' association
• spatial structure of retailing
• Yamada Town

Details

• CRID: 1390288070897382272
• NII Article ID: 130008039198
• NII Book ID: AN00322536
• DOI: 10.5026/jgeography.130.239
• ISSN: 18840884
• ISSN: 0022135X
• NDL BIB ID: 031458255
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I031458255
• Web Site: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jgeography/130/2/130_130.239/_pdf
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed