The New Trend of Disaster Mitigation Education in Japan

To have the students know the community they live in and think what they can do in the community.

The students are divided into small groups and walk around the community, finding the dangerous places, the evacuation places, the fire extinguishers, and so on. The places they can boast are also checked. It is important for the people in the community to know that their community has not only dangerous places but also good places. They take the pictures. After walking they put the pictures on the map, write some comments, and draw some illustrated pictures.

The students come to know the community better. Walking with the neighbors in the same community will facilitate the communication among them. This will facilitate the people's participation in the evacuation drills implemented in the community, enable the better communication between the community and school, and as a result help run the shelter at school more smoothly at the time of the disaster.