This research is based on a questionnaire survey. We will analyze the relationship between hazard maps and disaster prevention education in Hyogo Prefecture, the status of utilization, and issues. The purpose is to consider the improvement of the quality and quantity of the use of hazard maps in the future. The results are as follows. First of all, people who received disaster prevention education tend to use hazard maps. Next, most people who use hazard maps think that hazard maps are necessary for disaster response, and the tendency is stronger for those who have experienced disasters than those who have not experienced disasters. Hazard maps are used in emergencies and normal times, but they are often used in normal times. In addition, most of the information used is related to confirmation of disaster risk and personal safety for the person and family. Furthermore, regarding the problems of the hazard maps currently in use, “it is difficult to understand as a whole” is the most common, and “colors are difficult to understand” and “the amount of information is too much”, which makes it difficult to understand as a whole. In order to solve these problems, it is neces-sary to popularize digital hazard maps such as CG hazard maps in Hyogo prefecture. In order to popularize the use of hazard maps and improve their comprehensibility, it is effective to use paper and digital properly. Specifically, paper media is in an emergency, and digital is in normal times. However, if you make full use of smartphones, digitized hazard maps will be effective even in an emergency. Hazard maps have already been prepared in all cities and towns in Hyogo prefecture, and the “Hyogo prefecture CG hazard map” (digital) has been released. Promoting the use of these will lead to the strengthening of regional disaster prevention capabilities in Hyogo Prefecture.

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The purpose of this study is to develop social studies classes on disaster prevention that aim to promote an effective response by students in the event of a natural disaster. A series of classes were conducted in three elementary schools in collaboration with the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum. Two teaching approaches were adopted: one was providing students with materials from the museum related to flood disasters in order to raise their awareness of the risk of such events occurring. The other approach used a hazard map with alert levels in the hope that increasing students’ self-efficacy would positively impact their behavior in the event of an evacuation. These classes were given at three elementary schools. Questionnaires were conducted before and after the classes. The findings were that the first approach increased students’ risk perceptions, and that this in turn increased their evacuation intentions in an emergency. However, students’ self-efficacy was not increased after the implementation of the second approach with the use of the hazard map. There was no correlation between students’ self-efficacy and evacuation intensions in an emergency. The results showed that the design of the class and the measurement methods need to be improved.

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In this study investigation was done on the present state of disaster reduction manuals and disaster reduction drills of 609 schools (127 elementary schools, 207 junior high schools, 243 high schools, and 32 special needs schools) in Japan. As for disaster reduction manual, high schools and special needs schools are found to be inferior in the preparation of disaster reduction manuals and the implementation of disaster reduction drills, compared to other types of schools. As for elementary schools, compared to other types of schools, disaster reduction drills are implemented several times a year and elementary schools which implement only once a year are very few. On the other hand, many high schools implement disaster reduction drill only once a year and less high schools implement several times a year, such as three times, five times a year. This study suggests that efforts for disaster reduction are paid less attention as the grade of school progresses. Furthermore, the challenges schools have as for disaster reduction manuals and drills can be solved by the collaboration with the organizations outside of schools.

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The authors propose an improvement of elementary and secondary schooling related to flood disasters in the Maruyamagawa River basin, especially Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Based on field inspections of 2004 flooding sites, we facilitate about the discussion of issues and ideas to promote disaster reduction study. We conclude that new plans are required, which include open-air classes, setting the study area as per the school’s neighborhood, developing teaching materials for high school students and developing teacher training programs that introduce fieldwork.

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The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology states that the aim of disaster prevention education is to equip students with “actions” related to disaster prevention. However, although the efficacy scale for disaster prevention behavior in the event of a disaster has been developed as a scale for questioning self-confidence in calm behavior, there is no scale of efficacy for appropriate disaster prevention behavior, and the development of an evaluation scale is desired. Therefore, in this research, we developed an evaluation scale for junior high school students focusing on the effectiveness of appropriate disaster prevention actions in earthquakes, tsunamis, and heavy rains. The survey was conducted on 394 junior high school students using the evaluation scale. As a result of factor analysis of the question items, “emergency behavior “ was composed of one factor. The α coefficient was .84, confirming the reliability. In addition, as a result of analyzing the relationship with external criteria regarding the experience of disaster education of students, the validity was confirmed. From these results, we considered the possibility of verifying the effectiveness of disaster education and how to utilize it.

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This study aimed to present a framework of educational methods which focus on the learning process, in order to support disaster reduction in which learners are expected to learn with self-directed and proactive manner. We collected and organized literature on disaster reduction education from academic papers of the Disaster Reduction Society. From the viewpoint of active learning, we analyzed four model cases of disaster reduction education. As a result, the framework of the education method consisting of “process”, “learning behavior”, “aim”, “content”, “method”, “ingenuity” was shown.

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Although debris flow disasters have occurred all over Japan, the reality is that it is difficult to observe them directly in distant areas because the affected areas are limited to a small area. Therefore, we constructed a web-based system for exploratory observation of high-resolution outcrop images by freely zooming in and out, and had university students observe the images. In addition to achieving the desired educational effect based on the content of each observation, the system itself was generally well received.

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For teaching high-school students, the authors conducted volcanic-hazard disaster-prevention classes using the Kikai–Akahoya Volcanic Ash that erupted during Jomon period from a volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture, Southwest Japan. The students observed the volcanic ash in the class and inferred volcanic-hazard risks caused by large-scale eruptions, such as the Kikai Caldera eruption, in the modern society. Following the class, the number of students who recognized the dangers of volcanic ash carried by wind increased. Meanwhile, some students believed that these hazards could potentially result from volcanoes located near their school. This erroneous belief could be the result of the confusion between an active volcano and an inactive one. Thus, we argue that advancements in these volcano-eruption classes are required to comprehend disasters caused by falling volcanic ash

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