Impact of Transportation Network Disruptions Caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake on Distribution of Goods and Regional Economy

The Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 caused disruptions to transportation network such as roads and railways. In general, transportation network disruptions make distribution of relief goods difficult and are considered to have negative impact on the economy of the stricken region owing to a decrease in transportation accessibility. Focusing on Iwate Prefecture, which experienced significant damage to its transportation network, this paper analyzes the distribution of goods, especially demand and supply of food items, for three weeks following the earthquake. Considering the relationship between transportation network disruptions and reconstructions, it develops a regional econometric model that can analyze the time-series impact of transportation network disruptions and reconstruction-related demand, etc. on the regional economy, and conducts simulation analyses. The results of the analyses indicate that upgrades to supply systems, including the opening of transport routes, are critical toward ensuring a sufficient supply of food, and the impact of transportation network disruptions in the long term on the gross regional product is as large as the impact of actual damage on production equipment, labor supply, etc. and reconstruction-related demand after the earthquake.