With the goal of establishing a long-term German-Japanese research partnership, the RE-CARE network met for the first time at the University of Tokyo on March 24 and 25, 2025. Over two days of intensive discussion, members explored how different cultural contexts shape the perception, management, and communication of crises, while also reflecting on the growing role of technology.

A central theme was the need for cross-cultural perspectives when defining and responding to crises. While influential researchers such as the sociologist Ulrich Beck are widely recognized in both Japan and Germany for their work on risk and crisis, participants argued that viewing crises primarily as scientific, societal or technological by-products of industrial modernity overlooks key developments of the 21st century—most notably the rise of AI, the dynamics of social media, and the large-scale production and circulation of misinformation.

The discussions also underscored that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching effects in both countries. From schools and child welfare to the economy, the legal system, and sports, COVID-19 remains a disruptive challenge in Germany and Japan. Heightened levels of anxiety and depression among children have been widely reported, and public mistrust in government decisions, fuelled in part by rumours about the handling of private health data, still persists.

In examining the cultural logics that shape crisis responses, RE-CARE members highlighted how Japanese society places strong emphasis on solidarity and social cohesion, influencing everyday interactions and collective decision-making. By contrast, participants noted that in Germany entire sectors of society appeared to “stand still” during the peak of the pandemic, pushing everyday life into an eerie pause; empty streets, closed workplaces, locked-down schools, and shuttered sports facilities.

At the same time, the network emphasized that crises do not only have negative consequences; they can also create opportunities for learning and preparation. One example discussed was the concept of triage, framed as a “trolley problem,” which raises the fundamental question of how to save as many lives as possible under conditions of acute scarcity. Participants also stressed that interdisciplinary research has long been crucial to crisis management in both Germany and Japan.

Building on these insights, the RE-CARE network called for the development of a crisis-centered concept of resilience.This evolving framework will be a central topic at the next RE-CARE conference, scheduled to take place at the University of Münster on August 25 and 26, 2025.