Details of the Researcher

PHOTO

Boret Usage Penmellen Boret Sebastien
Section
International Research Institute of Disaster Science
Job title
Professor
Degree

  • Bachelors Honours Degree (Anthropology Major) (Oxford Brookes University )

  • M.Phil in Social Anthropology (University of Oxford )

  • Ph.D (Oxford Brookes University)

e-Rad No.
70751676
Profile

Sébastien Penmellen Boret is Professor at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Oxford Brookes University and an MPhil in Science from the University of Oxford.

His research lies at the intersection of anthropology, disaster studies, and social inclusion. Over the past two decades, he has examined contemporary funerary practices, mass death management, and environmental concerns, with a particular focus on post-disaster contexts, including the treatment of human remains, bereavement, and collective memory.

More recently, his work has turned to the disaster experiences of people with disabilities and other marginalised groups in Japan, Indonesia, and beyond. He leads the Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (Inclusive DRR) Lab, which brings together anthropological and participatory approaches to explore how social inclusion can reshape disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

In parallel, Sébastien is actively engaged in teaching and supervision in disaster studies. He develops and leads courses, workshops, and field-based training that equip students and practitioners with inclusive methodologies to address the needs of vulnerable populations in disaster contexts.

He is the author of several books including Japanese Tree Burial: Ecology, Kinship, and the Culture of Death and co-editor of Death in the Early Twenty-first Century: Authority, Innovation, and Mortuary Rites. His forthcoming books include Critical Disaster Studies in the Asia and the Pacific (Palgrave) and Dealing with Disaster Remains (PubFanSelf).

Research History 3

  • 2017/04 - Present
    Graduate School of Environmental Studies (GSES)

  • 2014/08 - Present
    Tohoku University　International Research Institute of Disaster Science　Professor

  • 2012/11 - 2014/07
    Tohoku University　Faculty of Arts and Letters　JSPS Post-doctoral fellow

Education 3

  • Oxford Brookes University　Anthropology　Ph.D. Anthropology

    2005/09 - 2011/03

  • University of Oxford　School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography　Masters in Social Anthropology (M.Phil)

    2003/09 - 2005/06

  • Oxford Brookes University　Anthropology　BA. Anthropology Major

    2000/10 - 2003/01

Committee Memberships 1

  • The Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology　Japanese Review of Cultural Anthropology

    2024/04 - Present

Professional Memberships 6

  • The Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology

    2018/04 - Present

  • Japan Anthropology Workshop (JAWS)

    2012/04 - Present

  • Society of Applied Anthropology (SfAA)

    2012/04 - Present

  • European Association of Social Anthropologists

    2005/10 - Present

  • American Association of Anthropology

  • Association of Social Anthropologists (UK)

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Research Interests 6

  • Climate change and people

  • Memory studies

  • Disability studies

  • Social Anthropology

  • Death studies

  • Disaster science

Research Areas 1

  • Humanities & social sciences / Cultural anthropology and folklore / Disaster, Death, religion, environment

Awards 4

  1. Best Poster Award, Fuji Tech.

    2025/03　World Bosai Forum 2025　Disaster Educational Programs for Children with Special Needs 20 Years After the 2004 Tsunami: An Interdisciplinary Study of a Special Support School in Banda Aceh in Indonesia

  2. Academic awards (research papers)

    2020/03　Japan Society for Digital Archive　Current status and issues of earthquake disaster archives as seen from the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake

  3. Best Paper Award at the Aceh International Workshop and Expo on Tsunami Recovery

    AIWEST Conference Committee　Archiving Disaster Remains: The Case Of “Sasanao Factory” In Yuriage Village, Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture

  4. Lucy Mair Medal & Marsh Prize for Applied Anthropology

    Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland　Interdisciplinary and applied research on the anthropology of death and disaster

Papers 28

  1. Reconstruction and Support Following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake: A Dialogue Between Religious Leaders and Researchers

    Toshiaki Kimura, Sébastien Boret Penmellen, Yugaku Ikawa

    Religion and Social Contribution　15　(2)　21-71　2025/10

  2. Rethinking Japan's majority culture-cremation, minorities, and disasters Invited

    Boret Penmellen Sébastien

    Understanding Japanese Society　179-281　2025/10

  3. Using a Digital Archive for Teaching and Research Peer-reviewed

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Julia Gerster, Andrew Gordon, Ryo Morimoto, Keiichi Sato

    Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus　23 (4)　(1)　2025/04

  4. Factsheet of the Great East Japan Earthquake Invited

    Sébastien Penmellen Bore

    Répliques. 110311. Des photographes japonais face au cataclysme　243-249　2024/03

  5. Memory, Meaning, and Monuments: An Ethnographic Study of Tsunami Memorialization in Aceh Peer-reviewed

    Alfi Rahman, Muzayin Nazaruddin, Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Yuva Ayuning Anjar, Rizanna Rosemary, Rosaria Indah, Syahrul Ridha, Siti Ghaisani Masturah

    E3S Web of Conferences　447　04003　2023/11/13

    Publisher:

    DOI： 10.1051/e3sconf/202344704003 　

    ISSN： 2555-0403

    eISSN： 2267-1242

  6. Aspects sociaux des murs anti-tsunami au Japon. Peer-reviewed

    ボレ、セバスチャン・ペンメレン, ジュリア・ガースター

    Imaginer l’après : Vulnérabilité environnementale et décision publique en contexte post-catastrophe　2023/09

  7. Factors affecting worriedness: A study of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan International-journal Peer-reviewed

    Penpichaya Lertsakornsiri, Passarawan Sritanawatkul, Alfan Kurnia Yudha, Natt Leelawat, Jing Tang, Anawat Suppasri, Miwako Kitamura, Haruka Tsukuda, Sebastien P. Boret, Yasuaki Onoda, Kumpol Saengtabtim, Fumihiko Imamura, Syamsidik

    International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction　82　103322-103322　2022/11

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103322 　

    ISSN： 2212-4209

  8. The potential of disaster digital archives in disaster education: The case of the Japan disasters digital archive (JDA) and its geo-location functions Peer-reviewed

    Julia Gerster, Sebastien Penmellen Boret, Ryo Morimoto, Andrew Gordon, Akihiro Shibayama

    International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction　77　103085-103085　2022/07

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103085 　

    ISSN： 2212-4209

  9. RITUALIZING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:

    Sébastien P. Boret, Yu Fukuda, David Clarke, Albertina Nugteren, Pamela J. Stewart, AndreW Strathern, Cas Wepener, Joanna Wojtkowiak, Hans Stifoss-Hanssen, Lars Johan Danbolt

    Handbook of Disaster Ritual　2021/12/31

    DOI： 10.2307/j.ctv28bqm06.32 　

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    The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly and unexpectedly made this disaster ritual book project timely, relevant, and urgent. At the time of writing (January 2021), we remain in the midst of a slow-moving disaster with profound impacts on individuals, social structures, and economies. Ignoring the pandemic in this volume is impossible; several contributors reference it in their chapters. Yet the question arises: should it be addressed explicitly and independently, and if so, how? A comprehensive analysis of COVID-19-related rituals would require the distance of hindsight—distance we do not yet possess, as we are still “in the middle of the storm.” These reflections recall our previous disaster ritual project, which coincided with the September 11 attacks in the United States. At that time, we included Ronald Grimes’s now widely cited piece, Ritualising September 11: A Personal Account, which offered not a balanced analysis, but a vivid, personal description of a memorial ritual at his university.

  10. Out of the Dark: The Challenges of Branding Post-Disaster Tourism Ten Years after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    Julia Gerster, Sebastien Penmellen Boret, Akihiro Shibayama

    Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Journal　2　(November 2021)　2021/11/28

    Publisher: Euro Asia Tourism Studies Association

    DOI： 10.58345/bjov5890 　

    eISSN： 2742-7579

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    The act of visiting disaster sites by non-locals is often controversial, such as the promotion of so-called dark tourism or post-disaster tourism. After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Disaster, the affected communities in Northeast Japan encouraged travel to the disaster sites as a way to support the region financially and pass on lessons learned in the disaster for disaster mitigation. This paper discusses how the promotion of post-disaster tourism through novel brands such as “Bosai (disaster mitigation) Tourism” or “Hope Tourism,” conversely emphasizes the positive aspects of disaster-related tourism rather than the “dark” or negative aspects. Drawing on ethnographic field research, analyses of tour descriptions and contents on websites offered by national and prefectural disaster tourism, participant observation at disaster tours, and interviews with local community members and tour organizers, this paper discusses the framing as well as the potential benefits of disaster-related tourism for local recovery and disaster mitigation, while exploring the challenges and burdens this form of tourism may inflict on the local communities. We argue that, despite the ethical challenges dark tourism may generate, confronting tragedies through dark or post-disaster tourism encourages visitors to connect with uncomfortable pasts, potentially helping to prevent similar tragedies from recurring as a result.

  11. Perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan with respect to cultural, information, disaster and social issues International-journal Peer-reviewed

    Anawat Suppasri, Miwako Kitamura, Haruka Tsukuda, Sebastien P. Boret, Gianluca Pescaroli, Yasuaki Onoda, Fumihiko Imamura, David Alexander, Natt Leelawat, Syamsidik

    Progress in Disaster Science　10　100158-100158　2021/04

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.pdisas.2021.100158 　

    ISSN： 2590-0617

    eISSN： 2590-0617

  12. The Value of Visual Disaster Records from Digital Archives and Films in Post-3/11 Japan Peer-reviewed

    Hiroki Takakura, Sebastien Penmellen Boret

    International Journal of Sustainable Future for Human Security　7　(3)　58-65　2021/02

    Publisher: SustaiN Society

    DOI： 10.24910/jsustain/7.3/5865 　

    eISSN： 2187-4506

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    This paper explores the value of visual records from natural disasters in assisting reconstruction, including photography, single-shot videos, and documentary movies. It considers three types of visual records related to the Great East Japan Earthquake: 1) raw data, 2) edited educational videos, and 3) commercial documentary films. It also considers the nature of disaster records and their repository medium, including digital data archives, public educational websites, and commercial networks. Furthermore, the authors consider the overlaps between these categories. Raw video records certainly meet the needs of either digital archives or documentary movies. However, commercial documentary movies form a category of their own, as copyright and scripts constrain their exploitation and manipulation. In conclusion, this paper identifies the merit of each type of visual record and argues that both are necessary for the social remembering of disasters and to help reconstruct communities affected by such events. Keywords: digital archives; films; disaster

  13. Social lives of tsunami walls in Japan: Concrete culture, social innovation and coastal communities Peer-reviewed

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Julia Gerster

    IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science　630　(1)　012029-012029　2021/01/12

    Publisher: IOP Publishing

    DOI： 10.1088/1755-1315/630/1/012029 　

    ISSN： 1755-1307

    eISSN： 1755-1315

  14. Archiving Disaster Remains: The Case of "sasanao Factory" in Yuriage Village, Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture Peer-reviewed

    S. Sato, A. Suppasri, S. P. Boret, M. Nakagawa, F. Imamura

    IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science　273　(1)　2019/07/16

    DOI： 10.1088/1755-1315/273/1/012044 　

    ISSN： 1755-1307

    eISSN： 1755-1315

  15. Transforming the Archives of the Great East Japan Earthquake into Global Natural Disaster Archives Peer-reviewed

    A. Shibayama, S. Boret

    IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science　273　(1)　012039-012039　2019/07/16

    Publisher: IOP Publishing

    DOI： 10.1088/1755-1315/273/1/012039 　

    ISSN： 1755-1307

    eISSN： 1755-1315

  16. Preface

    Ella Meilianda, Syamsidik, Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Yunita Idris

    IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science　273　(1)　011001-011001　2019/07/16

    Publisher: IOP Publishing

    DOI： 10.1088/1755-1315/273/1/011001 　

    ISSN： 1755-1307

    eISSN： 1755-1315

  17. Recent occurrences of serious tsunami damage and the future challenges of tsunami disaster risk reduction Peer-reviewed

    Fumihiko Imamura, Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Anawat Suppasri, Abdul Muhari

    Progress in Disaster Science　1　100009-100009　2019/05

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI： 10.1016/j.pdisas.2019.100009 　

    ISSN： 2590-0617

    eISSN： 2590-0617

  18. The roles of monuments for the dead during the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake Peer-reviewed

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Akihiro Shibayama

    International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction　29　55-62　2018/08/01

    Publisher: Elsevier Ltd

    DOI： 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.09.021 　

    ISSN： 2212-4209

  19. The State and Visions of Disaster Archives as seen from The Great East Japan Earthquake Peer-reviewed

    SHIBAYAMA Akihiro, KITAMURA Miwako, Boret, Sébastien Penmellen, IMAMURA Fumihiko

    Dejitaru Akaibu Gakkaishi　2　(3)　282-286　2018/07

    Publisher: Japan Society for Digital Archive

    DOI： 10.24506/jsda.2.3_282 　

    ISSN： 2432-9762

    eISSN： 2432-9770

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    <p>Digital archives related to the Great East Japan Earthquake started to be constructed spontaneously by various organizations immediately after the disaster occurred, and several dozen have been created in the six and a half years since the earthquake, with millions of records open to the public. In this paper, we will summarize the cases and transitions of earthquake digital archives constructed by various organizations after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and clarify the contents and components of digital archives of the earthquake disaster of local governments. Furthermore, we will clarify the challenges related to earthquake disaster digital archives of the Great East Japan Earthquake and discuss the future of earthquake digital archives.</p>

  20. An Overview of the Digital Archives of the Great East Japan Earthquake

    SHIBAYAMA Akihiro, BORET Sebastien Penmellen

    Dejitaru Akaibu Gakkaishi　2　(4)　342-346　2018

    Publisher: Japan Society for Digital Archive

    DOI： 10.24506/jsda.2.4_342 　

    ISSN： 2432-9762

    eISSN： 2432-9770

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    <p>Seven years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, dozens of earthquake digital archives have been built. If archives had already been crated for past disasters, it is the first time that we see multiple groups building disaster digital archive for a single disaster. In principle, this article outlines the process of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the evolution during the seven years of restoration and reconstruction, and the construction of the earthquake disaster digital archive of the Great East Japan Earthquake. To discuss the issues surrounding digital archives, it presents the cases presented by the National Diet Library, Miyagi Prefecture Library, Harvard University, the University of Tsukuba, all of which are examined in this special issue.</p>

  21. Agency and the personalization of the grave in Japan Peer-reviewed

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret

    Death in the Early Twenty-First Century: Authority, Innovation, and Mortuary Rites　217-253　2017/07/18

    DOI： 10.1007/978-3-319-52365-1_8 　

  22. Introduction

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Susan Orpett Long, Sergei Kan

    Death in the Early Twenty-First Century: Authority, Innovation, and Mortuary Rites　1-27　2017/07/18

    DOI： 10.1007/978-3-319-52365-1_1 　

  23. Learning From Earthquake Memorials : The Case of the Great East Japan Disaster Peer-reviewed

    Boret, Sébastien Penmellen, SEBASTIEN

    Proceedings of the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering　2017/01

  24. [A02] Transition of earthquake disaster archive and future natural disaster archive

    SHIBAYAMA Akihiro, KITAMURA Miwako, Boret, Sébastien Penmellen, IMAMURA Fumihiko

    Dejitaru Akaibu Gakkaishi　1　(0)　13-16　2017

    Publisher: Japan Society for Digital Archive

    DOI： 10.24506/jsda.1.Pre_13 　

    ISSN： 2432-9762

    eISSN： 2432-9770

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    &lt;p&gt;2011年東日本大震災以降，自治体や教育機関，図書館，民間団体などで数多くの震災アーカイブの構築されてきた．また，2016年熊本地震においても熊本県が震災アーカイブの構築された．今後，様々な自然災害の教訓を残すべく自然災害のアーカイブの構築がなされていくのは必然である．しかしながら，災害アーカイブの歴史は短く，震災アーカイブの総務省ガイドラインや岩手県ガイドラインがあるものの，収集する記録の種類や構築ルール，利活用方法などが確立していないのが現状である．そこで，本報告では，近年の震災アーカイブの変遷と特徴をまとめるとともに，自然災害アーカイブのあり方についてまとめる．&lt;/p&gt;

  25. The right processing method for utilizing a disaster Archives

    柴山 明寛, ボレー ペンメレン セバスチャン

    東北地域災害科学研究 = Tohoku journal of natural disaster science　52　241-244　2016/03

    Publisher: 東北大学災害科学国際研究所東北地区自然災害資料センター

  26. Archiving and memorializing disasters report of a UN international workshop

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Akihiro Shibayama

    Journal of Disaster Research　11　(3)　437-442　2016

    Publisher: Fuji Technology Press

    DOI： 10.20965/jdr.2016.p0437 　

    ISSN： 1881-2473

    eISSN： 1883-8030

  27. Human responses to Coastal Flooding: Engineering, Social Innovation and Coastal Communities Peer-reviewed

    Boret, Sébastien Penmellen

    Proceedings of the World Engineering Conference and Convention　2015/03

  28. An anthropological study of a Japanese tree burial: Environment, kinship, and death Peer-reviewed

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret

    Death and Dying in Contemporary Japan　196-220　2013/01/01

    DOI： 10.4324/9780203095423 　

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Misc. 14

  1. [C24] Disaster Digital Archives and disaster education: Three workshop examples using the Japan Disasters Digital Archive (JDA) in different phases of the Covid-19 pandemic

    GERSTER Julia, SHIBAYAMA Akihiro, MORIMOTO Ryo, GORDON D. Andrew, BORET Penmellen Sébastien

    Dejitaru Akaibu Gakkaishi　6　(s3)　s190-s193　2022

    Publisher: Japan Society for Digital Archive

    DOI： 10.24506/jsda.6.s3_s190 　

    ISSN： 2432-9762

    eISSN： 2432-9770

  2. 「 サイガイ デ ノコサレタ モノ 」 ニ ムキアウ

    (特集号)　31-45　2022

    Publisher: [仙台] : 東北大学大学院文学研究科宗教学研究室

    ISSN： 1881-0187

  3. A Commentary on Ilan Kelman's Disaster by Choice

    Sébatien Penmellen Boret

    Public Anthropologist　4　(1)　115-119　2022

    DOI： 10.1163/25891715-04010003 　

    ISSN： 2589-1707

    eISSN： 2589-1715

  4. [C24] Disaster Digital Archives and disaster education: Three workshop examples using the Japan Disasters Digital Archive (JDA) in different phases of the Covid-19 pandemic

    GERSTER Julia, 柴山明寛, 森本涼, GORDON D. Andrew, BORET Penmellen Sebastien

    デジタルアーカイブ学会誌(Web)　6　(s3)　2022

    ISSN： 2432-9770

  5. 東日本大震災における遺体の文化的及び社会的課題について

    ボレー ペンメレン セバスチャン

    日本文化人類学会研究大会発表要旨集　2021　A09　2021

    Publisher: 日本文化人類学会

    DOI： 10.14890/jasca.2021.0_a09 　

    eISSN： 2189-7964

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    甚大な被害を伴う災害では、多数の遺体をどのように扱うかという課題に直面する。東日本大震災ではこの課題に際して、レジャー施設や公共施設が仮設遺体安置所に、空き地が集団埋葬地に転用された。本稿では東日本大震災の事例から、「日常」と「災害」の死の管理との関係を人類学的に分析し、大量死の管理における文化の役割についての理解を深める。

  6. Theodicy of Tsunami: A Study of Commemoration in Aceh, Indonesia. Peer-reviewed

    ボレー セバスチャン

    In Nabil Chang-Kuan Lin (ed.),Exploring Religio-cultural Pluralism in Southeast Asia: Intercommunion, Localization, Syncretisation and Conflict.　-　227-242　2019

  7. 震災アーカイブの利活用を促進するためのメタデータスキーマについて—About metadata schema for promoting use of earthquake digital archive

    柴山 明寛, ボレー セバスチャン, 北村 美和子

    東北地域災害科学研究 = Tohoku journal of natural disaster science / 自然災害研究協議会東北地区部会, 日本自然災害学会東北支部 編　54　291-294　2018/03

    Publisher: 仙台 : 東北大学災害科学国際研究所東北地区自然災害資料センター

  8. 災害後の持続可能なコミュニティの構築に果たす記念碑の役割 Peer-reviewed

    ボレー セバスチャン

    震災後の地域文化と被災者の民俗誌（高倉浩樹・山口睦編、新泉社）　-　163-180　2018

  9. The State and Visions of Disaster Archives as seen from The Great East Japan Earthquake

    柴山明寛, 北村美和子, BORET Sebastien Penmellen, 今村文彦

    デジタルアーカイブ学会誌(Web)　2　(3)　2018

    ISSN： 2432-9770

  10. An Overview of the Digital Archives of the Great East Japan Earthquake

    柴山明寛, BORET Sebastien Penmellen

    デジタルアーカイブ学会誌(Web)　2　(4)　2018

    ISSN： 2432-9770

  11. Death in the early twenty-first century: Authority, innovation, and mortuary rites

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret, Susan Orpett Long, Sergei Kan

    Death in the Early Twenty-First Century: Authority, Innovation, and Mortuary Rites　1-295　2017/07/18

    DOI： 10.1007/978-3-319-52365-1 　

  12. [A02] Transition of earthquake disaster archive and future natural disaster archive

    柴山明寛, 北村美和子, PENMELLEN BORET Sebastien, 今村文彦

    デジタルアーカイブ学会誌(Web)　1　(Pre)　13-16　2017

    Publisher: Japan Society for Digital Archive

    DOI： 10.24506/jsda.1.pre_13 　

    ISSN： 2432-9770

    eISSN： 2432-9770

  13. The Anthropology of Europe as Seen from Japan. Considering Contemporary Forms and Meanings of the Social

    Boret, Sébastien Penmellen

    ANTHROPOS　110　(2)　645-646　2015

    ISSN： 0257-9774

  14. Japanese tree burial: Ecology, kinship and the culture of death

    Sébastien Penmellen Boret

    Japanese Tree Burial: Ecology, Kinship and the Culture of Death　1-221　2014/01/01

    DOI： 10.4324/9781315850351 　

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Books and Other Publications 6

  1. Imaginer l’après : Vulnérabilité environnementale et décision publique en contexte post-catastrophe

    Sebastien Penmellen Boret

    Deux-Cent-Cinq Editions　2023/09

    ISBN: 9782919380725

  2. 災害〈後〉を生きる : 慰霊と回復の災害人文学

    李, 善姫, 高倉, 浩樹, 木村, 敏明, 大村, 哲夫, Boret, Sébastien Penmellen, Fulco, Flavia, 坂口, 奈央, Delaney, Alyne Elizabeth, Gerster, Julia, 門馬, 健, 安田, 容子, 福田, 雄, 小谷, 竜介, 瀧川, 裕貴, 呉屋, 淳子, 山口, 睦, 門廻, 充侍, 蝦名, 裕一

    新泉社　2023/03

    ISBN: 9784787722089

  3. Religio-cultural Pluralism in Southeast Asia: inter-communion, localization, syncretisation and conflict. Edited by Nabil Chang-Kuan Lin

    Fukuda, Yu, Boret, Sébastien Penmellen

    2019/07

  4. Death in the early twenty-first century : authority, innovation, and mortuary rites

    Boret, Sébastien Penmellen, Long, Susan Orpett, Kan, Sergei

    Palgrave Macmillan　2017

    ISBN: 9783319523644

  5. Japanese tree burial : ecology, kinship and the culture of death

    Boret, Sébastien Penmellen

    Routledge　2016

    ISBN: 9781138200333

  6. Japanese tree burial : ecology, kinship and the culture of death

    Boret, Sébastien Penmellen

    Routledge　2014

    ISBN: 9780415517065

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Presentations 44

  1. Research, expertise and public policy: what new approaches can lead to sustainable disaster risk reduction? Invited

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen, Stéphanie Bidaul, Elsa Cortijo, Mathilde Gralepois, Léa Morfoisse

    Annual Scientific Conference of the Risks Programme (IRiMa)　2026/03/27

  2. Towards Inclusive Crisisonomy: Aging, Disability, and Adaptive Systems in AsiaChungbuk National University (CBNU)

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen,, Hyejeong Park

    2025 Asian Conference on Crisonomie　2025/12/21

  3. Resilient Communities for All and by All: Inclusive DRR (i-DRR) Addressing Vulnerabilities, Valuing Capacities

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen, Julia Gerster

    Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU）　2025/11/27

  4. "Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction: Dealing with Disability and Marginalisation during Emergency" Invited

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen

    Campus Asia Plus Risk Management Seminar, Kobe University　2025/11/06

  5. Copying with Disability and Disasters in Contemporary Japanese Society: Views from Tohoku

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen, Hyejeong Park

    European Association for Japanese Studies　2025/09/21

  6. Disaster preparedness of persons with disabilities in Banda Aceh: Evidence from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

    Park Hyejeong, Boret Penmellen Sébastien

    AIWEST-DR 2025 Conference　2025/08/21

  7. Evacuation challenges of people with disabilities during disasters in Japan

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen, Park Hyejeong

    AIWEST-DR 2025 Conference　2025/08/21

  8. Daily Lives and Copying Practices of People with Disability during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

    Sebastien Boret Penmellen, Hyejeong Park

    Japan Anthropology Workshop (JAWS)　2025/04/04

  9. Disaster Archives and Sustainable Development: The Case of the Great East Japan Earthquake Invited

    Sebastien Bore, Penmellen

    1stAceh Global Conference, Syiah Kuala University　2018/10/17

  10. Supporting Recovery through Managing Bodies and Grief in Emergencies International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    World Bosai Forum　2017/11/27

  11. Shakai jinrui-gaku ni okeru saigai-ji no `shi no manejimento' ("Management of death" in disasters – a view from social anthropology)

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Friday Forum, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University　2017/06/23

  12. Supporting Recovery through Managing Bodies and Grief in Emergencies Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    International Conference for Information System for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM), France　2017/05/23

  13. Archiving and Memorializing Disasters: Their Roles and their Flows in Reducing Risk and Disasters International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Society for Applied Anthropology Conference, Santa Fe　2017/03/29

  14. Death in the Early Twenty-first Century Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    First Kyoto Workshop on Evolutionary Thanatology, Kyoto University　2017/03/24

  15. The Roles of Memorials in the Sustainable Building of Post-Disaster Communities: View from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    AIWEST Conference, University of Syiah Kuala　2016/11/23

  16. The Michinoku Shinrokuden Disaster Archive Project Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Synnex ICT Conference 2016 Tokyo,　2016/10/12

  17. The Roles of Memorials during the Aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Collaborative Research Group on the Process of Revitalization and Reconstruction of the Communities of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Centre of North-eastern Studies　2016/07/25

  18. Human responses to Coastal Flooding: Engineering, Social Innovation and Coastal Communities Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    5th World Engineering Conference and Convention, Kyoto,　2015/11/28

  19. Collective Memorialization as Healing: Memorial Monuments, Grief and Trauma in Post-disaster Japan Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Disaster and Community Mental Health, Public Policy, HK　2015/10/28

  20. Using the Digital Archive of Japan's 2011 Disasters in the Classroom: Collaboration between Tohoku University and Harvard University International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Harvard University　2015/09/25

  21. Memorialization as a Means for Disaster Education Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Seminar Series on Disaster Science, Disaster Education in Aceh and Japan　2015/09/10

  22. Remembering Disasters in Japan: Memorial Monuments, religion and the State International-presentation Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Japan-Canada Interdisciplinary Research Network (JCIRN) conference on Disaster Risk Reduction　2015/05/20

  23. Lost in translations: Thinking and doing anthropology in an interdisciplinary and international disaster centre International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    The Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth Conference, Exeter University　2015/04/14

  24. Roundtable on the World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction International-presentation Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Conference of the Society for Applied Anthropology　2015/03/26

  25. Disaster Archives and Memorials International Workshop International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction　2015/03/16

  26. Anthropology and Disaster Risk Reduction

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Department of Architecture, Cambridge University　2014/12/10

  27. Mainstreaming Memorialization into Disaster Recovery: Lessons learned from the Indian Ocean and Great East Japan Tsunamis International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    AIWEST, Syaih Kuala University　2014/10/22

  28. Remembering Disasters: Memorial monuments, empowerment and sustainability International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    International Union of Anthropology and Ethnology Society (IUAES) Conference, Japan　2014/05/17

  29. The Politics of Memorialisation and Social (re)Construction in Post-Tsunami Japan: Memory, religion and the State International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    3.11 and Memorialisation Conference, Sophia University　2013/06/28

  30. The symbiosis of Death and Ecology in Tree Burial

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    TAIPEI LIFE AND DEATH STUDIES　2013/02/22

  31. Trees of Conjugal Remembrance: Kinship, mourning and death in Japan International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA)　2012/07/12

  32. Reinventing people-tree Relationship in Japan International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Association of Social Anthropologists (ASA11)　2011/09/14

  33. People’s Own Grave, People’s Own Life: Ancestor worship, tree burial and identity International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    2010/03/14

  34. Once upon a tree…Celebrations and negotiations of identities in Japanese tree burial International-presentation Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Europe Japan Research Centre, Oxford Brookes University　2010/02/18

  35. Toward Inclusive DRR in Banda Aceh: A Pilot Study at a Special Support School for Children with Disabilities

    ボレー・ペンメレン・セバスチャン, 朴 慧晶

    Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Workshop

  36. When Life Crisis meets Environmental Crisis: Imagining death and ecological immortality in Japanese tree burial International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA), Ireland

  37. Memorialisation in Contemporary Japan: Agency, individuality and memory in a tree burial cemetery International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    European Association of Japanese Studies (EAJS), Tallinn University

  38. Disaster Memorials and Disaster Risk Reduction

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Public Media Forum of the International Research Institute of Disaster Science in Tokyo

  39. Supporting Mental Health through Managing Bodies and Memorialisation in Emergencies, talk given with Ilan Kelman (University College London) International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    UK-Japan Seminar on Disaster Risk Reduction, DAIWA House in London

  40. Nihon no jumoku-sō? Ekorojī no shisō o toriireta jiin (Buddhist temple integrating Ecology in Funeral Practices)

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Seminar for Graduate School of Intl. Cultural Studies, Tohoku University

  41. The Roles of Archiving in DRR: The Case of the Great East Japan Earthquake International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    The France-Japan Week on Disaster Risk Reduction, French Embassy in Tokyo

  42. The Anthropology of Death: Social change, religion and syncretism (double session) International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    American Association of Anthropology (AAA)

  43. The Needs for and of Natural Disaster Archives (Panel) International-presentation

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    World Bosai Forum

  44. The Roles of Memorials in Disaster Tourism Invited

    BORET PENMELLEN, SEBASTIEN

    Disaster and Tourism Group of the Japan Geography Association

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Research Projects 6

  1. Radioactive Decontamination in Fukushima and the Fabric of Collective Memory

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2023/03 - 2024/03

  2. Managing Mass Death and Grief in Disaster Communities: Lessons Learned from Japan, Indonesia and France

    Boret Sebastien Penmellen

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2019/04/01 - 2023/03/31

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    This study examined how societies dealt with the bodies of victims of three major disasters: the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Indian Tsunami in Indonesia, and the French Heatwave. The research covered a wide range of issues, including the disposal of bodies, burials, memorials and commemorations of victims, and psychological support for survivors. Qualitative research was conducted with survivors, family members of victims, first responders, religious leaders, funeral directors, and local authorities disposing of victims' bodies. The researcher also carried out archival research in the facilities of government and other organisations involved in the management and remembrace of the victims. The data allowed us to identify successes and failures in handling such 'mass death incidents' in different cultures and societies. The lessons learned from this study will be helpful in preparing for handling tens of thousands of bodies in future Nankai and Tokyo earthquakes.

  3. Materializing and Narrating Collective Memories of Calamities and Education for Disaster Reduction

    Hayashi Isao

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)

    Institution: National Museum of Ethnology

    2018/04 - 2022/03

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    Although there were many restrictions on the originally planned overseas research due to the spread of COVID-19, we were able to obtain satisfactory results by revision of the timing and duration of the research and changing it to domestic ones. As a result of field research in Japan and abroad, it became clear that the driving force for passing on the memory of disasters is to make disaster remains "places" by combining them with various other media, exchanges, and activities that pass on the memory of disasters. It was also found that exhibitions at facilities for the transmission of disaster experience and lessons can lead to disaster prevention and mitigation in the future, not through the one-way transmission of information, but through the combination of various exchange programs at such facilities. The study also revealed the effectiveness of the remains, exhibits, and narratives by storytellers in disaster prevention education.

  4. Indigenous knowledge and disaster risk reduction: Revitalizing local agriculture and fishing industry in tsunami-hit areas Competitive

    Hiroki Takakura, principal investigator, BORET, SEBASTIEN PENMELLEN

    Offer Organization: Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

    System: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    2017/04 - 2020/03

  5. From the Great East Japan Earthquake Archive to Natural Disaster Archives Competitive

    Akihiro Shibayam, rincipal Investigator, 川島 秀一, 災害科学国際研究所, シニア研究員, 蝦名 裕一, 北大, 災害科学国際研, ボレー セバスチャン, 災害科学国際研, 有働 恵子, 北大, 災害科学国際研

    Offer Organization: Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

    System: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

    2017/04 - 2020/03

  6. 東日本大震災後の復興における「死」を巡るポリティックス：記憶、宗教と国家

    鈴木 岩弓, ボレー セバスチャン, BORET Sebastien

    Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会

    System: 科学研究費助成事業

    Category: 特別研究員奨励費

    Institution: 東北大学

    2012/04/01 - 2015/03/31

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    The proposed research investigated the politics of death and memorialisation in post-disaster Japan and Indonesia. The first set of data was collected in the area of Yuriage, Natori City (Miyagi Prefecture) devastated by the Great East Japan Disasters (2011). I have recorded a number of formal, informal, public and private ceremonies carried out for the souls and memory of the victims of 3.11 and disaster story telling. The second set of data was collected in Banda Aceh on the 2004 Sumatra Tsunami, Indonesia. I collaborated with researchers of Syiah Kuala University and collected information about memorial sites, ceremonies, and the ways in which survivors deal with death. Based on the data collected, this research argues for the inclusion of memorialisation and mourning facilities within standard programmes of disaster recovery. The traumatic experiences of disasters call for spaces, places and objects of memory. Memorial ceremonies, monuments, gardens and museums are all tangible and intangible forms of remembering disasters and their victims. Because of the regular delays in the provision of mourning facilities, however, this research shows that mourning families and friends of the victims are often left alone to deal with their loss and trauma during the recovery period. It also suggests that the absence of mourning facilities has a direct negative impact on social recovery. Drawing from ethnographic observations in Japan and Indonesia, this paper finally argues that mourning facilities can form a systematic basis for the social recovery of disaster communities.

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Teaching Experience 6

  1. JYPE - Basics of disaster science and its application for BOSAI　Tohoku University

  2. Topics in Cultural Anthropology (Faculty of Arts and Letters)　Tohoku University

  3. Cultural Anthropology of Northeast Asia (Graduate School of Environmental Sciences)　Tohoku University

  4. Culture Environment Preservation Seminar (Graduate School of Environmental Sciences)　Tohoku University

  5. Anthropology　University of Oxford

  6. Anthropology　Oxford Brookes University

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Social Activities 1

  1. Exchange Program with Overseas Tsunami Museums, FY2025

    Exchange Program with Overseas Tsunami Museums, FY2025

    2025/12/05 - 2025/12/06

Media Coverage 5

  1. GLOBAL TALK～Be prepared for earthquakes

    Keiko Itabashi　SendaiFM　Sendai

    2025/12

    Type: TV or radio program

  2. The Great East Japan Disaster: Memorial Monument and Memory of the Community of Yuriage

    Sendai FM Disaster Prevention Updates　SendaiFM　Sendai

    2016/02

    Type: TV or radio program

  3. From Death Management to Disaster Risk Reduction: An Anthropological Perspective

    Sendai FM Disaster Prevention Updates　SendaiFM　Sendai

    2016/02

    Type: TV or radio program

  4. Gathering Interest in Japanese Tree Burials

    Mainichi National Newspaper　London

    2015/01

    Type: Newspaper, magazine

  5. Memorial Helps Overcome Trauma Victims of Tsunami

    TEMPO　Jakarta

    2014/10

    Type: Newspaper, magazine

Academic Activities 4

  1. Japanese Review of Cultural Anthropology

    2024/04/01 - Present

    Activity type: Academic society, research group, etc.

  2. Human Remains and Violence: An interdisciplinary Journal

    2021/04/01 - Present

    Activity type: Academic society, research group, etc.

  3. International Journal of Disaster Management

    2017/10/01 - Present

    Activity type: Academic society, research group, etc.

  4. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Elsevier

    2014/10/01 - Present

    Activity type: Academic society, research group, etc.