A Call for International Sharing of Knowledge and Skills on Disaster Preparedness
TAKITA Ayumi / The Japan Foundation (Chief Officer, Planning and Coordination / Americas Section, Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange Department)
March 29, 2019
As humanity is faced with an unending series of catastrophic disasters around the world, it has become even more important for Japan to share its knowledge and skills internationally.
I am among many who experienced the Hanshin Great Earthquake in 1995, and lived through the Great Flood in Bangkok in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in New York in 2012. I remember vividly how, in an instant, the familiar roads and railway station turned to rubble, the school building tilted, fires raged the city, and above all precious lives, including my classmate, were lost. All this suddenly changed my outlook on life. As I pursue my career working to cultivate international exchanges, I have become convinced that personal interactions between disaster victims to share knowledge and skills surrounding disaster recovery and preparedness are a critical part of international exchange.
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, under the initiative taken by Mr. Masaru Sakato, then Consul General of Japan in New Orleans, the Japan Foundation started a project for New Orleans and Kobe to learn from each other’s experiences. Kobe has accumulated a wide range of specialized knowledge that can be useful in preparing for future disasters, learned painfully through the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Voluminous records, analyses, research, and surveys from various angles were conducted to understand the damage, recovery, and reconstruction processes. Through three years of mutual visits between the two cities, the visitors from New Orleans gained valuable insights into how devastated towns were rebuilt, what role the media played, and how music contributed to the reconstruction. They joined the people of Kobe in offering prayers at the memorial service held precisely at the time of the day of the earthquake on January the 17th, 2010. They were moved to tears when they visited the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution in Kobe, and said, ”It was painful to watch the diorama and the photos of the damages that reminded us of the hurricane, but we took comfort in sharing the same sentiments across the ocean.” Empathy among those who shared similar traumas gave birth to new bonds.
There is no telling when and in what form disasters may hit us. Preparing for and mitigating the effects of disasters can no longer be considered a task limited to a handful of experts and those who experienced disasters. It is incumbent on the international community to tackle the common task of reaching out to those who are not inherently interested and to disseminate valuable lessons learned from the victims.
In Japan, there is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge accumulated over the years on how to educate people to prepare for future disasters. One well-known example is the story “A Fire on the Hill”(Inamura no Hi) read out in classrooms over generations to convey lessons from the Ansei Nankai Earthquake and Tsunami in 1854, in which a mayor set fire to his own rice paddies to alert his villagers about the impending tsunami. After the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, many architects, museum curators and creators have also engaged in these education efforts in a variety of ways. When disasters hit, numerous improvisations are necessary, such as using blankets as stretchers to carry the wounded or making waterless toilets. In Japan, such ideas for creative makeshift arrangements by disaster victims have been collected and compiled into videos, illustrated booklets, and apps. Disaster preparedness museums have been set up in various parts of the country, emergency disaster drills are organized frequently, and public education campaigns are carried out in tandem with private sectors such as MUJI.
The Japan Foundation has been actively introducing these education efforts in Japan to disaster-prone countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. It has been sharing knowledge and skills gained through these exchanges with concerned people in the United States, encouraging people-to-people exchanges from the angles including design and art. They have borne fruit in various forms of long-lasting exchanges.
Though the United States has suffered the greatest economic losses due to natural disasters, disaster preparedness is not so high in the consciousness of the American public. Thus there is a lot that can be gained through exchanges with Japan in this field. In 2017, the Parsons School of Design at the New School in New York, a well-known institute of higher education in the field of design, launched an intensive course encouraging students to create design solutions in urban planning, architecture, industry, lighting and other fields to cope with disasters, emulating the examples set in Japan. Although many of the teachers and students were neither experts on disaster preparedness nor familiar with Japan, they were no strangers to hurricanes, extreme weather, and power blackouts. In fact, with 40% of students coming from abroad, many had experienced natural disasters back home, creating a high degree of interest among the students. Students inspired by the course went to disaster-stricken areas in Puerto Rico to take part in the post-hurricane rescue operation, creating new networks within the United States.
Needless to say, Japan has learned a lot as well. For example, the American Red Cross in the earthquake and fire-prone Los Angeles area of the West Coast has had to grapple with the task of educating the public, especially children, about disaster preparedness. In their efforts to attract the attention of children, they worked in tandem with Walt Disney Company to launch the Pillowcase Project, teaching children how to create their own emergency supply kit by packing essential items in a pillowcase illustrated with Disney characters. When the children go home and share their kits with their families, it leads to greater disaster resilience of the families and community as a whole. This was a valuable suggestion to the visiting Japanese experts.
There are big differences in responses to different disasters in different environments. For example, preparing for earthquakes, which are hard to predict, and hurricanes, which occur periodically and are relatively predictable, are different. However, disaster preparedness is a common need, as is the challenge of incorporating the mindset of disaster preparedness into daily life. Although specific methods and approaches may differ, learning about different cultures and values and cooperating beyond national boundaries to share globally both the knowledge and skills of disaster preparedness as well as lessons about how best to reach out to and educate the public, will enhance the resilience of the international community as a whole in coping with natural disasters.
Ayumi Takita worked at the Bangkok and New York offices of the Japan Foundation and is currently Chief Officer at Planning and Coordination / Americas Section, Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange Department in Tokyo Headquarters.
I am among many who experienced the Hanshin Great Earthquake in 1995, and lived through the Great Flood in Bangkok in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in New York in 2012. I remember vividly how, in an instant, the familiar roads and railway station turned to rubble, the school building tilted, fires raged the city, and above all precious lives, including my classmate, were lost. All this suddenly changed my outlook on life. As I pursue my career working to cultivate international exchanges, I have become convinced that personal interactions between disaster victims to share knowledge and skills surrounding disaster recovery and preparedness are a critical part of international exchange.
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, under the initiative taken by Mr. Masaru Sakato, then Consul General of Japan in New Orleans, the Japan Foundation started a project for New Orleans and Kobe to learn from each other’s experiences. Kobe has accumulated a wide range of specialized knowledge that can be useful in preparing for future disasters, learned painfully through the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Voluminous records, analyses, research, and surveys from various angles were conducted to understand the damage, recovery, and reconstruction processes. Through three years of mutual visits between the two cities, the visitors from New Orleans gained valuable insights into how devastated towns were rebuilt, what role the media played, and how music contributed to the reconstruction. They joined the people of Kobe in offering prayers at the memorial service held precisely at the time of the day of the earthquake on January the 17th, 2010. They were moved to tears when they visited the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution in Kobe, and said, ”It was painful to watch the diorama and the photos of the damages that reminded us of the hurricane, but we took comfort in sharing the same sentiments across the ocean.” Empathy among those who shared similar traumas gave birth to new bonds.
There is no telling when and in what form disasters may hit us. Preparing for and mitigating the effects of disasters can no longer be considered a task limited to a handful of experts and those who experienced disasters. It is incumbent on the international community to tackle the common task of reaching out to those who are not inherently interested and to disseminate valuable lessons learned from the victims.
In Japan, there is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge accumulated over the years on how to educate people to prepare for future disasters. One well-known example is the story “A Fire on the Hill”(Inamura no Hi) read out in classrooms over generations to convey lessons from the Ansei Nankai Earthquake and Tsunami in 1854, in which a mayor set fire to his own rice paddies to alert his villagers about the impending tsunami. After the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, many architects, museum curators and creators have also engaged in these education efforts in a variety of ways. When disasters hit, numerous improvisations are necessary, such as using blankets as stretchers to carry the wounded or making waterless toilets. In Japan, such ideas for creative makeshift arrangements by disaster victims have been collected and compiled into videos, illustrated booklets, and apps. Disaster preparedness museums have been set up in various parts of the country, emergency disaster drills are organized frequently, and public education campaigns are carried out in tandem with private sectors such as MUJI.
The Japan Foundation has been actively introducing these education efforts in Japan to disaster-prone countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. It has been sharing knowledge and skills gained through these exchanges with concerned people in the United States, encouraging people-to-people exchanges from the angles including design and art. They have borne fruit in various forms of long-lasting exchanges.
Though the United States has suffered the greatest economic losses due to natural disasters, disaster preparedness is not so high in the consciousness of the American public. Thus there is a lot that can be gained through exchanges with Japan in this field. In 2017, the Parsons School of Design at the New School in New York, a well-known institute of higher education in the field of design, launched an intensive course encouraging students to create design solutions in urban planning, architecture, industry, lighting and other fields to cope with disasters, emulating the examples set in Japan. Although many of the teachers and students were neither experts on disaster preparedness nor familiar with Japan, they were no strangers to hurricanes, extreme weather, and power blackouts. In fact, with 40% of students coming from abroad, many had experienced natural disasters back home, creating a high degree of interest among the students. Students inspired by the course went to disaster-stricken areas in Puerto Rico to take part in the post-hurricane rescue operation, creating new networks within the United States.
Needless to say, Japan has learned a lot as well. For example, the American Red Cross in the earthquake and fire-prone Los Angeles area of the West Coast has had to grapple with the task of educating the public, especially children, about disaster preparedness. In their efforts to attract the attention of children, they worked in tandem with Walt Disney Company to launch the Pillowcase Project, teaching children how to create their own emergency supply kit by packing essential items in a pillowcase illustrated with Disney characters. When the children go home and share their kits with their families, it leads to greater disaster resilience of the families and community as a whole. This was a valuable suggestion to the visiting Japanese experts.
There are big differences in responses to different disasters in different environments. For example, preparing for earthquakes, which are hard to predict, and hurricanes, which occur periodically and are relatively predictable, are different. However, disaster preparedness is a common need, as is the challenge of incorporating the mindset of disaster preparedness into daily life. Although specific methods and approaches may differ, learning about different cultures and values and cooperating beyond national boundaries to share globally both the knowledge and skills of disaster preparedness as well as lessons about how best to reach out to and educate the public, will enhance the resilience of the international community as a whole in coping with natural disasters.
Ayumi Takita worked at the Bangkok and New York offices of the Japan Foundation and is currently Chief Officer at Planning and Coordination / Americas Section, Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange Department in Tokyo Headquarters.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
防災の知見を国際的に共有しよう
瀧田 あゆみ / 国際交流基金 日本研究・知的交流部 企画調整・米州チーム上級主任
2019年 3月 29日
世界各地で大災害が相次ぐ中、復興や次への備えに対し、日本が他国と、経験や知見を共有していくことの重要性はますます高まっている。
筆者は1995年に阪神大震災を経験し、その後バンコクで大洪水（2011年）、ニューヨークでハリケーン・サンディ（2012年）を経験した。95年当時、予期しなかったほんの1分弱の揺れで瓦礫と化した通学路や駅、傾いた校舎、焼けた街、そして何よりも、大切な人の死はそれまで意識しなかった人生に対する考えを一気に転換させるものだった。後になって、職業上の経験を通じて、国際交流の分野で、災害を経験した人同士の交流や防災の知見の共有といった形で得られることがあると実感している。
2005年にニューオリンズをハリケーン・カトリーナが襲った直後、当時在ニューオリンズ日本国総領事だった坂戸勝氏がイニシアティブをとり、国際交流基金が、ニューオリンズと神戸とが学び合う交流事業を開始した。阪神大震災という未曾有の大災害を経験した日本には、多様な切り口から被害や復興の様子が記録され、調査研究がなされ、将来に生かすための専門的な知見が蓄積している。3年間にわたる相互訪問を通じて、ニューオリンズからの来訪者はまちづくりや報道のあり方、音楽を通じた復興の様子などを学び、2010年1月17日 の地震発生時刻に行われた追悼式で神戸の方々と共に祈りをささげた。神戸の「人と未来防災センター」を訪れて涙し、「ジオラマや被害状況を見るとハリケーンが思い出され大変つらかったが、海を越えて同じ気持ちを共有できたことが癒しとなった」と語った。経験者同士の交流が共感を呼び、そこに新たな絆が生まれていた。
災害がいつどんな形でやってくるかわからないことを考えると、防災はもはや限られた専門層や実際に経験した人だけの課題ではなくなっている。関心を持たない層にもどう伝えるか、被災者の声から得た貴重な教訓をどう広く普及するかも国際的に共通の課題だ。
日本では防災や共助についての教育手法にも多くの蓄積がある。例えば、１８５４年の安政南海地震津波の教訓を伝える「稲村の火」は有名であるし、阪神大震災や東日本大震災後には、行政・専門家のみならず博物館、メディア、建築家、クリエイター等も多様な取組を続けている。災害時には、毛布を担架にしたり、水のいらないトイレを作ったり、といった工夫が次第になる。日本では、これら被災者の実際の声から集めた知恵を、わかりやすく伝える動画やイラスト本が作られたり、アプリで配信するシステムがあったり、防災ミュージアムが各地に整備され、防災訓練や、例えば無印良品などの企業とのタイアップによる啓蒙も行われている。
国際交流基金ではこうした日本の取組を、災害の多いタイ、フィリピン、インドネシアへ紹介するとともに、各地との交流から得られた知見をアメリカにも共有し、デザインや芸術などの切り口から、人と人との交流を支援してきた。
実は米国は、この20年で世界で最も甚大な経済的損失を被った国であるが、一般に防災への関心が高いわけではない。この分野で日本との交流から得られることは多々存在する。ニューヨークの有名なデザイン専門高等学校のパーソンズ美術大学では、日本の先進例を手本に、災害時に役立つ・立ち向かう都市・建築・工業・照明等デザインについて学生に考案させる集中講座を2017年に創設した。参加した300名余りの教員や学生のうち多くは、特に防災専門ではなく、まして日本に馴染みがあるわけではなかったが、停電や異常気象などは身近にあり、また、学生の40％は留学生のため自国での災害経験を持つ学生もおり、関心の高さが窺えた。この講座に触発されたパーソンズの学生が、プエルトリコの被災地に行って支援を開始するなど、米国内でも新たな活動が広がることとなった。
日本側が学ぶものも多い。例えば災害の多い西海岸・ロサンゼルスの赤十字も防災の啓発には頭を悩ませており、特に子供たちの関心をひくには工夫が必要だった。彼らはディズニーと組んで、子供たちの枕カバーにキャラクターのイラストと非常用持出リストを書いて備えを教える「ピローケース・プロジェクト」を実施していた。子どもが家に帰って家族と共有することで、家族全体、あるいは地域全体のレジリエンスを高めることにつながる。訪れた日本の専門家にとって、これは有益な示唆に富むものだった。
例えば予測困難な地震と、ハリケーンのような、周期的に起こるために比較的予想が可能な災害とでは対応は異なる。ただ、危機に備えるという考えや、日常に防災の視点を取り込む難しさは共通する。手法や考えは違っても、時に文化的背景や価値観の違いを学びつつ、国を越えて対策を一緒に考えることで国際社会全体のレジリエンスに貢献しうるのではないか。防災の知恵そのものに限らず、啓発・教育方法の知見の交換という面で、世界と共有していく大きな価値と可能性を持っている。
筆者は国際交流基金バンコク、ニューヨーク事務所に勤務し、現在東京にて主に米州の日本研究・知的交流を担当。
筆者は1995年に阪神大震災を経験し、その後バンコクで大洪水（2011年）、ニューヨークでハリケーン・サンディ（2012年）を経験した。95年当時、予期しなかったほんの1分弱の揺れで瓦礫と化した通学路や駅、傾いた校舎、焼けた街、そして何よりも、大切な人の死はそれまで意識しなかった人生に対する考えを一気に転換させるものだった。後になって、職業上の経験を通じて、国際交流の分野で、災害を経験した人同士の交流や防災の知見の共有といった形で得られることがあると実感している。
2005年にニューオリンズをハリケーン・カトリーナが襲った直後、当時在ニューオリンズ日本国総領事だった坂戸勝氏がイニシアティブをとり、国際交流基金が、ニューオリンズと神戸とが学び合う交流事業を開始した。阪神大震災という未曾有の大災害を経験した日本には、多様な切り口から被害や復興の様子が記録され、調査研究がなされ、将来に生かすための専門的な知見が蓄積している。3年間にわたる相互訪問を通じて、ニューオリンズからの来訪者はまちづくりや報道のあり方、音楽を通じた復興の様子などを学び、2010年1月17日 の地震発生時刻に行われた追悼式で神戸の方々と共に祈りをささげた。神戸の「人と未来防災センター」を訪れて涙し、「ジオラマや被害状況を見るとハリケーンが思い出され大変つらかったが、海を越えて同じ気持ちを共有できたことが癒しとなった」と語った。経験者同士の交流が共感を呼び、そこに新たな絆が生まれていた。
災害がいつどんな形でやってくるかわからないことを考えると、防災はもはや限られた専門層や実際に経験した人だけの課題ではなくなっている。関心を持たない層にもどう伝えるか、被災者の声から得た貴重な教訓をどう広く普及するかも国際的に共通の課題だ。
日本では防災や共助についての教育手法にも多くの蓄積がある。例えば、１８５４年の安政南海地震津波の教訓を伝える「稲村の火」は有名であるし、阪神大震災や東日本大震災後には、行政・専門家のみならず博物館、メディア、建築家、クリエイター等も多様な取組を続けている。災害時には、毛布を担架にしたり、水のいらないトイレを作ったり、といった工夫が次第になる。日本では、これら被災者の実際の声から集めた知恵を、わかりやすく伝える動画やイラスト本が作られたり、アプリで配信するシステムがあったり、防災ミュージアムが各地に整備され、防災訓練や、例えば無印良品などの企業とのタイアップによる啓蒙も行われている。
国際交流基金ではこうした日本の取組を、災害の多いタイ、フィリピン、インドネシアへ紹介するとともに、各地との交流から得られた知見をアメリカにも共有し、デザインや芸術などの切り口から、人と人との交流を支援してきた。
実は米国は、この20年で世界で最も甚大な経済的損失を被った国であるが、一般に防災への関心が高いわけではない。この分野で日本との交流から得られることは多々存在する。ニューヨークの有名なデザイン専門高等学校のパーソンズ美術大学では、日本の先進例を手本に、災害時に役立つ・立ち向かう都市・建築・工業・照明等デザインについて学生に考案させる集中講座を2017年に創設した。参加した300名余りの教員や学生のうち多くは、特に防災専門ではなく、まして日本に馴染みがあるわけではなかったが、停電や異常気象などは身近にあり、また、学生の40％は留学生のため自国での災害経験を持つ学生もおり、関心の高さが窺えた。この講座に触発されたパーソンズの学生が、プエルトリコの被災地に行って支援を開始するなど、米国内でも新たな活動が広がることとなった。
日本側が学ぶものも多い。例えば災害の多い西海岸・ロサンゼルスの赤十字も防災の啓発には頭を悩ませており、特に子供たちの関心をひくには工夫が必要だった。彼らはディズニーと組んで、子供たちの枕カバーにキャラクターのイラストと非常用持出リストを書いて備えを教える「ピローケース・プロジェクト」を実施していた。子どもが家に帰って家族と共有することで、家族全体、あるいは地域全体のレジリエンスを高めることにつながる。訪れた日本の専門家にとって、これは有益な示唆に富むものだった。
例えば予測困難な地震と、ハリケーンのような、周期的に起こるために比較的予想が可能な災害とでは対応は異なる。ただ、危機に備えるという考えや、日常に防災の視点を取り込む難しさは共通する。手法や考えは違っても、時に文化的背景や価値観の違いを学びつつ、国を越えて対策を一緒に考えることで国際社会全体のレジリエンスに貢献しうるのではないか。防災の知恵そのものに限らず、啓発・教育方法の知見の交換という面で、世界と共有していく大きな価値と可能性を持っている。
筆者は国際交流基金バンコク、ニューヨーク事務所に勤務し、現在東京にて主に米州の日本研究・知的交流を担当。
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟