Current status and the participation factors for inter-regional civic assistance: A case study of the Great East Japan Earthquake

In public activities, cases that are difficult to manage solely within local areas have been increasing recently. Therefore, inter-regional civic assistance is expected. We examined the Great East Japan Earthquake as a case study. Individual characteristics of people who took part in assistance activities were revealed through an internet survey. Furthermore, the current status was analyzed statistically for the first time by particularly addressing their characteristics such as their daily activities and social capital awareness. Results of factor analysis of participation confirmed that inter-regional assistance is greatly influenced by the participants' circumstances, such as their distance from the region to be assisted and relationships with daily local assistance. Especially, results suggest that promoting daily local activities engenders promotion of assistance activities for other regions.