Can I talk to you about disaster prevention for a little bit?

Hello, I'm Nana, a public relations representative for Bousai Komachi Co., Ltd., and an active high school student disaster prevention advisor.

When I'm in the classroom after school, talking with friends about my favorite idols or going out to get the latest Frappuccino, a thought sometimes crosses my mind.
It's the thought of what would happen to us if a major earthquake were to strike at this very moment.
When I talk to my friends about it, some tell me that I'm too serious or that just thinking about it makes them scared.
It's true that it might take some courage to think about a future you don't want to happen.
But ever since I started working at the disaster prevention consulting firm Bousai Komachi, my way of thinking has changed 180 degrees.
I realized that disaster prevention isn't something you do because you're scared, but something you do to make sure you never have to let go of the daily life you love.
Today, I would be happy if you could spare a little time for my small monologue.

When I participated in a disaster prevention event hosted by Bousai Komachi, I had the opportunity to talk with a family.
The mother smiled apologetically and said that she knew stockpiling was important, but she didn't know where to start, so she hadn't done anything yet.
Actually, I think this might be the most common concern.
Perhaps people are setting the bar too high, thinking they need to have a perfect disaster kit or turn their home into a shelter.
But the disaster prevention I learned was much freer and more accessible.
First, what I want you to know is that the most important thing when a disaster strikes is simply to not die.
It might sound too obvious, but this is the starting point for everything.
As long as you live in Japan, you cannot escape major earthquakes.
When that moment inevitably comes, the first priority is to survive without being pinned under furniture or getting injured by broken window glass.
The easiest and most effective thing you can do for that is to not place heavy furniture in your bedroom or to secure your furniture firmly.
Just doing this will dramatically increase your survival rate.
I understand the desire to have stylish interior decor, but sleeping surrounded by weapons that could take your life is far too risky, isn't it?

The first things I did in my room were to prevent my closet from tipping over and to place thick-soled slippers by my bedside.
If an earthquake happens in the middle of the night, if broken light bulbs or mirror shards are scattered on the floor, you won't be able to move a single step.
With such small preparations, evacuation in the dark becomes much smoother.
Next, I want to think about life after surviving.
Many people think they have to go to an evacuation center immediately when a disaster occurs, but that's not necessarily the case.
If your home is safe and there is no risk of collapse, staying in your familiar home—known as 'in-home evacuation'—is the best option for maintaining physical and mental health.
Evacuation centers have almost no privacy and are places where stress easily builds up.
Preparing to be able to sleep in your own bed and spend time in your usual space even in an emergency—I was taught that this is the ultimate form of disaster prevention.

Essential for that is a supply of food and water.
But you don't need to go out of your way to buy expensive emergency rations.
Just buy a little extra of the cup noodles, retort curry, and canned goods you usually eat.
By adopting the 'rolling stock' method—buying more as you eat—your home will always be like a small supermarket.
I also stock up on my favorite chocolates and some slightly luxurious soups.
In the extraordinary situation of a disaster, being able to eat your usual favorite flavors is a miracle cure that will calm your heart more than anything else.
It's not disaster prevention for the sake of enduring hardship, but how to maintain your usual life.
When you think of it that way, doesn't stockpiling start to sound a bit fun?

And as a high school girl, and as a woman, I want to emphasize the importance of preparing for the toilet.
This might actually be more important than food.
When a major earthquake occurs, there is a very high possibility that water supplies will be cut off or sewage pipes will be broken, making toilets unusable.
If you try to flush them forcibly because there is no water, it might overflow into the rooms on the floors below in an apartment building.
You might be able to endure not eating for a day, but you absolutely cannot endure not using the toilet.
Toilets at evacuation centers will have long lines, and sanitary conditions tend to be poor.
I stock over 100 sets of emergency toilets in my room.
Considering that one person uses the toilet 5 to 7 times a day, that's about a week's worth.
You might be surprised by that number, but this sense of security is irreplaceable.
Creating an environment where you can relieve yourself in a clean state also leads to protecting human dignity.
This is a point I definitely want you to check right now.

Among the things I learned at Bousai Komachi, there was also an important lesson about how to obtain information.
During disasters, rumors often spread on social media.
When you're anxious, you want to believe and share sensational information, but I want to develop the habit of stopping for a moment and checking information from public institutions or reliable news sites.
I also constantly simulate how to get accurate information while saving my smartphone battery.
I'm at the point where I want carrying multiple mobile batteries to be common sense for high school girls.
The battery you use to take pictures with friends can become a life-saving source of information in an emergency.
Your everyday belongings can become disaster prevention goods just as they are.
That is my ideal: to have disaster prevention blend into daily life.

Once, at a workshop hosted by Bousai Komachi, I had the opportunity to hear the experiences of someone who had actually been affected by a disaster.
That person spoke with tears in their eyes about the importance of looking at hazard maps regularly to know the risks of the place where you live.
Is there a possibility of flooding? Is there a danger of landslides?
Just knowing that completely changes your judgment on when and where to evacuate.
After I got home, I checked the local hazard map with my family.
We actually walked the route to the evacuation center, talking about things like, 'There's a concrete block wall here, that's dangerous,' or 'This slope looks like it would be slippery if it rained.' That time spent talking also deepened our family bonds.
I became convinced then that disaster prevention starts from the love of wanting to protect someone.

Also, through my work in disaster prevention consulting, I learned the wonderfulness of people in the community connecting with each other.
When a major disaster occurs, the first people who can help each other are those living next door.
Exchanging greetings and having small talk on a regular basis.
Such ordinary relationships lead directly to rescue activities and mutual aid during evacuations.
I try to greet the people I meet in my apartment elevator more cheerfully than ever.
They might find it a bit suspicious, but I hope that my energetic greeting as an active high school girl will raise the temperature of the community even a little.
The word 'mutual aid' might sound a bit difficult, but I interpret it as a relay of kindness.

Recently, I had the opportunity to give a presentation about disaster prevention at school, and everyone listened very enthusiastically.
Especially when I introduced the contents of my disaster prevention pouch, many people said, 'I think I could copy that too.'
My favorite lip balm, sanitizing wipes, a whistle, and a small amount of change. Preparing things you are used to using from a disaster prevention perspective.
Just by doing that, disaster prevention becomes more familiar and positive.
As a member of Bousai Komachi, I want to continue delivering such relatable messages.
Not with difficult theories or stiff lectures, but as hints to continue this daily life we love for even one second longer, I want to keep talking about disaster prevention.
We cannot stop disasters, but minimizing the damage is entirely possible depending on our efforts.

I sometimes imagine my future self.
So that 10 or 20 years from now, I can smile and say, 'I'm glad I prepared back then.'
And so that the important people around me can all smile in the same way.
Facing a disaster in an unprepared state is far too reckless.
But if we have the shield of wisdom and preparation, we can survive more strongly and flexibly.
What I've learned at Bousai Komachi is a treasure in my life.
It may seem like a plain and inconspicuous activity at first glance, but I stand here today feeling the weight of the fact that it is directly linked to someone's life.
Why don't you start by placing one pair of your favorite shoes near your bedroom when you get home today?
That small step might change your future in a big way.

Disaster prevention is not something special.
It is exactly about thinking of the people you love and believing in your own future.
I want to continue searching for words that reach more people while valuing my perspective as an active high school girl.
I intended to talk for just a little bit, but I ended up getting a bit passionate.
Thank you so much for reading until the end.
May your every day be safe and full of smiles.

I would like to provide some information from Bousai Komachi Co., Ltd.
We at Bousai Komachi Co., Ltd. offer disaster prevention measures specialized for various communities, such as local areas, religious facilities, and social welfare facilities.
In local disaster prevention, we go beyond simple manual creation to help build workshops where residents can act proactively and construct highly effective evacuation plans.
Also, for religious facilities, we provide professional support in creating facility-specific disaster prevention systems to ensure the safety of many worshippers and parishioners while protecting valuable cultural assets and traditions.
Furthermore, for social welfare facilities, we work together to create measures based on concrete simulations so that staff who are entrusted with the lives of those who need support during evacuation can act quickly without hesitation during a disaster.
We value not only providing knowledge but also standing by the unique challenges each site faces and working together to pursue the optimal form.
If you are at the stage of 'not knowing where to start,' that is perfectly fine.
As a partner to turn your anxiety into peace of mind, we want to be a force that helps you steadily advance your measures step by step.
Why not start with us on initiatives to deepen community bonds and protect important places and lives?
Bousai Komachi Co., Ltd. will do our utmost with sincerity to give shape to your wishes.
Please feel free to contact us for detailed information or consultations.
All of our staff are looking forward to hearing from you.

✅ Information on Disaster Prevention Consulting Plans