On 26 October, Kyoto University’s International Student Division held a disaster prevention workshop for international students in collaboration with the Kyoto Prefectural International Center and with cooperation from the Sakyo Fire Department. The event took place at the Yoshida-South Campus, marking its return to in-person format after a few years of being held online due to Covid-19.
The first part of the program was comprised of a lecture by Mr Seiya Yamamoto from the Kansai Center of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA Kansai), who discussed how to gather necessary information and evacuate to safety in the event of a disaster. It also included an exercise on using a hazard map to locate evacuation centers and shelters. The lecture was repeated online on 9 November.
In part two, following a briefing by staff from the Sakyo Fire Department on how to respond to an earthquake, participants boarded an ‘earthquake simulation-vehicle’ to experience a tremor of ‘intensity six to seven’ on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, gaining an opportunity to think about what to do during and after this type of emergency.
The final segment of the training was a fire drill focused on the use of water fire extinguishers. The session taught the students not just the proper use of the devices but also the importance of basic fire-response steps, such as shouting loudly to alert others to the fire and attract help.
By providing a simulated earthquake experience and fire-extinguishing drill in addition to a lecture, the workshop helped participants renew their awareness of the importance of disaster preparedness, contributing to a safe study-in-Japan experience for all.