Updating Evacuation Drills to Create a Society with Zero Earthquake Fatalities.

Our organization endorses April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day to broadcast dreams. This press release outlines the dream of the NPO Association for the Dissemination of Disaster Mitigation Education.

The Thoughts Behind This Dream

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, suffering major damage almost every year. However, the "evacuation drills" that are supposed to protect our lives harbor significant structural issues.

In a survey of 2,577 educators and childcare workers across 12 prefectures, 85% answered that they "did not correctly know (or it was different from their imagination) the disasters and damage anticipated in their own regions." Furthermore, 69% responded that "current preparations and drill contents are insufficient (or unknown) for the actual anticipated scenarios." (Joint research with the College of Risk Management, Nihon University (Professor Yasunori Hata))

In evacuation drills where participants merely repeat the same procedures and poses every year without knowing "what kind of danger is approaching," it is impossible to demonstrate "judgment" during an actual disaster where the situation changes moment by moment.

The NPO Association for the Dissemination of Disaster Mitigation Education aims to fundamentally update these evacuation drills that "make it difficult to develop judgment," aiming to realize a society where everyone can truly acquire the "ability to survive."

Approach Towards Realizing the Dream (How We Will Achieve It)

Instead of relying on spiritualism in the field, we are advancing the "Whole Town Disaster Prevention Update" based on the latest data and safety principles through the following three pillars.

1. Transition from "Waiting for Instructions" to "Thinking and Acting for Oneself" Drills (Risk to Action)

Traditional evacuation drills have often been limited to "reproducing movements," tracing predetermined actions. We use administrative "regional disaster prevention plans" and "damage estimates" as the starting point for drills. We firmly connect anticipated dangers (prerequisites) with actual behaviors, redesigning drills into ones where individuals "think, judge, and act for themselves" according to their current environment and children's developmental stages.

2. Fostering "Avoidance Techniques Usable in Real Situations" Through Practical Experiential Educational Materials

The "pill bug pose (protecting the head and staying still)," which is widely taught nationwide, has limitations and involves danger regarding the risk of falling objects from the ceiling or during tremors of seismic intensity 6 Upper or higher (a state where movement is impossible without crawling).
Therefore, we introduce educational materials such as the "YURETA" mat, which allows you to experience anticipated seismic intensities anywhere, and the disaster mitigation picture-story show "Gatagura." Participants learn avoidance techniques that can truly be used in real disasters, such as "frog" or "lizard" poses to escape while checking surroundings for danger even during strong tremors.

3. Creating a Community-Wide System that Doesn't Blame Damage on "Someone Else"

Instead of pushing the responsibility of disaster prevention onto specific individuals (such as schools or childcare facilities), governments, businesses, and local residents share the same damage estimates.
By concluding partnership agreements and rotating the cycle of "sharing estimates → reasonable redesign → practice → reflection," we establish a "system" where the entire community continuously supports safety together, rather than it being a one-off event.

The World We Aim For

From superficial evacuation drills to "experiential and practical" disaster prevention education.

To a society where everyone, from children to the elderly, can prepare for realistic damage estimates in their communities.

Taking on the unprecedented goal of zero earthquake fatalities.

#AprilDream
This press release is an April Dream 2026 participation release.
PR TIMES Corporation "April Dream" Project