Discussing and moving forward with our town's affairs ourselves

Saturday, June 6, 2026, PM
I was invited to the Aoba Citizen Center in Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu City, for the inaugural session of the Bousai (Disaster Preparedness) meeting.

This Aoba school district was one of the first areas to raise its hand and put the 'Minna de Bousai' (Disaster Preparedness for Everyone) community development project into practice as soon as it started.
However, it was temporarily suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Amidst that, the year before last,
following the comprehensive disaster drill in Wakamatsu Ward conducted in cooperation with the local government,
it was decided that disaster preparedness activities in the community would restart this fiscal year.

This all seems to have come to fruition through the efforts of the town association president, who worked in coordination with the neighborhood associations and officers to discuss and build upon things.
It is like a sprout that has finally emerged above ground after nearly a year of building the roots.

I feel very honored to have been invited to such an inaugural event.
I included 'Working together' as the theme phrase.
When I arrived at the venue, I saw it also had the subtitle 'Hello, Neighbors! ❤', which is just wonderful.

For this year's restart, this day was dedicated to a lecture and discussion to get everyone on the same page,
followed by a plan to actually conduct an evacuation drill in July.
It is very practical and of a high level.

I understand that the reason I was approached this time
was the need for people to 'engage with disaster preparedness in a fun way'
and to foster a 'perspective of disaster preparedness as community development.'

I wanted to make it something that would resonate with everyone and gain their empathy, even within a serious endeavor.

And above all, what led to the request for me
was the 'Disaster Preparedness Dance: The Worrywart Hero'!

There is even a video of it up on YouTube!!

I was surprised that I get requests from so many different angles!

Since they really wanted me to do it,
I distributed the lyrics to everyone, and we danced together while watching the video!
I taught the main choreography for the chorus.
Verse 1: Earthquakes, Verse 2: Flood damage, Verse 3: Household preparations,
please pay attention to those lyrics too!
So, everyone, let's do it together!!

Everyone nailed the choreography for the 'Worrywart Hero!' part too!! (laughs)

Well, there are things like this too!
With that, I moved the topic along.

Although this town has relatively few disaster projections,
since mindset is important, I tried a 'Disaster Rock-Paper-Scissors' game.

I think everyone was able to realize through experience that people only think about what is convenient for themselves.

Next, we conducted the '80% Chance of Being Okay Game'!
Usually, this is a lottery style using a box,
but on this day, I made cards so that all groups could do it at the same time!

There were groups that screamed when red kept coming up,
and people who were relieved to draw green after drawing cautiously.
Even with an 80% probability, it is still nerve-wracking.

But the way to look at disasters is to realize that someday, red will come up.

Next, I explained the topography of this town, which people often mistakenly believe is 'free from disasters'.
There is a fault nearby, and it is actually designated as one of the nation's leading S-class faults.
I noticed the expressions on everyone's faces change as I pointed out specific locations where the fault topography is visible.

Certainly, compared to the assumption that an earthquake could occur at any moment, like the Nankai Trough or a direct hit on the capital,
the timing of a fault-type earthquake, which we know 'could happen at any time,' cannot be predicted.

I also brought a game to help everyone realize this.

Through a game called Earthquake Toilet Paper,
I demonstrated the mechanism that we don't know where a fault earthquake will occur.
I hoped that through such games, people would realize the necessity of being prepared.

I also spoke about the history of how this town was developed,
and based on published materials, I discussed the vulnerabilities that were created artificially as a result.

I heard later that
the residents themselves have been conducting 'DIG' (Disaster Imagination Game) sessions,
and even in areas marked blank on the hazard map, they have been inspecting disaster risks, which truly impressed me.

In order to enhance the disaster prevention capabilities of a region,
above all else, local connections are essential.

Having a relationship where you can greet your neighbors,
and being able to say 'help me' to one another.

I hope that by building various connections within the community,
the town will become more secure and an even better place to live.

Although no disasters are anticipated on the hazard map,
the residents are standing up on their own to advance disaster-resilient community development.

As disaster prevention efforts progress, the strength of the region increases.
Places with rich local communities become towns that are resilient to disasters.
Since those two things will surely advance together,
I hope that the disaster-resilient community development in this town will continue to move forward.

After my talk,
there was an explanation of the evacuation drill scheduled for next month, followed by a Q&A session.

This was also very lively and truly wonderful!
Instead of objections or complaints,
everyone was exchanging proactive opinions as practitioners,
and every point made was something I could agree with.

I really wanted to join in on this discussion too!! (laughs)

And since I had been asked to provide a critique at the end, I listened the whole time.
It was wonderful.

As my critique, I conveyed the following five messages.

1. Discussing things that have no correct answer is the best answer.

There is no single answer.
I think it is fine for the optimal solution to keep changing.
That is precisely why discussing it is important.
I believe that having a place and opportunity for such discussion is the best answer.
I think this is the same in both normal times and emergencies.

(2) Let's discuss and practice "self-governance" ourselves

In this way, everyone exchanging opinions and discussing the affairs of your town together.
I believe this is what "self-governance"—managing our own town ourselves—is all about.

Furthermore, the following three points are words of appreciation and encouragement for the neighborhood association leaders and key persons in small local communities who will be the frontline practitioners in the upcoming training.

(3) I was happy to be reached out to

Perhaps, while preparing for the training, you might feel like you are being seen as a nuisance or sense a gap in feelings.
But it is okay.
In reality, especially in times of emergency, people will think,
"I was happy that you reached out to me."
Don't be discouraged; you are definitely making progress. It will be fine!

(4) That person is delivering it

The municipal newsletter delivered twice a month and the materials for this training explanation.
I believe they reach every household.
There is definitely a difference in the level of attachment between the person putting them in the mailbox and the person receiving them,
but the person who receives them thinks, "Ah, that person must have put this in for me."
That also builds gratitude toward everyone who has taken on roles like neighborhood association leader.

(5) Let's increase the number of people who empathize, not just those in official positions

Ideally, these kinds of initiatives shouldn't be done just because someone has an "official position."
Therefore, it would be good to increase the number of people who empathize and become proactive partners.

Instead of making requests by force, it would be great if we could increase our number of partners by "placing the issues at the center."

I am rooting for you!

It was a wonderful meeting, and I have become a fan of Aoba.
I will continue to support your future disaster-resilient community development.

Let's do our best!!!

For those who participated in the lecture, I have posted the materials from the day, so please feel free to download them.

Thank you for watching again today.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this article.

《Article from "today" three years ago》

《Article from "today" four years ago》