Lessons From History for Today and Tomorrow: Disaster prevention in Japanese schools following the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake JANET BORLAND, The University of Melbourne, Australia

Tokyo, 1 September 1923 Kobe, 17 January 1995 JAPAN

Tokyo, 1923 Kobe, 1995 Seeking Refuge

Tokyo, 1923 Kobe, 1995 Aceh, 2004 Temporary Schools

When the earthquake happened I was watering the flowers in my garden. I thought it was the end of the world. Then I heard people shouting that a big wave was coming. We all ran as fast as we could… - Zulbaidah, 6th grade primary school student Childrens Experiences, Indonesia 2004

Childrens Experiences, Japan 1923 We tried to escape outside but the earthquake was so strong… We were surrounded by the noise of sliding doors falling, china breaking, roof tiles crashing to the ground and peoples terrified cries for help. I thought we were going to die like this. - Okano Shigeru, 3rd grade primary school student

Fires burned for 3 days Destroyed 43% Tokyo 91,344 dead 13,275 missing 52,074 injured 1 Million people homeless Magnitude 7.9

Lessons Learned in Build safe schools 2. Teach people how to prepare for disasters 1. Build safe schools 2. Disaster risk education UN Disaster Risk Reduction Campaign

Why Build Safe Schools? Schools as important place of learning in community in ordinary times Schools provide shelter for refugees in immediate aftermath of disaster Schools help children and community resume normal lives

How were Japanese school children affected? The earthquake and fires : destroyed 117 out of 196 primary schools in Tokyo displaced 145,998 out of 239,087 school children

Reconstructing Safe Schools in 1923 School Reconstruction Program, Built using steel frames and reinforced concrete Earthquake- and fire-resistant Cost 41,056,383

Creating Resilient Individuals through Education Resilient individuals possess: 1.Physical strength 2.Psychological fortitude

What can we learn from Japan in 1923? Urge solid construction of schools in disaster- prone regions and investment in infrastructure Develop disaster preparedness programs in schools Promote extra-curricular activities which teach practical skills of disaster preparedness Designate a national Disaster Prevention Day to conduct drills and raise awareness Encourage researchers to share findings across borders, across disasters, and across time

Natural disasters strike when people least expect it - Terada Torahiko -