News in Easy English: Japanese backpack can become life jacket
TAMBA, Hyogo -- A bag maker in Tamba, Hyogo, has made a backpack. It can become a life jacket in an emergency.Read the full English articleRead the or
In Tamba, Hyogo, a company called Maru Su Bags has created a special backpack called LIFEBOX. LifeBOX can be turned into a life jacket in an emergency. The bag has won the Tamba Innovation Award. Susumu Hosokawa, the company president, hopes people will use it for daily activities like going to work or school while also being prepared for disasters.
The backpack is made of polyester and has an inside material that can float, similar to the material in swimming kickboards. To turn it into a life jacket, people can remove the side and bottom parts and turn the bag inside out. It can be put on in about one minute. Hosokawa has been working on this idea since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
He got the inspiration after seeing children with backpacks walking to school during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. The first model was made in the fall of 2024. LIFEBOX comes in three sizes for children and adults. The prices start at 37,400 yen, or about $240. People can contact Maru Su Bags at 0795-86-8212 for more information.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
