[Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture] Tackling Administrative Challenges with DX! City Staff Independently Develop Generative AI x RPG-style Disaster Prevention Awareness Game "Disaster Prevention Quest" to Combat Youth's Disengagement from Disaster Preparedness

Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture (Mayor: Takayuki Katsuragawa) delivers the "present" and "future" of Kameoka City through the stories of people active in various fields. This article introduces the initiative of the disaster prevention awareness game "Disaster Prevention Quest", uniquely developed for children by a staff member of Kameoka City Hall's Disaster Prevention Division.

This game was developed by a staff member who self-taught programming and generative AI, driven by a sense of urgency to change the current situation where local disaster prevention activities are predominantly carried out by elderly men. It is now being utilized in various disaster prevention events. As a new form of disaster prevention education that children can enjoy while learning, it contributes to establishing disaster awareness for the next generation.

Staff's Voluntary Challenge Born from a Sense of Crisis Regarding "Aging Disaster Preparedness"

One of the challenges facing Kameoka City is the fixed and aging demographic of those responsible for local disaster prevention. Participants in traditional disaster drills and lectures tend to be elderly men, and there was a need to enhance community disaster resilience through self-help and mutual aid, encouraging broader generational participation in disaster prevention activities.

Naoyuki Ono, a chief specialist in the Disaster Prevention Division, who wanted to overcome these challenges, proposed, "I want to transform disaster prevention, which children often find 'difficult' or 'boring,' into something they voluntarily want to learn." Despite having no prior programming experience, he self-taught the skills alongside his regular duties and built "Disaster Prevention Quest," an RPG-style disaster prevention awareness game that children can get absorbed in.

Leveraging Personal Skills, "Learning Disaster Prevention Fun" with a Completely Original Game

"Disaster Prevention Quest" is a completely original, interactive content featuring characters created with generative AI.

• Intuitive System

The game design involves defeating monsters by correctly answering multiple-choice disaster prevention quizzes. The staff themselves implemented features like combat scenes utilizing video effects to keep children engaged.

• "Community-Oriented" Question Design

In addition to general disaster prevention knowledge, the game incorporates questions related to Kameoka City's geographical characteristics and disaster preparedness, creating a mechanism for children to perceive the safety of their own town as "their own business."

Great Response at International Events and Educational Settings! Expanding Next-Generation Disaster Prevention Education

"Disaster Prevention Quest" has been utilized at various disaster prevention events, including an experience booth at the "1st International Safe Community Asia Citizens' Conference in Kyoto, Kameoka" held on August 2, 2025, which gathered experts from Asia, and outreach classes at elementary schools within the city.

Children who experienced it gave feedback such as:

"Disaster prevention is fun!"

"I want to solve more quizzes!"

It has received high praise from educational settings for transforming traditional "taught disaster prevention" into "disaster prevention knowledge absorbed voluntarily" through gaming.

Kameoka City's Organizational Culture that Respects "Diverse Challenges"

The background to the realization of this voluntary "Disaster Prevention Quest" development initiative is Kameoka City's promotion of "utilization of diverse human resources." Kameoka City has a culture that encourages the expertise and voluntary challenges of each staff member, and this initiative is a symbolic achievement of that culture.

Next Step: Developing a Traffic Safety Game to Connect "Safety and Security" to the Future

Kameoka City announced the "International Safe Community" declaration on January 14, 2025, in collaboration with Towada City, Aomori Prefecture, and Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture, both certified Safe Community municipalities in Japan. The "Kameoka Disaster Prevention and Safety & Security Festa 2026" is scheduled to be held in September of this year.

As the first city in Japan to receive "Safe Community" international certification, recommended by WHO (World Health Organization), in 2008, the city is promoting community development where all people can live safely and securely. Moving forward, it plans to develop a game related to traffic safety. By integrating digital technology and the ingenuity of its staff, Kameoka City aims to create a city where all generations can live with peace of mind.

[About Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture]

Located west of Kyoto City, it is a region rich in nature while offering excellent convenience, approximately 20 minutes by rapid train from JR Kyoto Station. It obtained the first "Safe Community" international certification in Japan in 2008. In August 2025, it will host the first "International Safe City" Asia Conference in Japan, promoting "safety and security" environment development from both hard and soft aspects.

• City Official Website: https://www.city.kameoka.kyoto.jp/

• City Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kameokacity/