In July 2018, Mabi was engulfed by muddy floodwaters after rivers overflowed following days of heavy rain.
Although the disaster debris piled up throughout the town has disappeared, even now, about five years after the flooding, Mabi’s population is said to have declined by approximately 10% compared with before the disaster.
Recovery from physical damage is important, but rebuilding the community so that residents can live safely and happily may also be necessary for emotional recovery.
One person is working tirelessly on community development with a long-term perspective, aiming for Mabi’s true recovery.
He is Shingo Horiguchi, president and CEO of Horiguchi Co., Ltd., a manufacturer and retailer of wooden furniture.
To increase the number of people connected to Mabi, Horiguchi has worked on initiatives such as developing cycling routes that take visitors to tourist spots, historic sites, and businesses affected by the disaster, as well as “What’s Happening in Mabi,” which shares the current situation in Mabi through social media.
Here, we introduce how Horiguchi came up with these initiatives and the thoughts behind his work on community development in Mabi.
The information presented was current when this article was published in April 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Mabi, a disaster-stricken area, and community development
Even now, about five years after the flooding, Mabi’s population remains approximately 10% lower, and some people are still unable to return to their lives as they were before.
We introduce Horiguchi, who is working on community development with a long-term perspective to increase the number of people connected to Mabi.
Mabi and the July 2018 Heavy Rains
The July 2018 Heavy Rains became a disaster that people living in Okayama Prefecture will never forget.
In early July 2018, rivers overflowed after heavy rain continued across western Japan, causing extensive damage to Mabi, Kurashiki City.
Mabi was the hardest-hit area in the July 2018 Heavy Rains.
The levees along the Oda River and its tributaries, including the Takama River, breached simultaneously, and muddy floodwaters engulfed a wide area of Mabi.
Floodwaters reached depths of more than 5 meters. Approximately 8,300 homes were completely or partially destroyed, around 7,000 were flooded above or below floor level, and about 50 people died. The disaster is considered the worst flood of the Heisei era.
By 2023, about five years after the disaster, the debris piled along the roads in Mabi had disappeared, and public facilities, restaurants, and other businesses had reopened.
The town’s appearance suggests that it is gradually returning to how it was before the flooding.
Community development in Mabi and Shingo Horiguchi
Shingo Horiguchi is the president and CEO of Horiguchi Co., Ltd., which manufactures and sells wooden furniture.
Born and raised in Mabi, Horiguchi took over the company founded by his grandfather and has run his business in Mabi.
Immediately after the flooding in July 2018, he set up a disaster response headquarters with business owners from Okayama Prefecture and friends who had rushed in from outside the prefecture, and carried out the removal of disaster debris piled up at affected businesses.
Over about a month, a total of 680 people took part, using heavy machinery and trucks owned by their friends to support 131 businesses.
As the disaster debris that had filled the town disappeared and businesses such as shops began reopening, he and his friends began thinking about community development in Mabi.
One initiative they proposed was to develop cycling routes to increase the number of people connected to Mabi.
Along with creating routes that visit tourist spots, cultural heritage sites, and shops run by businesses affected by the disaster, they began making wooden bicycle stands, drawing on Horiguchi’s furniture-making business.
He has also been working on an initiative called “What’s Happening in Mabi,” which shares the current situation in Mabi on social media.
Horiguchi is something of a leader in promoting community development in Mabi.
Cycling routes around Mabi and bicycle stands
In Mabi, where the population decline caused by the flooding has been pronounced, Horiguchi is developing cycling routes as an effort to increase the number of people connected to the area.
The idea was proposed with the hope that people would visit Mabi by road bike and stop not only at tourist spots but also at shops run by businesses affected by the disaster.
The cycling route includes the Reconstruction and Disaster Prevention Park (provisional name), currently under construction in the Yata district of Mabi and designed by architect Kengo Kuma, as well as historic sites such as the Yata Otsuka Burial Mound.
You can view the cycling routes in Mabi on the Kurashiki City website.
Horiguchi has also drawn on the strengths of Horiguchi Co., Ltd., a wooden furniture manufacturer, to make bicycle stands for businesses in Mabi affected by the disaster.
The stands are made using materials such as Japanese cypress, and the recipient’s logo is laser-engraved on the frame.
So far, stands have been donated to 17 businesses, mainly in Mabi, including hair salon accogliente, bakery pain porte, and udon shop Saruya.
What is “What’s Happening in Mabi”?
“What’s Happening in Mabi” is an initiative to share the current situation in Mabi by posting photos on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, taken with a wooden sign bearing the words “What’s Happening in Mabi.”
The initiative reflects a desire to share how Mabi is gradually recovering from the devastating conditions after the disaster with the volunteers who came from all over Japan to help with recovery at the time.
Immediately after the flooding, disaster debris carried in by the muddy floodwaters was piled along the roads in Mabi, and the interiors of homes and shops were filled with rubble.
To remove the enormous amount of disaster debris, many volunteers worked in the hottest season, covered in sweat and mud.
Some people who witnessed the devastating scenes caused by the flooding may still be wondering how Mabi is doing.
“What’s Happening in Mabi” is an initiative to show many people how Mabi has recovered.
We spoke with Horiguchi, who has considered Mabi’s recovery from a long-term perspective, about the conditions at the time of the disaster and community development.
Through this interview, we share the thoughts that have guided Horiguchi’s involvement in Mabi’s recovery.
Interview with Shingo Horiguchi
Born and raised in Mabi, and running a business there, how does Horiguchi view the July 2018 Heavy Rains?
We introduce how Horiguchi has faced the challenge of Mabi’s recovery.
Conditions at the time of the disaster
What was Horiguchi doing at the time of the disaster?
Horiguchi (surname only)
On July 6, 2018, the day before Mabi was flooded, heavy rain had been falling for several days, so I was on duty with the volunteer fire brigade.
By the morning of July 7, it had become clear that the levees had breached and that muddy floodwaters were closing in on all of Mabi, so I decided to evacuate for the time being.
What were conditions like after you evacuated?
Horiguchi
I evacuated to Shinsenji Temple, which is on top of a small hill.
Mabi was flooded by muddy water overflowing from the rivers, and people were trapped in their homes, but people arrived to rescue them on jet skis.
So, while helping children and older people being rescued by jet ski, I continued rescue work all day.
In the end, we were able to evacuate about 200 people to Shinsenji Temple.
How did you become involved in disaster relief after that?
Horiguchi
Fortunately, the factory of Horiguchi Co., Ltd. escaped flooding.
The next day, July 8, after spending the night at Shinsenji Temple, friends who owned businesses in Okayama Prefecture brought relief supplies such as water and food to the factory.
I thought we must not let those relief supplies go to waste, so I loaded them onto a truck and delivered them to Shinsenji Temple, where I had evacuated, to other evacuation shelters, and to friends who ran businesses in Mabi.
Among the business owners I visited, many were losing heart, feeling that continuing to run their companies would be difficult given the extent of the damage.
However, even amid the devastation, friends gathered around the Okayama Prefecture Federation of Commerce and Industry Youth Clubs, and the idea emerged to create a base to support people affected by the disaster.
So, after clearing out the Mabi-Funao Chamber of Commerce and Industry headquarters, which was covered in mud from the flooding, our group set up a disaster response headquarters on July 12, five days after the flood.
Setting up the disaster response headquarters and clearing out disaster waste
What kind of support activities did you carry out through the disaster response headquarters?
Horiguchi
At the same time as the disaster response headquarters, which was led mainly by businesses in the prefecture’s commerce and industry sector, was set up, the volunteer center in Mabi also began operating. A support system for private homes was already in place.
So we focused our efforts on supporting businesses in Mabi.
Using our network of colleagues to gather information, we learned that they were struggling to deal with disaster waste piled up in front of shops and factories.
So we borrowed heavy equipment, including trucks, from fellow business owners and thoroughly cleared the disaster waste piled up in front of the shops and other premises of affected businesses.
For about a month after the disaster, we spent our days clearing disaster waste alongside around 50 people every day, responding to 131 requests for assistance from affected businesses.
Seeing people who had given up on continuing to run their businesses regain hope of reopening made me feel that we had provided the support they needed.
Was there something that inspired you to focus on community development?
Horiguchi
A few months after the disaster, thanks to the Self-Defense Forces and people from all over Japan who came to help at the volunteer center, the piles of disaster waste that had been visible throughout town began to disappear.
I was glad to see the town getting clean, but many people had no choice but to move away from Mabi because of the disaster, and I was worried about whether they would come back.
Once short-term support, such as clearing disaster waste, had wound down, my colleagues and I began thinking about long-term recovery so people could return to Mabi.
After that, we not only discussed community development with our colleagues, but also visited Onagawa Town in Miyagi Prefecture, which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and Minamisanriku Town.
Revitalizing Mabi through cycling
Why did you decide to develop a cycling route?
Horiguchi
As I was thinking about Mabi’s recovery, I heard that Kurashiki City was planning to develop a recovery and disaster-prevention park (provisional name).
The park, designed by architect Kengo Kuma, aims to be a place for relaxation and disaster preparedness in Mabi.
The park was still several years away from completion, but I began to think that it could serve as a hub for attracting more people with ties to Mabi.
The idea that came to mind was to develop a cycling route.
I thought that developing a cycling route starting from a park where people gather, allowing them to explore Mabi at a leisurely pace, could give them a reason to visit.
Until then, I had never ridden a road bike seriously, but to learn more about cycling, I hopped on a mamachari and followed National Route 180 from Mabi to the Bikan Historical Area.
Riding a bicycle along a national highway with cars passing right beside me was extremely dangerous, and I was frightened.
That made me realize how important it was to develop a safe cycling route.
How did you decide on the cycling route?
Horiguchi
I had no experience, so I started by researching cycling routes in other areas.
For example, nearby prefectures have routes that we could use as models, such as the Shimanami Kaido, which starts in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and incorporates bridges connecting the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, and the Yamanami Kaido, which runs north from Onomichi City, crosses the Chugoku Mountains, and reaches Matsue City in Tottori Prefecture.
One important point that emerged from our research was creating routes that connect cultural facilities and scenic spots.
So we considered the tourist attractions in Mabi.
Yata Otsuka Burial Mound, a constituent cultural property of Japan Heritage, is an important historic site where visitors can see one of the largest stone burial chambers in western Japan.
There are also places associated with Seishi Yokomizo, who wrote mystery novels featuring private detective Kosuke Kindaichi.
And the recovery and disaster-prevention park being designed by Kengo Kuma (provisional name) will also be a place that draws people in.
The cycling route in Mabi was planned in consultation with Kurashiki City about which places to connect.
Why did you make cycle stands?
Horiguchi
Cycle stands for parking road bikes are also important for developing a cycling route.
While I was thinking about cycling in Mabi, Masumi Kidani, who would later work with us on the cycle stand project, happened to visit Horiguchi Co., Ltd.
Kidani noticed that Horiguchi manufactured wooden products and suggested making wooden cycle stands.
We decided to install cycle stands not only at the stops along the cycling route, but also at shops run by businesses affected by the disaster.
We wanted to create a way for tourists visiting Mabi by road bike to explore the area at length and visit the shops of businesses affected by the disaster.
So we laser-engraved the logo of the shop receiving each donation onto the frame of each cycle stand.
“What’s happening in Mabi?”—sharing the Mabi of today
What message did you want to convey through “What’s happening in Mabi?”
Horiguchi
After Mabi was hit by the heavy rains in July 2018, many people came from all over Japan to volunteer and help clear the disaster waste that had piled up on roads and around buildings.
I am deeply grateful to the volunteers who helped remove disaster waste while covered in mud during the hottest months of the year, from July to September.
Some of the people who volunteered at the time may still be wondering how Mabi is doing.
About five years after the disaster, I wanted to share with the people who had helped us how Mabi had been cleaned up with support from so many people.
What prompted you to start it?
The person who came up with “What’s happening in Mabi?” was also Kidani, who had suggested the cycle stands.
He suggested an initiative to share Mabi’s current situation by asking people to post on social media photos taken around Mabi with a “What’s happening in Mabi?” sign.
Some of the volunteers had helped remove disaster waste from restaurants affected by the disaster.
If they learned that the restaurants they had helped during their demanding volunteer work were now thriving, those who had seen the situation firsthand at the time would surely feel reassured.
We wanted to show how Mabi had recovered by sharing what daily life and the scenery in Mabi are like today.
Horiguchi’s vision for community development in Mabi
How would you like to share Mabi with others in the future?
Horiguchi
We went through a difficult time after experiencing flooding, but going through the recovery process has made Mabi a town with a strong awareness of disaster preparedness, and that is one of its strengths.
Japan is known as a country prone to flooding because of its geography and climate. With the effects of climate change in recent years, we live in a place where flooding could happen anywhere, at any time.
It is also common knowledge that earthquakes are frequent, and with earthquakes such as the Nankai Trough earthquake anticipated, it is no exaggeration to say that there is no safe place in Japan.
By sharing our experiences working toward recovery, I believe we can help other parts of Japan.
Mabi saw its population decline by about 10% before and after the July 2018 heavy rain disaster, a situation that could also be seen as an acceleration of depopulation.
When considered in the context of Japan's year-on-year population decline, a 10% decrease means the population has reached the size projected for about 20 years from now.
In other words, this is a place where we can uncover the challenge of depopulation—a situation we had thought of as something far in the future—arriving about 20 years early.
As the population declines, tax revenues will fall, and based on the idea of a smart city, it may become necessary to consolidate public and commercial facilities in the city center.
If that happens, I think it will be important to bring out what makes Mabi distinctive.
I hope that by considering how to understand our experiences and current situation, and sharing our efforts to address the challenges, Mabi will attract attention and see an increase in its population of people with ties to the area.
What do you consider important when carrying out community activities?
Horiguchi
Enjoying the activities is important.
They won't last long if they're not enjoyable, and ideas can emerge when people discuss things with a bit of humor now and then.
A sense of enjoyment is also an important factor in making a place where people gather.
A common saying in community development is that it takes outsiders, young people, and eccentrics.
Mabi already has eccentrics like me, who get involved in just about everything, but unfortunately, I get the impression that there are few young people and outsiders.
To make it a place where young people and outsiders gather, it would be great if we could build a place where people come together, while making enjoyment a priority.
Reflections on Mabi's recovery and community development
What should a town affected by a natural disaster aim for as its destination for recovery?
Is it when buildings and roads are restored, when shops reopen, or when people can live as they did before the disaster? It is difficult to determine where the finish line lies.
Even so, we must keep living as we strive toward a finish line for which there is no single right answer.
Both immediately after the flooding and after the disaster debris had been cleared, many people must have felt anxious, never knowing what lay ahead.
Yet even when the destination for recovery was impossible to foresee, Horiguchi kept taking action to do whatever he could to help local residents.
I am sure that his actions gave many people hope.
From the way Horiguchi lives, I learned that a leader is someone who shows many people the destination and guides them in the direction they should go.
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