Current status of government office reorganization after the Great East Japan Earthquake in Fukushima and Iwate Prefectures

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the government office reorganization plan. To understand the reorganization plans of 182 government buildings, the author surveyed the websites of 44 municipalities and conducted interviews by telephone and email. It is believed that assigning government offices as disaster prevention centers in each local area and centralizing the functions of public facilities necessary for local life in each government office will realize the combination of disaster prevention and convenient daily life.

Background and Purpose of Study

As a result of the Great Merger of the Heisei Era, the number of municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture was reorganized from 90 in 2004 to 59 in 2008, and the number of municipalities in Iwate Prefecture was reorganized from 57 in 2001 to 33 in 2011 (which remain unchanged as of 2021).[Note 1)] In Fukushima and Iwate prefectures, five out of 74 and six out of 62 government buildings were restructured during the merger, respectively (definitions of the terms used to describe these buildings can be found in Tables 1–3). In some of these government buildings, problems such as narrowing due to the centralization of administrative operations and vacant floor space in general branch offices have arisen. New government buildings are being constructed to replace older ones and those damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake, but it is also necessary to improve old government buildings.

TABLE 1 Definitions of merging municipalities (①, ②: Legends in Tables 4 and 5)

①	Merged into a new municipality	A method in which two or more merging municipalities are abolished and a new municipality is established.
②	Merger to be incorporated	A method in which one of the merging municipalities remains as the surviving municipality, and the other municipalities are abolished and incorporated into the surviving municipality.

TABLE 2 Definitions of government building reorganization methods (Symbols: Legends in Tables 4 and 5)

〇: New construction on site	Demolition of the current government building and reconstruction in the same location
●: Relocation and reconstruction	New construction or expansion in a different location to that of the current government building
▲: Conversion to new use	A building in a different location to that of the current government building is renovated and used as a government building
★: Renovation	Renovation to improve the functions of the current government building
■: Demolition	The current government building is dismantled and its functions abolished
◇: Under planning	Government office reorganization currently under consideration
*: No Plan	No plan to reorganize government building as of November 2020

TABLE 3 Definitions of government building systems (A, B, C: Legends in Tables 4 and 5)

A: Main office system	Administrative structure and organization are consolidated in the main government building, and the remaining government buildings have only contact functions as branch and sub-branch offices
B: Branch office system	Administrative functions are allotted to the government buildings in existence before the merger
C: General branch office system	Administrative departments are integrated into the main office, while the project implementation departments and other departments remain in each branch office

The main purpose of this study was to survey the current status of government buildings and the progress of government building reorganization plans in municipalities in the Fukushima and Iwate prefectures that (1) merged with other municipalities between 2001 and 2011, (2) were ordered to evacuate due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, or (3) suffered damage from the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake to ascertain the current status of government building reorganization and maintenance over the ten years since the disaster.

While many of the affected municipalities have begun to work on disaster-resistant urban development, there are still many municipalities that have just begun or are still in the process of time-consuming planning projects, such as the reconstruction of government buildings. At this point, it is probably too early to evaluate the overall restructuring of government buildings in the disaster-affected areas, but the author believes that recording the status of efforts to date is meaningful to provide basic data for future research. This paper also discusses the implications of the progress of government office reorganization and improvement in the reconstruction process to the extent currently possible.

Survey Method

From April 2020 to January 2021, the author collected information on public facility development through each municipality's official website and conducted interviews with the departments in charge of government office reorganization by phone and e-mail and responses were obtained from all municipalities.[Note 2)] In February and March 2021, the results of the survey (Tables 4–7) were sent to the persons in charge of each municipality to verify the content.[Note 3)] The survey method was the same as that used by the author’s laboratory in the past^1,2

TABLE 4 Government office reorganization plans in Fukushima Prefecture as of December 31, 2020

[Table omitted. See PDF]

TABLE 5 Government office reorganization plans in Iwate Prefecture as of December 31, 2020

[Table omitted. See PDF]

TABLE 6 List of government buildings that have been combined with other functions

Name of government building	Combined functions	Reasons for combination
Sukagawa City Hall	Civic collaboration space, Civic hall	To deepen cooperation between the public and private sectors
Tamura City Hall	Multi-purpose hall	To make government buildings open to citizens
Fukushima City Hall West Wing	Civic center, Center for the elderly, Central learning center	To make government buildings open to citizens To conduct integrated maintenance of nearby aging public facilities
Minamiaizu Town Hall	Multi-purpose hall, town resident workspace	To make government buildings open to citizens
Yamato General Branch Office	Community hall	To make government buildings open to citizens
Aizumisato Town Hall	Community center (library, multi-purpose hall, multi-purpose room, music room, training room), resident exchange space	Integrated maintenance because the surrounding public facilities were aging and cracked due to the Great East Japan Earthquake
Soma City Hall	Civic hall	To make government buildings open to citizens
Ogawa Branch Office	Citizen exchange space	To make government buildings open to citizens
Hisanohama / Ohisa Branch Office	Training room, Japanese-style room, cooking room, auditorium, Disaster Prevention and Community Planning Resource Room	To make government buildings open to citizens A Japanese-style room and training room are available for use as an evacuation space in the event of a disaster
Okuma Town Hall	Exchange space for town residents, multi-purpose hall	To make government buildings open to citizens To address economic management considerations
Miyako City Hall	Citizen exchange center, Health center	To deepen cooperation between the public and private sectors Rooms for civic activities of various sizes are available for use as evacuation spaces in times of disaster
Hachimantai City Hall	Multi-purpose civic hall	To deepen cooperation between the public and private sectors
Tono City Hall	Multi-purpose civic hall, library and study space, shopping center	To deepen cooperation between the public and private sectors In the event of a disaster, the shopping center can provide goods
Kamaishi City Hall	Multi-purpose hall	To make government buildings open to citizens
Omoto Government Building	Tourism center, medical clinic, multi-purpose hall, children's library (tsunami archive room)	Integrated maintenance due to the aging of nearby public facilities A medical clinic is combined with the building to use as an evacuation shelter in the event of a disaster
Rikuzentakata City	Multipurpose exchange space, training room, rental conference room	To make government buildings open to citizens

TABLE 7 Legend for Figures 1 to 8

Municipality code	Name of municipality	Code of building	Name of the government building
F01	Aizuwakamatsu City	F01-01	Main Government Building Old Building
		F01-02	Main Government Building New Building
		F01-03	Sakaemachi First Government Building
		F01-04	Sakaemachi Second Government Building
		F01-05	Sakaecho Third Government Building
		F01-06	Otemachi First Government Building
		F01-07	Otemachi Second Government Building
		F01-08	Kita Aizu Branch Office (Pikarin Hall)
		F01-09	Kawahigashi Branch Office
F02	Tamura City	F02-01	Main Government Building
		F02-02	Ogoe Administration Bureau
		F02-03	Miyakoji Administration Bureau
		F02-04	Tokiwa Administration Bureau
		F02-05	Takine Administrative Agency
F03	Sukagawa City	F03-01	Main Government Building
		F03-02	Iwase Branch Office
		F03-03	Naganuma Branch Office
F04	Aizumisato Town	F04-01	New Government Building (Main Government Building)
		F04-02	Takada Government Building
		F04-03	Hongo Government Building
		F04-04	Nitsurumura Government Building
F05	Shirakawa City	F05-01	Main Government Building
		F05-02	Omotego Government Building
		F05-03	Taishin Government Building
		F05-04	Higashi Government Building
F06	Nihonmatsu City	F06-01	Main Government Building
		F06-02	Adachi Branch Office
		F06-03	Iwashiro Branch Office
		F06-04	Towa Branch Office
F07	Minamisoma City	F07-01	Main Government Building
		F07-02	Minamisoma City Hall East Government Building
		F07-03	Minamisoma City Hall West Government Building
		F07-04	Minamisoma City Hall North Government Building
		F07-05	Minamisoma City Hall Minami Branch Office
		F07-06	Kodaka Ward Office
		F07-07	Kashima Ward Office
F08	Date City	F08-01	Main Government Building
		F08-02	Former Main Government Building / Hobara General Branch Office
		F08-03	Yanagawa General Branch Office
		F08-04	Ryozen General Branch Office
		F08-05	Tsukidate General Branch Office
		F08-06	Date General Branch Office
F09	Kitakata city	F09-01	Main Government Building
		F09-02	Ogino Branch Office
		F09-03	Shiokawa General Branch Office
		F09-04	Takasato General Branch Office
		F09-05	Yamato General Branch Office
		F09-06	Atsushiokano General Branch Office
F10	Minamiaizu Town	F10-01	Minamiaizu Town Hall
		F10-02	Tateiwa General Branch Office
		F10-03	Ina General Branch Office
		F10-04	Nango General Branch Office
F11	Motomiya City	F11-01	Main Government Building
		F11-02	Shirasawa General Branch Office
F12	Fukushima City	F12-01	Main Government Building
		F12-02	Main Government Building West Wing
		F12-03	Watari Branch Office
		F12-04	Sugitsuma Branch Office
		F12-05	Horaicho Branch Office
		F12-06	Shimizu Branch Office
		F12-07	Tobu Branch Office
		F12-08	Onami Branch Office
		F12-09	Hokushin Branch Office
		F12-10	Yoshida Branch Office
		F12-11	Nishi Branch Office
		F12-12	Tsuchiyu Onsenmachi Branch Office
		F12-13	Shinryo branch Branch Office
		F12-14	Tatsugoyama Branch Office
		F12-15	Iizaka Branch Office
		F12-16	Matsukawa Branch Office
		F12-17	Shinobu Branch Office
		F12-18	Agatsumamachi Branch Office
		F12-19	Iino Branch Office
		F12-20	Moniwa Branch Office
F13	Namie Town	F13-01	Main Government Building
F14	Iitate Village	F14-01	Main Government Building
F15	Katsurao Village	F15-01	Main Government Building
F16	Okuma Town	F16-01	Main Government Building
		F16-02	Former Main Government Building
F17	Tomioka Town	F17-01	Main Government Building
F18	Kawauchi Village	F18-01	Main Government Building
F19	Futaba Town	F19-01	Main Government Building
F20	Soma City	F20-01	Main Government Building
		F20-02	South Government Building
F21	Naraha Town	F21-01	Main Government Building
		F21-02	East Government Building
F22	Hirono Town	F22-01	Main Government Building
F23	Iwaki City	F23-01	Main Government Building
		F23-02	East Branch Office
		F23-03	Onahama Branch Office
		F23-04	Ogawa Branch Office
		F23-05	Kamikawara Branch Office
		F23-06	Nakoso Branch Office
		F23-07	Joban Branch Office
		F23-08	Uchigo Branch Office
		F23-09	Yotsukura Branch Office
		F23-10	Tono Branch Office
		F23-11	Yoshishima Branch Office
		F23-12	Miwa Branch Office
		F23-13	Tabito Branch Office
		F23-14	Kawamae Branch Office
		F23-15	Hisanohama / Ohisa Branch Office
F24	Shinchi Town	F24-01	Main Government Building
Municipality Code	Name of municipality	Code of building	Name of the government building
I01	Ofunato City	I01-01	Main Government Building
		I01-02	Main Government Building(Expansion Building)
		I01-03	Sanriku Branch Office
		I01-04	Ryori Regional Promotion Branch Office
		I01-05	Yoshihama Regional Promotion Branch Office
I02	Miyako City	I02-01	Main Government Building
		I02-02	Branch Office Building
		I02-03	Taro Government Building
		I02-04	Niisato Government Building
		I02-05	Kawai Government Building
I03	Hachimantai City	I03-01	Main Government Building
		I03-02	Nishine General Branch Office
		I03-03	Matsuo General Branch Office
		I03-04	Ashiro General Branch Office
I04	Ichinoseki City	I04-01	Main Government Building
		I04-02	Hanaizumi Branch Office
		I04-03	Daito Branch Office
		I04-04	Senmaya Branch Office
		I04-05	Higashiyama Branch Office
		I04-06	Murone Branch Office
		I04-07	Kawasaki Branch Office
		I04-08	Fujisawa Branch Office
I05	Tono City	I05-01	Main Government Building
		I05-02	Topia Government Building
		I05-03	Miyamori General Branch Office
		I05-04	Higashidate Government Building
I06	Nishiwaga Town	I06-01	Yuda Government Building
		I06-02	Sawauchi Government Building
I07	Hanamaki City	I07-01	Main Government Building
		I07-02	Ohasama General Branch Office
		I07-03	Ishidori General Branch Office
		I07-04	Towa General Branch Office
I08	Hirono Town	I08-01	Taneichi Government Building
		I08-02	Ono Government Building
		I08-03	Nakano Branch Office
I09	Ninohe City	I09-01	Main Government Building
		I09-02	Joboji General Branch Office
I10	Morioka City	I10-01	Main Government Building
		I10-02	Tamayama Branch Office
		I10-03	Uchimaru Branch Office
		I10-04	Wakanocho Branch Office
		I10-05	Sakanacho Branch Office
		I10-06	Tonan Branch Office
		I10-07	Aoyama Branch Office
		I10-08	Yanagawa Branch Office
		I10-09	Ota Branch Office
		I10-10	Tsunagi Branch Office
		I10-11	Makibori Branch Office
		I10-12	Tamagawa Branch Office
		I10-13	Yabukawa Branch Office
		I10-14	Iioka Branch Office
		I10-15	Otobe Branch Office
I11	Oshu City	I11-01	Main Office / Mizusawa General Branch Office
		I11-02	Esashi General Branch Office
		I11-03	Maesawa General Branch Office
		I11-04	Koromogawa General Branch Office
		I11-05	Isawa General Branch Office
I12	Kuji City	I12-01	Main Government Building Office
		I12-02	Sanne Branch Office
		I12-03	Samuraiha Branch Office
		I12-04	Ube Branch Office
		I12-05	Yamagata General Branch Office
I13	Noda Village	I13-01	Main Government Building
I14	Fudai Village	I14-01	Main Government Building
I15	Tanohata Village	I15-01	Main Government Building
		I15-02	Branch Office Building
I16	Iwaizumi Town	I16-01	Main Government Building
		I16-02	Omoto Government Building
I17	Yamada Town	I17-01	Main Government Building
		I17-02	Toyomane Branch Office
		I17-03	Funakoshi Branch Office
I18	Otsuchi Town	I18-01	Main Government Building
		I18-02	Kanezawa Branch Office
I19	Kamaishi City	I19-01	First Government Building
		I19-02	Second Government Building
		I19-03	Third Government Building
		I19-04	Fourth Government Building
		I19-05	Fifth Government Building
I20	Rikuzentakata City	I20-01	Main Government Building

This study analyzed 74 government buildings in Fukushima Prefecture that underwent the Heisei Great Merger and 29 government buildings in municipalities that were not part of the merger as well as 62 government buildings in Iwate Prefecture that underwent the Heisei Great Merger and 17 government buildings in municipalities that were not part of the merger (Tables 4 and 5, Figures 1 and 6).

Municipal Mergers and Government Office Reorganization in Fukushima and Iwate Prefectures Definitions of terms in this paper

Table 1 lists the definitions of terms related to municipal merger methods. Here a consolidation merger is defined as a method in which two or more municipalities to be merged are abolished and a new municipality is established, while an incorporation merger is defined as a method in which one of the municipalities to be merged remains as the surviving municipality and the other municipalities are abolished and incorporated into the surviving municipality. ① and ② in Table 1 are used as legends in Tables 4 and 5.

Table 2 lists the definitions of terms related to government building restructuring. This study did not consider the reorganization of government buildings to include the mere rearrangement of functions within government buildings; rather, it was defined as any action that involves physical alterations or changes to the scope of use of the building, such as new construction, renovation, or demolition, as described in Table 2. The symbol 〇 in Table 2 indicates new on-site construction, in which the government building in the current location is demolished and a new building is constructed in the same location. The symbol ● indicates relocation and new construction, such as new construction or expansion in a different location to that of the current government building. The symbol ▲ indicates relocation and conversion to another use, in which a building in a different location to that of the current government building is renovated and used as a government building. The symbol ★ indicates renovation, in which the current government building is renovated to improve its functions. The symbol ■ indicates demolition, in which the current government building is demolished and its government functions are abolished. The symbol ◇ indicates that the project is in the planning stage and the government office is under consideration for future reorganization while continuing its current operations. The symbols * indicates no plan and that, as of November 2020, there is no plan to reorganize government building. The symbols in Table 2 are used as legends in Tables 4 and 5.

Table 3 lists the definitions of terms related to the government building system. A indicates a main office system, in which the administrative structure and organization are integrated into the main government building and the remaining government buildings have only contact functions as branch and sub-branch offices. B indicates a branch office system, in which the government buildings that existed prior to the merger are allotted to administrative offices. C indicates a general branch office system, in which administrative divisions are integrated into the main government building and departments, such as the project implementation department remaining in each branch building. A, B, and C in Table 3 are used as legends in Tables 4 and 5.

Progress of government office reorganization in Fukushima and Iwate Prefectures Overview

Table 4 lists the results of the Fukushima Prefecture survey regarding the progress of the government office reorganization plan as of the end of December 2020, and Table 5 lists the corresponding results for Iwate Prefecture. When multiple symbols are listed for the same facility its status is described according to the history of government buildings that have jurisdiction over the same area. For example, Table 5 shows the status of Oshu City's Koromogawa General Branch Office (I11-04) with the symbols ▲ and ●, which mean that all the functions of the office have been moved each time, not just some of them. The codes beginning with F and I correspond to those listed in Tables 4 and 5.

This study did not consider the statuses of old government buildings after the government functions have been relocated, and according to the information available on the websites of local governments, most of the old government buildings have been demolished.

Status of government building reorganization in Fukushima Prefecture

Figure 1 shows the system of municipal mergers and government buildings in Fukushima Prefecture. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates a consolidation merger, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates an incorporation merger, and [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates no merger. Figure 2 shows government office reorganization methods due to the Heisei municipal merger. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates a main office system, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates a general branch office system, and [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates a branch office system. Table 7 is a legend for Figures 1–8. Among the post-merger municipalities, there were nine consolidation mergers, three incorporation mergers, and 47 municipalities did not undergo mergers. Aizuwakamatsu City (F01), Sukagawa City (F03), and Fukushima City (F12), all of which are highly populated municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture, were incorporated.

FIGURE 1. Municipal merger methods due to the Heisei municipal merger (Fukushima Prefecture)

FIGURE 2. Government office reorganization methods due to the Heisei municipal merger (Fukushima Prefecture)

The government office systems in the merged municipalities consist of one main office system, nine general branch office systems, and two branch office systems, with many municipalities adopting the general branch office system (while 47 municipalities did not undergo mergers). To maintain administrative services, many municipalities have adopted the general branch office system, but Aizumisato Town (F04) has adopted the main office system, and Shirakawa City (F05) and Date City (F08) have adopted the branch office system. These three municipalities conducted consolidation mergers and Aizumisato Town's main office building was relocated and reconstructed, Shirakawa City's main office building was renovated, and Date City's main office building was relocated and reconstructed. (Table 4).

Figure 3 shows the reorganization of government buildings implemented between 2003 and 2011. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities where government buildings were reorganized following the merger, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities where government buildings were not reorganized following the merger, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities that did not undergo a merger, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates new on-site construction, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates relocation and reconstruction, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates renovation; [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates under planning; and [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates no plan.

FIGURE 3. Reorganization of government buildings implemented between 2003 and 2011 (Fukushima Prefecture). [Image omitted. See PDF.] New construction on site, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Renovation, [Image omitted. See PDF.] No plan, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Relocation and reconstruction, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Under planning. [Image omitted. See PDF.] Municipalities whose government buildings were reorganized after the merger, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Municipalities whose government buildings were reorganized not after the merger, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Non-merged municipalities

In Fukushima Prefecture, five government buildings were reorganized between 2003 and 2011, after the Great Heisei Merger. Among these, two new buildings were constructed on site (Odaka Ward Office in Minamisoma City (F7-06) and Fukushima City Main Office (F12-01) ), one building was relocated and reconstructed (Shirasawa General Branch Office in Motomiya City (F11-02) ), and two buildings were renovated (Minamisoma City Main Office (F07-01) and Kashima Ward Office in Minamisoma City (F07-07) ) (Figure 3).

Earthquake and tsunami damage in Fukushima Prefecture is shown in Figure 4. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates difficult-to-return areas (as of February 2021), [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities subject to survey, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities not subject to survey, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates government buildings that required improvement as soon as possible due to earthquake damage; and [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates government buildings that escaped major earthquake and tsunami damage. The main office building in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture (F03-01) and the main office building in Futaba Town, Fukushima Prefecture (F19-01) were damaged by the earthquake and must be upgraded (4.1.2).

FIGURE 4. Damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake (Fukushima Prefecture). [Image omitted. See PDF.] Government buildings that required improvement as soon as possible due to earthquake damage, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Government buildings that escaped major damage from the earthquake and tsunami. [Image omitted. See PDF.] Difficult-to –return areas (as of Feb. 2021), [Image omitted. See PDF.] Cities and town subject to survey, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Not subject to survey

Figure 5 shows the reorganization of government buildings implemented since 2011. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities that were ordered to evacuate due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident ①, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities that were affected by the tsunami ②, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities that were merged ③, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates overlap between ① and ③, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates overlap between ①, ②, and ③, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates municipalities not subject to survey, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates new on-site construction, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates relocation and reconstruction, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates renovation, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates demolition; [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates relocation and conversion of use, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates under planning, and [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates no plan.

FIGURE 5. Reorganization of government buildings implemented since 2011 (Fukushima Prefecture). [Image omitted. See PDF.] New construction on site, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Renovation, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Conversion to new use, [Image omitted. See PDF.] No plan, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Relocation and reconstruction, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Demolition, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Under planning. [Image omitted. See PDF.] Cities, towns, and villages that were ordered to evacuate due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Municipalities affected by the tsunami, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Merged municipalities, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Overlap between ① and ②, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Overlap between ①, ②, and ③. [Image omitted. See PDF.] Overlap between ① and ③. [Image omitted. See PDF.] No subject to survey

Four government buildings were relocated and reconstructed in the ten years after the disaster: Okuma Town Main Office Building (F16-01), Soma City Main Office Building (F20-01), Soma City South Office Building (F20-02), and Iwaki City Ogawa Branch Office (F23-04) (Figure 5). However there were no new government buildings constructed on site, and many government buildings were renovated. Moreover the Minamisoma City Hall East Building (F07-02), Minamisoma City Hall West Building (F07-03), and Minamisoma City Hall South Building (F07-05) in Minamisoma City, which was damaged by the tsunami, as well as Okuma Town's former main office building (F16-02) and Futaba Town's main office building (F19-01) in the difficult-to-return area (as of February 2021) are classified as under planning, indicating that the need for reconstruction is still severe.

Restructuring of government buildings in Iwate Prefecture

Figure 6 shows the system of municipal mergers and government buildings in Iwate Prefecture. The legend is the same as in Figure 1, but the symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates incorporation and consolidation mergers. Figure 7 shows the government office reorganization methods due to the Heisei municipal merger. The legend is the same as in Figure 2. Among the post-merger municipalities, there were two incorporation and consolidation mergers, eight consolidation mergers, two incorporation mergers, and 21 municipalities did not undergo a merger. Ofunato City (I01), Miyako City (I02), Ichinoseki City (I04), and Morioka City (I10) are all highly populated municipalities in Iwate Prefecture.

FIGURE 6. Municipal merger methods due to the Heisei municipal merger (Iwate Prefecture)

FIGURE 7. Government office reorganization methods due to the Heisei municipal merger (Iwate Prefecture)

As for the government office system in the merged municipalities, there are ten general branch office systems and two branch office systems, and as in Fukushima Prefecture, the general branch office system is the most common (21 municipalities did not undergo a merger). Two municipalities, Nishiwaga Town and Yono Town, adopted the branch office system (Figure 6). Both Yuda Town Hall (I06-01) and Sawauchi Town Hall (I06-02) in Nishiwaga Town were renovated, while Taneichi Town Hall (I08-01) in Yono Town is under planning, and Ono Town Hall (I08-02) was renovated (Table 5).

Figure 8 shows the reorganization of government buildings implemented between 2003 and 2011. The legend is the same as Figure 3. In Iwate Prefecture, measures related to the reorganization of government offices between 2003 and 2011, after the Great Heisei Merger, include the renovation of the Hanamaki City Main Office (I07-01), Morioka City Main Office (I10-01), Tamayama Branch Office (I10-02), Sanbancho Branch Office (I10-04), Miyakonan Branch Office (I10-06), and Aoyama Branch Office (I10-12) (Figure 8).

FIGURE 8. Reorganization of government buildings implemented between 2003 and 2011 (Iwate Prefecture). [Image omitted. See PDF.] Renovation, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Under planning, [Image omitted. See PDF.] No plan. [Image omitted. See PDF.] Municipalities whose government buildings were reorganized after the merger, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Municipalities whose government buildings were reorganized not after the merger, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Non-merged municipalities

Earthquake and tsunami damage in Iwate Prefecture is shown in Figure 9. The legend is the same as Figure 4. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates the Ofunato City Sanriku Branch Office (I01-03), Otsuchi Town Main Office Building (I18-01), and Rikuzentakata City Main Office Building (I20-01), which were washed away by the tsunami.

FIGURE 9. Damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake (Iwate Prefecture). [Image omitted. See PDF.] Government buildings that required improvement as soon as possible due to earthquake damage, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Government buildings washed away by the tsunami, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Government buildings that escaped major damage from the earthquake and tsunami. [Image omitted. See PDF.] Cities and town subject to survey, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Not subject to survey

Figure 10 shows the reorganization of government buildings implemented since 2011. The symbol [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates tsunami-affected municipalities (①), [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates merged municipalities (②), [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates overlap between ① and ②, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates those not subject to survey, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates new on-site construction, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates relocation and reconstruction, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates renovation, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates demolition, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates relocation and conversion of use, [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates under planning, and [IMAGE OMITTED. SEE PDF.] indicates no plan.

FIGURE 10. Reorganization of government buildings implemented since 2011 (Iwate Prefecture). [Image omitted. See PDF.] New construction on site, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Demolition, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Under planning, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Relocation and reconstruction, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Conversion to new use, [Image omitted. See PDF.] No plan, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Renovation. [Image omitted. See PDF.] ① Municipalities affected by the tsunami, [Image omitted. See PDF.] Overlap between ① and ②, [Image omitted. See PDF.] ② Merged municipalities, [Image omitted. See PDF.] New subject to survey

Most of the municipalities along the Sanriku coast in the eastern part of Iwate Prefecture were affected by the tsunami. The Ofunato City Sanriku Branch Office (I01-03), Otsuchi Town Main Office Building (I18-01), and Rikuzentakata City Main Office Building (I20-01) are among the government buildings that were washed away by the tsunami.

The city of Rikuzentakata built a temporary government office building in response to the loss of the main government building and moved the functions of the government office to the new building. In 2021, the city relocated and reconstructed its main government building. For convenience, the site of the new government building was selected as the former site of Takada Elementary School, which was in the tsunami-affected area, so the height of the land was raised by approximately five meters through a land readjustment project. To enhance disaster response functions, a disaster response conference room and emergency power supply facilities were planned.

The main office building of Otsuchi Town was relocated by renovating an abandoned elementary school, and the Sanriku Branch Office of Ofunato City was relocated by renovating part of the Sanriku Health and Welfare Center.

Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Post-earthquake Government Office Reorganization Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the Government Office Reorganization Plan Effects of earthquake damage

Four government buildings that required upgrades as soon as possible due to the earthquake were the Sukagawa City Main Office (F03-01), Futaba Town Office (F19-01), Tono City Main Office (I05-01), and the Kinugawa General Branch Office(I11-04), Oshu City (Figures 4 and 9).

After the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, the main office building of Sukagawa City (F03-01) was on the verge of collapse and unusable, so administrative functions were temporarily relocated to a public facility in the city to avoid service interruption. However, the dispersed functions of the government building caused great inconvenience to both city hall employees and residents, and the construction of a new government building was one of the top priorities of the reconstruction project.

The main office building (I05-01) of Tono City was destroyed, and a temporary government building, Topia Office Building, was set up in a renovated shopping center. The temporary government building was highly praised by both residents and businesses for its convenience, contribution to store sales, and supply of goods from businesses that had signed disaster relief agreements. Therefore, even after the opening of the new government building in September 2017, the Tobia Office Building is still in use, with some of the city hall functions connected to the new building on the second floor. The functions of the city hall that had been dispersed were consolidated in the new government building, but a multipurpose citizens' hall was installed on the first floor, and citizen exchange spaces, such as the town library, were combined into the new building.

The Koromogawa General Branch Office (I11-04) in Oshu City had cracks in its exterior walls caused by the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake (June 2008), but the Great East Japan Earthquake caused the cracks to widen, and the building to collapse. Therefore, conference rooms at the Koromogawa Health and Welfare Center were set up as temporary government offices in May 2011 and were used for six years. However, many local residents complained about the inconvenience of having to change their shoes to enter the building, so it was decided to move to a new building. Because the old Koromogawa General Branch Office was facing the problem of vacant rooms, the new office building was planned to be smaller in size.

Impact of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Seven municipalities were designated as difficult-to-return areas as a result of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident (Figure 5). Most areas in the towns of Namie, Futaba, and Okuma are still designated as difficult-to-return areas at the time of this study, but reconstruction projects, including the formulation of government office reorganization plans, are underway. Government buildings owned by the four municipalities other than Namie, Futaba, and Okuma have not been severely damaged.

With the lifting of evacuation orders in some areas of Okuma Town, a new government building was constructed in the Ogawara area, which was the first reconstruction center in April 2019, and it serves as a base in the daily lives of returning townspeople. The new government building is equipped with positive pressure in the disaster control room, a contaminant removal system in the radiation control room, and special air conditioning to prevent contaminants from entering the building.

Namie Town opened a temporary office in Nihonmatsu City and relocated its main office functions. The damaged Namie Town Hall was repaired in 2011 in preparation for the lifting of the evacuation order, and when the evacuation order was lifted in March 2017 for the restricted residential areas and areas preparing to lift the evacuation order, the main office functions were returned to the Namie Town Hall.

Futaba Town Hall opened a temporary office in Iwaki City and relocated the main office functions. In March 2020, the evacuation order was lifted in some of the difficult-to-return areas and areas preparing to lift the evacuation order, and a new town hall is planned to be built on the east side of Futaba Station, which will be the center of the designated reconstruction and revitalization base area. The former main office building is still designated as a difficult-to-return area, and it is being considered whether to demolish it or renovate it for continued use.

Reorganization of government buildings after the earthquake

While mergers have enabled some municipalities to provide each other with mutual support in the event of a large-scale disaster, others have been affected by the reduction in the number of staff at their general branch offices and have been unable to adequately respond to disasters (e.g., Hanamaki City). Some of the municipalities that have adopted a branch office system assume that if the governmental office ceases to function in the event of a disaster, the functions will be consolidated in one of the offices to continue administrative operations (e.g., Yono Town). After the earthquake, some municipalities temporarily suspended the construction of new government buildings because reconstruction projects were given top priority (e.g., Fukushima City Hall), some municipalities started to reorganize their government buildings after the earthquake and took the opportunity to construct new government buildings to change from the branch office system to main office system (e.g., Aizu Misato Town), and some municipalities reorganized their government buildings after the earthquake into a general branch office system with a focus on disaster countermeasures, such as establishing a tsunami disaster prevention center (e.g., Komoto Branch Office in Iwaizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture, and Kinugawa General Branch Office in Oshu City).

As shown in Table 6, government buildings that were reorganized after the earthquake are actively being combined. One of the purposes of combining government office functions is to consider the economic efficiency of operation (e.g., Okuma Town), but another purpose is to improve administrative services to residents by promoting measures in a combined manner, such as deepening cooperation between the public and private sectors to create a place for residents to interact (e.g., Sukagawa City Hall), and integrating the development of aging public facilities in the vicinity (e.g., Aizu Misato Town). The Tono City main office building (I05-01) was damaged in the disaster, and the government office functions were temporarily relocated to a shopping center and surrounding public facilities, but the convenience of the new building was highly praised by the residents, and the new government office is planned to be connected to the shopping center (4.1.1). The combination of the functions of public facilities is a nationwide trend and is also considered important in the development of government buildings in the reconstruction process of disaster-stricken areas.

Summary

In Fukushima and Iwate prefectures, after the Great Heisei merger and up until the Great East Japan Earthquake, existing government buildings were used due to the severe financial situation, and no new main government buildings were constructed. There were many cases where the narrowing of government buildings was solved by moving departments. (e.g., Aizu Misato Town, Sukagawa City Office and Koromogawa General Branch Office). Reasons for not proceeding with the reorganization of government buildings immediately after the earthquake included that the building was not yet old, the building met the new seismic standards enacted in 1981, seismic reinforcement work had already been conducted, there was a plan to reorganize government buildings but priority was given to the earthquake reconstruction project, and the problem was solved by moving departments rather than improving the hardware.

In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it took many years to recover and rebuild in areas where government buildings were rendered inoperable by the earthquake and tsunami. This led to a renewed awareness of the importance of seismic reinforcement. To prepare for unforeseen circumstances, the relocation of main government office functions to branch or general branch offices is also being considered.

Based on the experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent reconstruction, it has been recognized that to realize disaster-resistant urban development, it is important to properly establish government offices with disaster prevention functions in each region and to establish a system in which the main government office and general branch offices cooperate with each other. Many of the municipal mergers in the Fukushima and Iwate prefectures were wide-area mergers, and the general branch office system was adopted in many cases. However, because general branch offices are staffed by a relatively small number of people they may not be able to adequately respond to disasters in the areas under their jurisdiction. In the future, it will be important to establish a system that enables cooperation between the main office and general branch offices on a daily basis, and to provide prompt support in the event of a disaster.

This study confirmed that government buildings along the Sanriku coast in Iwate Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the tsunami, have been upgraded in the ten years since the disaster, but in Hamadori in Fukushima Prefecture, where the effects of the nuclear power plant accident still remain, reconstruction of government buildings is still only midway. The construction of government buildings, which was temporarily halted to prioritize earthquake reconstruction projects, is now being resumed. However, the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake have led to recognition of the importance of properly locating government buildings as disaster prevention centers in each region and of coordinating daily operations among government buildings rather than overly consolidating government facilities to prioritize efficiency. In this region, where the population has been declining and aging since the earthquake, it is thought that integrating various functions that support the lives of local residents into administrative facilities will contribute to maintaining and improving the quality of life in the region.

Disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Funding Information

No funding information is provided.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the webstes of each municipality.

Notes:

^{Note 1)}Municipal Mergers and Reorganization of Government Offices in the Heisei Era. The Law on Special Provisions for Municipal Mergers (former Special Law on Mergers), which was amended in 1999 by the Decentralization Act, provided a variety of financial incentives, and many municipalities applied for mergers before the deadline of March 31, 2005. The number of municipalities in Japan decreased from 3,232 in 1999 to 1,821 in 2006. In line with this Heisei era of municipal mergers, city halls, branch offices, and other administrative buildings across Japan have been reorganizing their facilities in line with the consolidation of administrative functions. In April 2014, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) requested local governments to formulate a "Comprehensive Management Plan for Public Facilities" to promote the comprehensive and systematic management of public facilities. As of March 31, 2019, all organizations in prefectures and designated cities, and 99.8% of organizations in municipalities, are expected to formulate comprehensive management plans for public facilities. As of March 31, 2019, 99.8% of prefectures and designated cities have already formulated comprehensive management plans for public facilities. English information about Iwate prefecture is available on its website including its location map: https://www.pref.iwate.jp/kyouikubunka/kokusai/kokusaikouryu/kaigai/1028207/1028208.html (November 18, 2021). English information about Fukusima prefecture is available on its website including its location map: https://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/site/portal-english/ (November 18, 2021).

^{Note 2)}The survey work was conducted by Kenta Ikata (Department of Construction Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology).

^{Note 3)}Excluding Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture.