Japan’s Culture of Prevention: How Bosai Culture Combines Cultural Heritage with State-of-the-Art Disaster Risk Management Systems

Josep Pastrana-Huguet (), Maria-Francisca Casado-Claro and Elisa Gavari-Starkie
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Josep Pastrana-Huguet: International Doctoral School, National University of Distance Education (EIDUNED), 28015 Madrid, Spain
Maria-Francisca Casado-Claro: Department of Economics and Business, Universidad Europea, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Elisa Gavari-Starkie: Department of History of Education and Comparative Education, National University of Distance Education (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Due to its geographical location, Japan is exposed to typhoons, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. Since time immemorial, the survival of the Japanese people has depended on their ability to prepare for disasters, learn from those painful experiences, and transmit that knowledge from generation to generation as part of their cultural heritage. These elements combined have resulted in a unique Culture of Prevention, known in Japanese as “ bosai culture ”, encompassing technical measures and requirements, laws, and a strong civic culture that enables the country to face and learn from disasters. Exploring the roots of the Japanese Culture of Prevention by conducting a critical literature review, this article aims to improve our understanding of the Japanese perspective on Disaster Risk Reduction strategies and actions, by focusing on the cultural and religious influences, as well as on the solid national sense of belonging, embedded in the Japanese Disaster Risk Management system.

Keywords: culture of prevention; bosai culture; cultural heritage; disaster risk management; disaster risk reduction; Japan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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