Japanese scholar calls for enhancing whole-society defense resilience, businesses to act as bridge between government and public
Japanese scholar Yukiko Iwamoto points out that while the "Taiwan Civil Defense Safety Guide" (Little Orange Book) has increased public disaster awareness in Taiwan, practical implementation lags. She emphasizes the importance of businesses, particularly property management companies, acting as a bridge between the government and the public to mobilize citizens.
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- 📰 Published: May 5, 2026 at 15:54
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, May 5th) Regarding enhancing whole-society defense resilience, Japanese scholar Yukiko Iwamoto pointed out today that while the distribution of the "Taiwan Civil Defense Safety Guide" (Little Orange Book) has raised Taiwanese citizens' awareness of disaster prevention, practical implementation has not yet caught up. She stressed the need for businesses, such as property management companies, to serve as a bridge between the government and the public to get citizens "moving."
Yukiko Iwamoto is a researcher at the Japan Institute for National Security Studies and is currently a visiting international scholar at the Ministry of National Defense's think tank, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research. She delivered a speech today at a seminar titled "Transforming Disaster Prevention into Corporate Competitiveness."
Iwamoto noted that President Lai Ching-te promotes a whole-society defense resilience policy. Taiwan already has property management companies providing evacuation guidance and disaster prevention education for residents, which is a very advanced practice by global standards. However, neither the government nor businesses can always be with every citizen during emergencies. Citizens need to have the awareness and ability to "protect themselves."
Citing a poll by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Iwamoto pointed out that while Taiwan is actively strengthening its national defense, public crisis awareness has ironically faded. The perceived possibility of a Chinese Communist Party attack within five years decreased from about 28% in 2022 to about 23% in 2025, clearly showing a decline in Taiwanese citizens' crisis awareness. After the government distributed the Little Orange Book last year, the poll showed an increase in public disaster prevention awareness, but the proportion of citizens who answered, "I am confident I can handle it myself," did not significantly change. This is like the brain has learned, but the hands have not yet caught up.
Regarding how to change the current situation, Iwamoto believes that the answer is not to distribute more manuals but to foster the public's awareness to take action themselves. Property management company employees, who interact directly with residents, can serve as a bridge between the government and the public, transforming cold information into actions that convey warmth, enabling residents to take action themselves and cultivating a sense of being with the residents. Taiwan's whole-society defense resilience cannot be built by the government alone.
Concerning the low public participation in community disaster drills without legal compulsion, Iwamoto stated that this is a chicken-and-egg issue. Still, someone needs to start promoting it, and then laws will follow. Therefore, promotion should begin from the corporate side. (Editor: Zhai Si-chia) 1150505
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(Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, May 5th) Regarding enhancing whole-society defense resilience, Japanese scholar Yukiko Iwamoto pointed out today that while the distribution of the "Taiwan Civil Defense Safety Guide" (Little Orange Book) has raised Taiwanese citizens' awareness of disaster prevention, practical implementation has not yet caught up. She stressed the need for businesses, such as property management companies, to serve as a bridge between the government and the public to get citizens "moving."
Yukiko Iwamoto is a researcher at the Japan Institute for National Security Studies and is currently a visiting international scholar at the Ministry of National Defense's think tank, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research. She delivered a speech today at a seminar titled "Transforming Disaster Prevention into Corporate Competitiveness."
Iwamoto noted that President Lai Ching-te promotes a whole-society defense resilience policy. Taiwan already has property management companies providing evacuation guidance and disaster prevention education for residents, which is a very advanced practice by global standards. However, neither the government nor businesses can always be with every citizen during emergencies. Citizens need to have the awareness and ability to "protect themselves."
Citing a poll by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Iwamoto pointed out that while Taiwan is actively strengthening its national defense, public crisis awareness has ironically faded. The perceived possibility of a Chinese Communist Party attack within five years decreased from about 28% in 2022 to about 23% in 2025, clearly showing a decline in Taiwanese citizens' crisis awareness. After the government distributed the Little Orange Book last year, the poll showed an increase in public disaster prevention awareness, but the proportion of citizens who answered, "I am confident I can handle it myself," did not significantly change. This is like the brain has learned, but the hands have not yet caught up.
Regarding how to change the current situation, Iwamoto believes that the answer is not to distribute more manuals but to foster the public's awareness to take action themselves. Property management company employees, who interact directly with residents, can serve as a bridge between the government and the public, transforming cold information into actions that convey warmth, enabling residents to take action themselves and cultivating a sense of being with the residents. Taiwan's whole-society defense resilience cannot be built by the government alone.
Concerning the low public participation in community disaster drills without legal compulsion, Iwamoto stated that this is a chicken-and-egg issue. Still, someone needs to start promoting it, and then laws will follow. Therefore, promotion should begin from the corporate side. (Editor: Zhai Si-chia) 1150505
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcasted, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.