AN EXCEPTIONAL SITUATION AND THE GENERAL RULE REGARDING SEA WALL CONSTRUCTION AFTER THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE

In the tsunami areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it became a “general rule” to construct seawalls to prevent tsunamis that occur about once a century. This rationality is explained by coastal engineering and the government’s mission to achieve safety as the main actor. Kerobe in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture chose no seawall for continuing as a fishing community and allowing all residents to resettle more safely within the village. This was an “exception” reflecting the will to improve safety through continued environmental memory and human relationships. A “general rule” that ignores this point cannot be said to improve safety.