Tokyo Facility Visitors Take Part in Disaster Simulations, Including Trying to Escape a Partially Submerged Car
With record heavy rains devastating many areas this summer, Tokyo Fire Department’s Honjo Bosaikan (Honjo Life Saving Learning Center) in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, has been filled with visitors every day.
Tokyo’s Honjo Bosaikan, a disaster prevention learning center in Sumida Ward, has seen a surge of visitors due to recent heavy rains across the country. The facility offers a range of disaster simulations to educate the public on how to handle emergencies. One such simulation involves participants attempting to escape a vehicle that has been partially submerged in water, a scenario that is both challenging and crucial for understanding disaster preparedness.
Participants must overcome pressure ranging from 10 to 30 centimeters of water to open the driver’s seat door of a car that has been submerged. This task is particularly difficult for adults, highlighting the importance of the exercise. Shinji Kitamura, a 64-year-old staff member at the center, emphasized the aim of these simulations: to increase awareness of disaster prevention and to equip individuals with the skills needed to protect themselves during a crisis.
Visitors to Honjo Bosaikan must make reservations in advance, as the simulations are integrated into a broader tour of the facility. The center’s focus on practical, hands-on training reflects a proactive approach to disaster preparedness in an era marked by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
