The study describes, based on the activity theory, the process of transformation from the traditional unidirectional top-down educational activities to the participatory disaster education activities through the educational training of Nepalese teachers. The training program is characterized by the fact that the teachers carry out the participatory disaster education, share their practical experiences with other teachers and the teachers write the disaster education manual rather than external supporters bringing in a disaster education manual and providing guidance. It also argues that the training approach leads to the continuous implementation of the education by teachers and the creation of the manual adapted to local conditions.

View full abstract

Natural disaster monuments serve as vital community-based symbols , preserving the historical records and lessons learned from past calamities. However, the legibility and visibility of these monuments have diminished over time, attributed to weathering and dirt resulting from prolonged exposure to rain and wind. Consequently, public interest in these monuments has waned. In this paper, we report a learning program tailored for young students, aimed at deepening their comprehension of disaster monuments through the integration of digital technologies for spatial information recording, such as photogrammetry and Hikari-Takuhon. The program confirmed an increased interest among students in natural disaster monuments, attributed to their hands-on experience in creating 3D digital models and enhancing the legibility of inscriptions through the application of digital technology. Furthermore, we identified that the monument designed through the collaborative discussions among students harbored numerous innovative ideas applicable to the future construction of monuments. We anticipate that the younger generation will understand the importance of passing on historical natural disasters through comprehensive learning approach that melds traditional evacuation drills with disaster education centered around monuments.

View full abstract

Evacuation drills are one of the most common disaster preparedness exercises. They are frequently conducted in educational institutions with the participation of students, but their content has been the subject of debate due to a lack of realism and concerns about their effectiveness. This study examined the design of an educational program targeting teachers responsible for guiding evacuations and ensuring the safety of students during evacuation. A simulation device called the ‘Bottleneck Belt’ was created to mimic the crowds evacuating during a disaster, allowing teachers to experience the dangers of evacuation from the perspective of students and learn effective evacuation guidance techniques. Results from the implementation of the designed educational program showed that participating teachers were able to experience the difficulties of evacuating during a disaster and learn key points of evacuation guidance.

View full abstract

A field study was conducted for graduate students, that is, those pursuing master's course, to help them understand the topographical environment of the 2004 flood inundation of the Maruyama River in northern Hyogo Prefecture. Furthermore, the topographical environment of the break/overflow points and areas where internal flooding occurred was assessed. Consequently, through educational practice, the following results were observed: (1) The number of participants who recognized that the confluence of rivers is related to the inundation-prone lands along the Maruyama River increased. (2) The number of students who understood the reasons underlying the land inundation remained unchanged. (3) The number of students who understood external and internal flooding increased. Our findings indicate that after the class, the students became more aware of the tributaries of the Maruyama River, and their understanding of the water system deepened.

View full abstract

In recent years, school disaster education has been focusing on how to achieve “Proactive, Interactive, and Authentic Learning”. An important aspect of this learning process is whether the content of the learning is developed in accordance with the interests of the learners. A common method for capturing such interests is a class questionnaire. On the other hand, there is a concern that this method, which is also an evaluation method, may lead to a certain power relationship between the person who conducts the survey and the person being surveyed. In other words, there is a possibility that an unconscious psychological effect, such as evaluation apprehension, will be exerted on the respondent's side. In this study, the message card method was introduced as a method to reduce the bias of such one-way questionnaires as much as possible and to enable more interactive engagement. As a result, a broader range of questions and feedbacks are more likely to be brought out through the message card method rather than a conventional method. It was suggested that introducing interactive procedure not only to a classwork but also to a post-class follow up activity can contribute to achieve “Proactive, Interactive, and Authentic Learning.”

View full abstract

This paper focuses on the efforts made to enhance the disaster education system in Turkey, with a particular emphasis on capacity development for educators through the training programs organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Given Turkey's geography and its vulnerability to various natural disasters, including earthquakes, it is crucial to strengthen the education system to effectively prepare and respond to such events. The collaborative framework between educational and disaster prevention administrative institutions, along with the in-service teacher training programs, has been instrumental in achieving this goal. This article outlines the development of the disaster education system in Turkey and highlights the significant roles played by the exchange programs between Japanese and Turkish stakeholders in empowering educators and promoting disaster risk reduction in the country. The paper also discusses the ongoing efforts and future prospects for further collaboration and capacity building in this critical field.

View full abstract

In order to establish a school disaster prevention system, it is necessary to clarify the roles of teachers and staff members and to systematically address such issues as how to respond to disasters at schools. Although school sites are staffed by teachers and staff with a variety of job titles, school disaster prevention manuals only clarify the roles of administrators and teachers, and do not indicate the roles of all teachers and staff. Therefore, we conducted a study to clarify the roles and duties of school administrative staff, the only administrative staff in schools, focusing on the role of general affairs in the school disaster prevention system. In order to clarify the roles and duties of school administrative staff, we conducted interviews and workshops for school administrative staff, and organized and verified the duties that they are involved in in cooperation with other faculty members and those that they are involved in alone. The results were summarized and a manual was created to indicate the duties that school administrative staff are responsible for. By specifying the roles of school administrative staff in the manual, we were able to clarify the roles and duties of school administrative staff in school disaster prevention.

View full abstract

Since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, disaster education has spread both regionally and in content. Behind this is the existence of support projects. However, the spread of disaster education is limited. Sorting out the various issues that hinder practice, eight challenges were identified due to teachers, educational methods, teaching materials, disaster experiences, etc. One of the initiatives to solve these problems is the Disaster Education Support Project. Possibilities of the projects are discussed by examining what kind of support the “Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan Competition” and the “1.17 Disaster Future Award Bousai Koushien” have provided from the perspectives of Development, Selection, and Gradation of the contents and the teaching method.

View full abstract

It has been pointed out that there is a possibility of encountering flood disaster when evacuating. In this case, the lower half or the whole body is submerged in water, which is directly linked to the danger of life. In this study, we measured the degrees of the safe exit from the water under various conditions for university students. It was found that women, wearing a life jacket, and the shape of the wall were the factors that significantly lowered the degrees of the safe exit. In particular, regardless of swimming ability, most of all the females were unable to exit from the water surface to a height of 30 cm even when their feet were on the ground.

View full abstract

This study analyzes and discusses a survey of foods always at home and emergency food stockpiles. Based on the awareness that many households may have enough foodstuffs in their pantries, freezers, and refrigerators to spend for three days without having to purchase new foodstuffs, a survey was conducted to find out what foodstuffs and how much they have in the home at any given time, the recognition of rolling stocks and the contents of emergency food stockpiling. As a result, more than 70% of the survey respondents indicated that their families had at least a three-day of daily foodstuffs. In addition, it was found that the contents of regular food items in the home included vegetables, which are easily lacking in times of disaster, and that all three color food groups were well balanced in nutrition. In order to utilize these foods as rolling stock in times of disaster, we propose disaster education content on food issues in times of disaster.

View full abstract

The World Risk Report (WRR), annually published since 2011 by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft, is one of assessment measures of the disaster risk all over the world. It has analyzed nation’s exposure and vulnerability against natural disasters including sea level rise. In the latest report redesigned in 2022, there were significant changes in the ranking of nations under high risks. The Republic of Vanuatu, as a most symbolic example, had ever been the country with the highest risk over a long period since publishing of the report, however, Vanuatu was ranked at 49th in the latest report. It is because there were methodological changes in the report. This paper examines the changes of disaster risks in redesigning of the WRR with a case study of Vanuatu, and emphasizes the importance of international cooperation for disaster risk reduction such as disaster education beyond a possible influence brought by the changes.

View full abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine how teachers' confidence in disaster education for children is affected by listening to the narratives of survivors of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. A disaster education questionnaire was filled out by 17 teachers who attended a lecture by a bereaved family member of the disaster before and after the event. The questionnaire consisted of 10 items of disaster education efficacy and a description of their impressions of the lecture. The results showed that 6 of the 10 items significantly increased They suggest that listening to a lecture by a survivor of a disaster may increase confidence in practicing disaster education. Analysis of the teachers’ impressions of the lecture showed that not only those who had experienced a disaster but also those who had not experienced it had a heightened awareness of the need to hand down their stories. However, since the reliability and validity of these 10 disaster education efficacy items have not yet been confirmed, this is a preliminary study.

View full abstract

This paper proposes a Narita Regional Co-creation Grand Design in which a high school student leader of a junior orchestra in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, who plays violin, established a regional inquiry team within the orchestra to address issues related to disaster education in the region, and worked with fellow elementary, junior high, and high school students to solve these issues. The team consisted of five exploratory groups that collaborated with local experts, and the students themselves took the lead in solving local disaster prevention and disaster medicine issues in the Narita area over the past four years.

View full abstract