Disaster Prevention Day in Japan

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" - folk saying

Japan is a country that treats disaster preparedness seriously. I recall reading about a minor earthquake in a foreign city. The staff in the writer's building casually went outside and blocked exit doors while smoking. At a Japanese owned company across the street, the staff wore hard hats, were organized into groups, and supervisors did roll calls to ensure everyone was evacuated.

According to the article, Disaster Prevention Day in Japan, there are roughly 1,500 earthquakes a year in Japan. Large quakes occur at 70-year intervals; the most recent, the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, claimed 6,000 victims. On average, three to five typhoons a year hit Japan, usually in September. Because of this, September 1 has become "Disaster Prevention Day".

Various drills for disaster preparedness are held all over the country by schools, companies and public organizations. Department stores also set up special sections with earthquake survival products. In bookstores you can find books with maps showing how to find your way home from your central Tokyo office to your house in the far-away suburbs. ... The fire brigade also pays visits to offices and schools, to train people in the use of fire extinguishers and have volunteers experience an earthquake in the Earthquake Simulator mounted on a truck ... at a magnitude 7 or 8, you will be knocked to the floor by the force of the swaying.

Bottom Line
If you haven't read it, please check out my blog on the value of participating in emergency drills. Drills save lives!