[Held Thursday, November 5] Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill Connecting People Through Their Voices ～ The first joint drill across 7 cities and 3 towns. Practice using the disaster message dial “171” to let your family hear “I’m safe” in your own voice.

Have you ever actually used the Disaster Emergency Message Dial “171”?

Some of you may never have heard of it, while others may have heard of it but never used it. There are few opportunities to use services intended for emergencies, such as disasters, during normal times.

However, such services are no use if you cannot use them when the time comes. That is why disaster-preparedness drills, such as evacuation drills, are held every year.

Kurashiki City held the “Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill” in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025. From fiscal 2026, the drill expanded to become an initiative across all of Okayama Prefecture, called the “Okayama Prefecture Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill.”

Following the “Okayama Prefecture Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill,” the seven cities and three towns of the Takahashi River Basin will hold their first joint drill: “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices—Your Voice Connects Your Family.” It will be held simultaneously at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Here is an introduction to the drill.

What is the “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices”?

The “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices—Your Voice Connects Your Family” is a disaster-preparedness drill that will be held from 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

The participating areas are the seven cities and three towns in the Takahashi River Basin: Kurashiki City, Asakuchi City, Kasaoka City, Soja City, Takahashi City, Niimi City, Ibara City, Satosho Town, Yakage Town, and Hayashima Town. This is the first joint disaster-preparedness drill by the municipalities of the Takahashi River Basin. Its aims are to strengthen local disaster preparedness and cooperation among the municipalities.

It will take place immediately after the “Okayama Prefecture Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill,” which is being held on the same day.

The main theme is learning how to use the Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171)

The main theme of the “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices” is learning how to use the Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171).

The Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171) is a service that lets people record and play back voice messages with information such as their safety status when phone lines become difficult to connect during a disaster. During the drill, participants will record a message of up to 30 seconds and check in with family members and acquaintances by listening to each other’s voices.

Here are the four steps for using it:

1. Dial “171”
2. Choose whether to record or play back a message (press “1” to record, “2” to play back)
3. Enter a phone number
4. Record or play back a message (up to 30 seconds per message)

Knowing how to use the service is important, but it is also necessary to keep the “30-second limit” in mind. When you are flustered, the time limit may add to the pressure.

Also, as part of “A Disaster Preparedness Check You Can Do Right Now,” check these three things: family members’ contact information, a meeting place, and emergency supplies to take with you.

Interview with the Crisis Management Division, Kurashiki City Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office

We spoke with Yano Akihito, who is in charge of the “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices” at the Crisis Management Division, Kurashiki City Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office.

Could you tell us how the “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices” was planned?

Yano (honorific omitted)

Kurashiki City held the “Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill” independently in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025. About 90,000 people took part in fiscal 2024, and about 112,000 in fiscal 2025. These figures include both individuals and groups. Last fiscal year (2025), 1,171 local businesses, schools, and other organizations indicated that they intended to participate.

This fiscal year, Okayama Prefecture approached us, saying, “We would like to expand this initiative across the entire prefecture,” and it was relaunched as the “Okayama Prefecture Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill.”
The content is the same as the drill Kurashiki City held last fiscal year. It is a drill to confirm the actions needed to stay safe during an earthquake: get low, protect your head, and stay still.

Kurashiki City has also asked people, as part of an additional drill, to do more than just get under a desk. After coming out, they should check their emergency supplies and food, make sure furniture is secured against tipping over, and review evacuation shelters and routes.

This fiscal year, we decided that Kurashiki City and the Takahashi River Basin as a whole would take on this additional-drill component. That is the “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices.”

Is there anything you are particularly focusing on in the “Takahashi River Basin Disaster Preparedness Drill: Connecting Through Our Voices”?

Yano

Additional drills can cover many things that need to be checked in the event of a disaster, such as emergency supplies, preventing furniture from tipping over, and evacuation routes. But if you try to do too many things at once, the effort can become unfocused.

So, for this first joint drill involving the seven cities and three towns of the Takahashi River Basin, we chose checking how to use the Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171) as the main theme. In other words, that is our sole focus.

We think many people have “heard of the Disaster Emergency Message Dial but never used it,” so we want to focus on it this time.

We would like residents throughout the basin to use 171.

Is this the first drill of its kind in the Takahashi River Basin?

Yano

As far as we know, this is the first joint drill in the Takahashi River Basin. I think every municipality holds evacuation drills, but the Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill focused on practicing what to do immediately after an earthquake strikes.

These are called ShakeOut drills, and there have not been many examples of them being held jointly across the entire basin.

Do you have a message for residents of the Takahashi River Basin?

Yano

The Takahashi River Basin is a wide area stretching from north to south. In the south, including Kurashiki City, people need to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake, whose likelihood of occurring within the next 30 years is increasing.

In the north of the prefecture, on the other hand, we believe the main focus should be preparing for earthquakes on the Sea of Japan side and fault-type earthquakes, rather than Nankai Trough earthquakes, as shown by the earthquake in Tottori this year.

Even though the types of earthquakes differ, they strike suddenly. We would like residents to first check whether they can take steps to protect themselves. In this case, that means taking part in the Okayama Prefecture Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill.

After that, the theme is “connecting through our voices.”
You can send messages like “I’m okay” to each other through LINE, social media, or email, but even when communications are unstable and unavailable, 171 uses a dedicated line for disasters, allowing you to communicate by voice. Hearing someone’s actual voice should bring a much greater sense of reassurance. We hope residents throughout the basin will practice using it with family members and coworkers.

If you are suddenly told to use it during a disaster, you may not be able to. On November 5, NTT West will help make 171 available, so it is okay if you make mistakes as many times as you need.

If you cannot use something during normal times, you will not be able to use it during a disaster either. We hope you will give it a try.

What are your plans for the future?

Yano

Kurashiki City’s initiative has expanded to the prefecture, but that is not the end of it. Kurashiki City and the Takahashi River Basin have also started a new initiative. This is the first time we have held it, so after reviewing what went well and what did not, we hope to improve it for next year and the year after.

This will not be a one-time event, and we hope residents will continue to cooperate with us.

From the Writer

Disaster-preparedness drills are held throughout Japan every year, usually in autumn.

When a disaster occurs close to home, awareness rises, but it tends to fade as time passes.

In Kurashiki City, the heavy rains of July 2018 are still fresh in people’s memories, but even that was eight years ago. I feel that it has become important to pass on not only the extent of the damage but also the experiences and memories of that time, and I am reminded that time moves on.

It is easy to think of disaster-preparedness drills as an annual event

but on Thursday, November 5, after practicing how to protect yourself in the Okayama Prefecture Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill, why not practice exchanging voice messages with your family or coworkers using 171?

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