Safety first

September is Safety Awareness Month in Japan.  One-fifth of the world's devastating earthquakes occur in Japan.  On September 1, 1923, Tokyo was hit with a catastrophic earthquake, called the Great Kanto Earthquake.  The land was torn apart, buildings were decimated, and over 140,000 people died from the earthquake and aftermath.  Since the 1960's, people all over Japan have taken time to review safety precautions during September, including emergency drills in schools and offices on or around September 1 in remembrance of this defining natural disaster.

It is very timely this year since we have been hit so hard with typhoons and earthquakes as of late.  My son has had a couple drills at school, coming home to report what they did.  He is most fascinated with the quilted hoods they put on following an earthquake to protect their heads from falling debris. 

Photo courtesy of Japan Times

Today was the Hikarigaoka Disaster Preparedness fair.  This fair brought together police and fire departments, as well as essential support during disasters to share information with the community. 

My son was very eager to see all the emergency vehicles.  There were several vehicles to explore, like police cars, army transport vehicles, and emergency water supply trucks. 

One of the highlights for many children was the "ride" in the firetruck ladder.  My husband arrived at the fair early to enter the raffle to win a ride.  He got lucky and secured himself and our son a spot.  When it came time for their turn, I nervously waited on the ground as they went higher and higher on the ladder.  I couldn't  believe how high they were going!  But I know these trucks are so valuable to the thousands of people saved through the use of these tall towers.

We were all impressed with the activities they had in store for attendees.  My husband and son walked through a smoke tunnel.  My son put out a fire with a fire extinguisher (and has now repeated told us that if we have a fire in our house, he will happily put it out for us).  We met a search and rescue dog that I totally fell in love with.

There were lots of booths, too, that gave us information on how to be prepared in case of emergency.  Two of my favorite things to see (besides the dog) was the inside of the little compartments found in many elevators and the huge pots that feed up to 1,000 people. 

In all honesty, this whole topic terrifies me.  I don't know if I will really be prepared in a natural disaster.  There are so many here.  It seems even more realistic than in Seattle.  I'm thankful for all the opportunities to learn about how they deal with disasters here.  But one thing still gets me every time - will I be able to maneuver the language barrier in an emergency?  I hope I never have to find out.