“Quality of Life” in Japanese Evacuation Shelters: Learning from the Taiwan Experience

A bulletin board at an earthquake shelter in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, informs people that “food and water distribution has yet to be determined.” January 2, 2024. (© Kyōdō)

People resting at a temporary shelter at an elementary school following the Hualien earthquake in Taiwan. The shelter was quickly set up using tentlike partitions to protect people’s privacy. (© AFP).

An evacuation center after the February 2018 Hualien Earthquake. earthquake. There are makeshift beds, but the partitions are not yet in place (© Cheng Chung Lan).

Rescue workers prepare relief supplies on April 5, 2024, after the earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan. (© AFP).