Understanding Sea Level Rise: Japan's Vulnerability and Public Perception with Comparative Insights from the Venice Case

This thesis examines the implications of sea level rise (SLR) in Japan, focusing on public perception and awareness of the phenomenon and the potential adaptation measures. The first chapter provides a general overview of SLR, including its causes and global impacts, while establishing the relevance of this issue to Japan as a nation heavily exposed to natural hazards. In the second chapter a picture of past sea level rise of Ōsaka, Tōkyō and Venice will be analyzed by using paleoclimatic studies. Moreover, in this chapter, a discussion about the surveys conducted through Google Forms to assess Japanese young students coming from Ōsaka and Tōkyō, perceptions of SLR will be provided. These surveys are structured in two parts: participants are first asked to share their knowledge and opinions about SLR, followed by an exposure to graphical projections of past and future sea level trends, after which their perceptions are supposed to be re-evaluated. A similar survey is conducted among students residing in Venice, a city historically vulnerable to rising sea levels. Through this, the thesis aims to identify key similarities and differences in public awareness and concern, offering insights into how geographical and cultural contexts shape perceptions about climate risks. Moreover, an interview between a Japanese student and an Italian one will be discussed, since they both lived in first person the ‘Acqua Alta’ of 2019, it could enhance a deeper perception about how an extreme weather event is perceived.