Shakes, Quakes and Kokoro no care

The 3.11 events in 2011 are historically the most destructive series of natural disasters to have ever hit the island nation of Japan. But while the international media has commended the bravery of survivors and applauded Japanese efforts to provide aid and stimulate the process of recovery in the affected regions, strong criticisms have been voiced that, on the front of mental health, adequate care was not provided. The purpose of this paper is to counter these criticisms by discussing the mental health care measures taken by the Japanese to support the victims of the 3.11 events. By elaborating on the deliberate choices of aid and practitioners, the paper will argue that the post-disaster mental health aid provided by the Japanese was not only appropriate, but also demonstrated a historical and cultural awareness of the disaster context and a commitment to ensuring cultural sensitivity in the provision of aid.