Since disasters occur frequently in Japan, as stated in the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures, it is the role of every citizen to make efforts for self-help in disaster prevention, and children are no exception. Nobody knows when and where an earthquake or other disasters will occur, but it may not be when children are at school. It is also possible that a disaster may occur when a child is alone. It is important to provide opportunities for children to learn how to recognize and deal with hazards when a disaster happens while they are alone. Also, it is important to encourage children to be aware of the possibility of being affected by the disaster when they are alone. Therefore, we developed the “Disaster Dice,” an educational method that uses dices to randomly assign a situation in which a child is faced with a disaster while alone and encourages them to consider the situation. We conducted educational training for elementary and junior high school students using this method. verified its effectiveness. As a result, it was confirmed that the children deepened their knowledge of what to do when they were alone in a disaster. Moreover, teachers can grasp the current situation of disaster prevention awareness among students and idea of future disaster prevention education from the report of implementation results.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the process of putting disaster prevention activities into practice among foreign residents who have experienced disasters in Japan. In particular, this study aimed to generate a theory that explains the dynamics of the formation of disaster awareness in the social interaction between foreign residents and their families and local residents during the disaster. In February 2021, the author conducted semi-constructive interviews with four women of Filipino origin living in the Northeast region. The verbatim data were also analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). The analysis generated 22 concepts, of which the following 8 categories were found.【 Confusion and bewilderment due to inability to have an evacuation image】,【 Actions that are not based on information or norms and that put the safety of the family first】,【 Reference to behavior and opinions of Japanese】,【 Empathy and support as a minority】,【 Learning from the Disaster Experience】,【 Confirmation of Japan as a place to live】,【 Practical application of evacuation imagery】,【 Practical application of disaster prevention education as a foreign party】. The study suggested the effectiveness of utilizing the perspectives of foreign residents when considering disaster education for foreign residents, given the expected increase in the number of foreign residents and further progress in their settlement in Japan.

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Urging students to grasp a practical understanding of 24-hour rainfall, which is one of the disaster prevention meteorological information prompting caution against disasters caused by heavy rain, is desirable in lower secondary science. As a part of these measures, the proper execution of rainfall observation is expected. Using daily precipitation data collected over 30 years in Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo, this study clarified the frequency of daily precipitation by class and its seasonal variations. Based on the results, we crafted basic guides that can be used as a reference for examining how the observation of 24-hour rainfall is executed in the lower secondary school. This includes information such as the season most suitable for the observation of rainfall and daily precipitation, in which the expected observation and the frequency are estimated. As a point of the basic guides, if the rainfall observation is carried out for 1 month in the Baiu season or autumnal rainy season, it is expected that the rain over 10 mm of 24-hour rainfall can be observed over one time at all three sites. It appears that if such rainfall is observed using a storage-type simple rain gauge, understanding the amount of rain that falls during periods of heavy rain would become easier.

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In order to understand the actual situation of students’ perceptions of natural disasters in the region and to improve science education, especially natural disaster education, in disaster prevention studies, a questionnaire survey was conducted among junior high school students in Kobe City regarding their perceptions of natural disasters and their learning experiences of natural disasters. We analyzed the actual conditions of junior high school students’ perceptions of natural disasters, triggers of earthquake disasters and floods, and natural phenomena. There were differences in student responses between schools located in coastal and inland areas. We speculate that this difference was due to differences in learning content based on the regional characteristics of the schools, such as distance from the coastline, elevation, and the existence of disaster records. Based on the results of this analysis, we identified issues for improvement in junior high school science education in Kobe City.

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We reanalyzed the results of a questionnaire survey of 720 first-year college students at eight national, public, and private universities in Japan regarding their awareness of natural disasters. In terms of the relationship between ‘Geography A’ and ‘Basic Earth Science’ courses taken in high school and awareness of natural disasters, ‘Geography A’ students were more aware of earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods than were those who chose ‘Basic Earth Science’. A comparison of the amount of text on natural disasters in textbooks showed that ‘Geography A’ students were more aware of natural disasters than those who chose ‘Basic Earth Science’. The higher response of ‘Geography A’ students to natural disasters is related to the amount of learning about natural disasters in high school.

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Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture, is an area frequently flooded by the Yura River system that runs through the city. The authors conducted a geotour for graduate students in Fukuchiyama City to learn about river use and the relationship between internal and external flooding and topography. The tour was designed to discover the relationship between the construction of Fukuchiyama Castle and the river topography in the development of the castle town, and to learn first causes about the topography that could be a natural predisposition for external and internal water flooding. Based on the analysis of pre- and post-practice questionnaires, participants gained a better understanding of the natural and social predispositions to flood hazards by observing microtopography and historical buildings. They also deepened their understanding of the blessings they have enjoyed from the rivers. A future challenge in developing geotours that incorporate a disaster prevention perspective is to devise guides that accommodate participants with different levels of knowledge.

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drone aerial footage targeting the Nankai Trough mega-earthquake and tsunami flooding area, and clarify its effectiveness. We have developed a program that uses aerial footage taken by drones as teaching materials. After gaining knowledge of the tsunami caused by the Nankai Trough mega-earthquake, we are able to explore the three-dimensional space-time obtained from the bird’s-eye view and dynamic screens of aerial footage. Furthermore, we are working to overlay information on evacuation sites and shelters on top of this. By superimposing the expected tsunami inundation area on the hazard map, it is possible to imagine a realistic tsunami. Furthermore, we are working to overlay information on evacuation sites and shelters on top of this. By doing so, it can be said that it has a mechanism that allows students to intuitively understand the tsunami attack and the damage situation with a sense of reality, and how to respond to it with a three-dimensional effect. In other words, by accumulating knowledge on a three-dimensional image, images with new information added one after another are layered on top of each other. In this way, the imagination of　the learner is stimulated.

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In Japan, where disaster damage is common, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake has prompted the promotion of disaster education at schools. On the other hand, disaster education at home is not yet sufficiently widespread. From the standpoint of promoting disaster education and preparedness at home, this study focused on differences between men and women, and clarified how men and women with children in elementary and junior high school have an awareness of disaster preparedness, the extent to which they act on it, and the extent to which they discuss and prepare for it with their children. The results showed that men’s awareness, knowledge, and actions regarding disaster preparedness were significantly higher; women were more likely to learn about disaster preparedness at home with their children; men were more likely to have implemented disaster preparedness in the past year. The survey also revealed that women are more likely to focus on soft preparations, such as daily habits and relationships with　others, while men are more likely to focus on how to survive in emergency situations. In order to strengthen “self-help” in disaster prevention, it is necessary to further promote disaster education for parents and children together at home. To this end, it is also important to take measures for disaster prevention at home that take advantage of the strengths of different gender of parents, and at the same time, to eliminate the bias in knowledge between male and female parents.

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The major motivation behind this study was to mitigate earthquake-induced losses of life at university facilities that store and handle physical hazards (e.g., reagents, solvents, and gases) potentially causing accidental fires, explosions, poisoning, and suffocation. Educational Manga material has valuable distinctive features. Thus, the present study aims to develop educational Manga materials with an earthquake theme to prevent university students from returning to buildings posing physical hazards immediately after a major earthquake. In this study, two educational Manga materials related to fires/explosions and poising/ suffocation accidents in university laboratories were drawn based mainly on the findings of the authors’ earlier studies. In the former version, main characters were involved in a solvent fire and hydrogen explosion, whereas protagonists were exposed to a toxic gas in the latter. Each Manga material was structured as follows: the first and second sections were unsafe reentering-themed and lessons to prevent such returning, respectively. This study would blaze a trail in developing effective educational Manga materials to prevent university students from reentering building that store and handle chemicals after a major earthquake, which can potentially reduce earthquake-related fatalities at universities.

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