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Bōsai Kunren (防災訓練): Disaster Preparednes! (Patreon)

Published:
2023-12-03 21:00:03
Edited:
2023-12-04 01:24:15
Imported:
2023-12
Tags:

Content

Hello there!

So yesterday I had a busy day and late (for me!) night, finally crawling into bed around 23.30. Wearing my sleep phones, I was just drifting off when alarms started screaming in my ears. One of those alerts that you can't turn off. A tsunami warning.

My phone was very loudly directing me to to get away from the coast. Outside-sirens were blaring from different parts of the city and the outdoor loudspeakers were also going on about an incoming  tsunami. I didn't feel an earthquake.

Good news: I live inland enough that I don't think I have to worry about a tsunami. Unless it's big enough to run up the two rivers on either side of the house. But the Alert People were saying one meter, so probably safe.

Turns out the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines triggered it all. Talk about timing, though. Today was bõsai kunren or "disaster preparedness day". We have a lot of these throughout the year. The main one is on September 1st. That being the date of the huge Kantō Earthquake (1923) when over 140,000 people lost their lives. But there are always more of these special days sprinkled throughout the year.

They're a good idea, although grumbling is usually involved by people as the day arrives. Usually on a Sunday and you will not be sleeping in.

Bōsai kunren is a time to check and make sure your Go Bag is ready and up to date, go over plans with family members in case some disaster does strike and you're separated, and take part in the actual drill.

Early on the designated day, there will be an announcement, sirens will wail, and everyone is supposed to strap on their Go Bags, put on their helmets (or zukin, see below), and head briskly to the place where your neighborhood group is supposed to meet. Depending on the area, different things can happen from there.

[Interesting note: It's hard to get and store helmets for everyone. Children are all required to have these bright yellow cushions that mostly act as just that, cushions for their chairs. But when an earthquake hits, they can be turned into the above, a bōsai zukin, or kind of protective hood for the little ones.]

Okay, back to the day of. The easiest and quickest thing to happen is that the one in charge of the neighborhood group takes a head count and someone says some words of thanks and encouragement and you get to go home. But some areas are more hard core. Firefighters will show up and you can get demonstrations and hands on experience on how to use fire extinguishers, do CPR, make and use a stretcher out of a couple shirts and a pair of broomsticks. Others will teach you how to dig outdoor toilets and build fires for keeping warm and cooking.

As a treat for those in attendance, they might roast some mochi rice cakes on the fires and pass them out. Luckily, as far as I know, no one has been made to use those homemade toilets.

[Below is an example of a Go Bag you can buy on Rakuten for a little less than $200 (USD). There is a whole list of things you need to have ready. When it's getting close to a bōsai kunren day, you'll find all sorts of items gathered and sold in stores.]

It's pretty impressive to see how all the preparation and practicing evacuation drills (etc.) do help in an emergency. I remember watching news all day long when the Tohoku Earthquake hit and being heartened and proud when other countries were praising everyone in such a horrible situation for acting calmly and helping each other out.

There are lots of clever tips to learn during bōsai kunren.

Below is a bandage substitute for a cut on the head. Remove pants, tied on head.

You can make an impromptu knapsack also by using a pair of pants. #ingenious!

And, no, people aren't walking around pants-less. They keep extra pairs in their Go Bag. Nice thinking ahead!

ETA: Thank you, Leah D, for mentioning this and letting me know. The whole bōsai practice thing might be much more practiced in rural areas. I've never lived in a big city here, so I'm not sure the way the drills are performed. There does seem to be awareness though. I wonder if it depends on where you live. 

Here's a link to Minato City in Tokyo (English).  

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Comments

Leah McDowell

So interesting, thanks for sharing. I'm in Tokyo at the moment, and I didn't see any of this Bōsai kunren activity here - does it happen mostly in rural communities?

Uncanny Japan -- Thersa Matsuura

Very interesting! I've never lived in a big city here, but always assumed in some way it was practiced even there...maybe in work places? I would think it would be even more important in a population dense area. Let me ask around. Some areas are much more lax. When I was in an apartment for a year or two I didn't hear about anything going on...come to think of it.

Asa

Sounds exciting all around! Thanks for sharing about it. That knapsack is unforgettable, and although I'm not really known to wear nylons... that bandage actually sounds possibly better and easier than most alternatives. It would be great if we had exercises like this where I live in California. We have earthquakes, wildfires, and in certain areas, floods; and we're encouraged to have go bags ready, but a lot of people don't. When I had to evacuate for a wildfire a couple years ago, I didn't get out at the speed I should.

Leah McDowell

I wondered if it might be easier to arrange practice through offices or schools in such a large city. So important though! I really appreciate how socially responsible people are here I'm general. Much more than in the UK, where I live.

Uncanny Japan -- Thersa Matsuura

Same. We have these yellow flags we're supposed to hang outside our door to let people know we're safe (in case of an earthquake or whatever). Such a great idea. I have two elderly neighbors and that's a perfect way for me to make sure they're okay.

Uncanny Japan -- Thersa Matsuura

Oh my gosh, you had to evacuate due to a wildfire. That is terrifying. I used to watch videos of them and how incredibly fast they spread and how the heat just overtakes you. Yeah. I actually don't have one here. I figure if I can get out of the house, I can go across the street to the park, then pick my way through the house to get whatever I need later. Really need to put together something to grab. I do have lots of water prepared though.

SuzyGen

As someone who lived in a high risk bushfire area, I wish we had the equivalent of a Bosai here in Australia. I used to have a hard time getting my household to take preparation seriously. That is until we had the deadliest bushfire in my state’s history. Nowadays we just close off access to high risk areas when the conditions are dangerous, and tell people to leave the area. I used to have the boot of my car packed with our spare clothes and such, left important documents secured at work during the fire season and had a plan to grab the pets when the time came. I also made sure that my car was serviced and that the tyres were sound. When you live in an area where there is danger, it makes you think.