Abstract:In 2004, one of my long-term field sites was struck by a major earthquake. Following this event numerous researchers and experts arrived at the region and began executing various recovery projects centered around traditional culture. However, their activities were not purely intended to help the survivors but, rather, cleverly designed for their own benefit. I began to feel very uncomfortable about such efforts and worked to conduct my own activities from a folkloristic perspective based on “empathy,” an approach qualitatively distinct from those of many other researchers. Generally speaking, researchers and experts have sought to be as “objective” as possible and have undervalued empathy, which they have perceived as belonging to the realm of emotion. However, in order to support survivors' strategies for independently regaining livelihoods in the disaster recovery process, it is essential that researchers have empathy for the survivors and sufficiently understand their experiences and values. In this paper, based on my experiences in the disaster-affected area, I discuss both the utility of empathy as a means of understanding survivors as well as the subtle risks associated with such an approach.