The New Trend of Disaster Mitigation Education in Japan

To convey the experiences of Kobe Earthquake. To show to the society that young people are sincerely tackling the disaster management. This will help the development of the young people-centered disaster mitigation and the citizens-centered disaster mitigation.

Pupils from the elementary school nearby and the students from the junior high school nearby are invited to Maiko High School. More than 1,000 people take part in this event. Memorial speech is given to all of the audience. About 20 workshops are held and the participants visit the classroom to listen to the experiences of the earthquake by the specialists, official administrators, volunteers, doctors, fire fighters, policemen, students, and so on. The high school students of the Environment and Disaster Mitigation Course are the staffs to run the workshop, to teach the children through the quizzes, or to give presentations. The demonstration of the emergency cooking for 1,000 people is done at the school yard by the students, teachers, and parents with the help Japanese Self-Defense Force. The recording booklet is made and published by the teachers and students. The contents are also put on the Home Page.

The students learn the importance of lives and helping each others. The place is given to those who want to talk about their experiences. This is very important to keep conveying the lessons of the disaster. The booklet and Home Page become the teaching materials of the disaster mitigation education.