Evacuation Drills "Entertained": Immersive Disaster Prevention Experience "Bousai Entabi®" Where Participants Become Protagonists — Can You Act When It Matters?
Playing Inc. will conduct a demonstration experiment of "Bousai Entabi®," an immersive disaster prevention program where participants become characters in the story, in Osaka's Umekita area in May 2026. This initiative aims to shift disaster prevention from "knowing" to "judging on the spot" by allowing participants to experience "judgment and action" during a disaster.
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Playing Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka), will conduct a demonstration experiment of "Bousai Entabi® 'Jibungoto'", an immersive disaster prevention program where participants themselves become characters in the story, in Osaka's Umekita area in May 2026.
This initiative differs from conventional evacuation drills, offering a new form of disaster prevention that teaches "judgment and action" during a disaster through experience. It is an attempt to transform disaster prevention from "something to know" to "something to judge on the spot."
■ Immersive Disaster Drill "Jibungoto" Application Form "May 20, 2026"
https://forms.office.com/r/pgj20Q6Ej5
*Applications are limited to media personnel.
■ Program to Experience "Suddenly Occurring Disasters"
Participants gather at the park, which serves as the venue, as if for a regular event.
"You are a visitor shopping" — the program begins with this explanation.
Immediately after, an emergency alert sounds, and the situation changes dramatically.
"Earthquake!"
"It's shaking, what should I do!"
Amidst the confused exchanges by actors, participants are instantly drawn into becoming "those affected by the disaster."
Initial actions to protect the head, surrounding chaos, conflicting information.
No safe answers are provided; participants are forced to make their own judgments.
Initial disaster scene (crouching, protecting head) *From Kobe Disaster Gathering on Jan 19, 2025
■ Experiencing "Judgment" Without a Correct Answer
The program continuously presents situations that could occur in a real disaster.
"Should I stay here, or evacuate now?"
"Should I go back for my smartphone, or give up?"
"What should I do if someone needs assistance during evacuation?"
Participants make decisions on the spot and act as a group.
For example, when dealing with "people requiring consideration" such as pregnant women or foreign tourists,
a conflict arises between prioritizing speed and safety, or the individual versus the collective.
In a situation where both moving forward and stopping carry risks,
participants continuously ponder "what is best."
Scene where actors question participants *From Kobe Disaster Gathering on Jan 19, 2025
■ Reality of "Evacuation" in Actual Spaces
The experience does not end there.
Participants move from the park into a building.
Realistic actions such as evacuating via stairs and moving in a group are required.
By changing scenes, not just through staging,
it becomes an experience with the reality of "what if a disaster happened here now."
Scene where participants play injured people *From Kobe Disaster Gathering on Jan 19, 2025
■ Underlying Issues
In Japan, while disaster prevention education and evacuation drills are widely conducted,
"can one act appropriately" in a real disaster is considered a separate issue.
Many drills only confirm procedures,
making it difficult to cultivate the ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances or situations requiring judgment.
Bousai Entabi® was developed to address this issue,
with the aim of promoting behavioral change through "experiencing judgment."
Evacuation via emergency stairs (from on-site verification for implementation)
■ A "New Perspective" on Disaster Prevention
The characteristic of this initiative is that disaster prevention is designed as "entertainment."
However, this is not for amusement,
but a method to foster a sense of ownership through immersive experience.
Participants act as "one of those present," not spectators,
and perceive disaster prevention as "their own business" through continuous judgment.
Scene asking for impressions after evacuation (from on-site verification for implementation)
■ Future Developments
Moving forward, there are plans to introduce Bousai Entabi® in collaboration with local governments, commercial facilities, and educational institutions,
tailored to regional characteristics.
It aims for nationwide expansion as a new disaster prevention model that integrates disaster drills, regional cooperation, and customer experience.
What is needed in a disaster is not knowledge, but on-the-spot judgment and action.
What if a disaster happened here, now?
Could you act?
■ Notes
This evacuation drill is not an official drill recognized by facility management, but an event (immersive disaster drill) organized by Playing Inc. and Good Loser Inc. (co-organized by UMEKITA Future Innovation Organization).
The evacuation route for this event is specially set for the event and differs from the actual route.
■ Inquiries
Playing Inc. Public Relations Department (Contact: Rin Iwata) E-mail: info@entabi.jp
● Representative: Tomofumi Yamamoto, Representative Director
● Location: 3-1-14 Mukogaoka Higashi-machi, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka
● TEL: 072-254-1020
● MAIL: info@entabi.jp
● Achievements: Sakai City Risho-no-Mori / Hyogo Prefectural Hyogo-tsu Museum / Osaka Prefectural Large Children's Hall
Keywords:
This initiative differs from conventional evacuation drills, offering a new form of disaster prevention that teaches "judgment and action" during a disaster through experience. It is an attempt to transform disaster prevention from "something to know" to "something to judge on the spot."
■ Immersive Disaster Drill "Jibungoto" Application Form "May 20, 2026"
https://forms.office.com/r/pgj20Q6Ej5
*Applications are limited to media personnel.
■ Program to Experience "Suddenly Occurring Disasters"
Participants gather at the park, which serves as the venue, as if for a regular event.
"You are a visitor shopping" — the program begins with this explanation.
Immediately after, an emergency alert sounds, and the situation changes dramatically.
"Earthquake!"
"It's shaking, what should I do!"
Amidst the confused exchanges by actors, participants are instantly drawn into becoming "those affected by the disaster."
Initial actions to protect the head, surrounding chaos, conflicting information.
No safe answers are provided; participants are forced to make their own judgments.
Initial disaster scene (crouching, protecting head) *From Kobe Disaster Gathering on Jan 19, 2025
■ Experiencing "Judgment" Without a Correct Answer
The program continuously presents situations that could occur in a real disaster.
"Should I stay here, or evacuate now?"
"Should I go back for my smartphone, or give up?"
"What should I do if someone needs assistance during evacuation?"
Participants make decisions on the spot and act as a group.
For example, when dealing with "people requiring consideration" such as pregnant women or foreign tourists,
a conflict arises between prioritizing speed and safety, or the individual versus the collective.
In a situation where both moving forward and stopping carry risks,
participants continuously ponder "what is best."
Scene where actors question participants *From Kobe Disaster Gathering on Jan 19, 2025
■ Reality of "Evacuation" in Actual Spaces
The experience does not end there.
Participants move from the park into a building.
Realistic actions such as evacuating via stairs and moving in a group are required.
By changing scenes, not just through staging,
it becomes an experience with the reality of "what if a disaster happened here now."
Scene where participants play injured people *From Kobe Disaster Gathering on Jan 19, 2025
■ Underlying Issues
In Japan, while disaster prevention education and evacuation drills are widely conducted,
"can one act appropriately" in a real disaster is considered a separate issue.
Many drills only confirm procedures,
making it difficult to cultivate the ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances or situations requiring judgment.
Bousai Entabi® was developed to address this issue,
with the aim of promoting behavioral change through "experiencing judgment."
Evacuation via emergency stairs (from on-site verification for implementation)
■ A "New Perspective" on Disaster Prevention
The characteristic of this initiative is that disaster prevention is designed as "entertainment."
However, this is not for amusement,
but a method to foster a sense of ownership through immersive experience.
Participants act as "one of those present," not spectators,
and perceive disaster prevention as "their own business" through continuous judgment.
Scene asking for impressions after evacuation (from on-site verification for implementation)
■ Future Developments
Moving forward, there are plans to introduce Bousai Entabi® in collaboration with local governments, commercial facilities, and educational institutions,
tailored to regional characteristics.
It aims for nationwide expansion as a new disaster prevention model that integrates disaster drills, regional cooperation, and customer experience.
What is needed in a disaster is not knowledge, but on-the-spot judgment and action.
What if a disaster happened here, now?
Could you act?
■ Notes
This evacuation drill is not an official drill recognized by facility management, but an event (immersive disaster drill) organized by Playing Inc. and Good Loser Inc. (co-organized by UMEKITA Future Innovation Organization).
The evacuation route for this event is specially set for the event and differs from the actual route.
■ Inquiries
Playing Inc. Public Relations Department (Contact: Rin Iwata) E-mail: info@entabi.jp
● Representative: Tomofumi Yamamoto, Representative Director
● Location: 3-1-14 Mukogaoka Higashi-machi, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka
● TEL: 072-254-1020
● MAIL: info@entabi.jp
● Achievements: Sakai City Risho-no-Mori / Hyogo Prefectural Hyogo-tsu Museum / Osaka Prefectural Large Children's Hall
Keywords: