In response to the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, the Japanese national government launched a variety of redevelopment projects in the north-east Tohoku region. These projects are managed by the Reconstruction Agency, established to complete reconstruction and revitalization projects. The Agency primarily promotes economic development for the benefit of the overall Japanese economy but ignores localized social problems. These include aging populations, out-migration, and community discohesion. The Agency’s form of development focuses on housing, roads, railroads, and relocation of residents. The Agency appears to have largely benefitted large firms through grants for industry projects and not local community projects. This study investigates these issues through an analysis of empirical data collected from 2017. This data features key informant interviews (n=15) from 2017 and historical analysis from 2003-2017 of town office documents. This paper utilizes social capital as the conceptual framework for examining a coastal town in Tohoku (Minamisanriku, Miyagi) and the community redevelopment taking place there. This study answers the larger question of how social capital is impacted by government focus on economic redevelopment and how this affects community redevelopment. Findings show an erosion of social capital is likely occurring, with implications for the types of social capital people possess post-disaster, and how they are affected by local politics and governance. These implications demonstrate the importance of promoting social capital in redevelopment planning and including resident participation in post-disaster.
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