About a year ago, in August 2024, the "Emergency Information on the Nankai Trough Earthquake (Warning for Major Earthquakes)" was announced.
Looking back now, I feel that this may have triggered the "Reiwa Rice Riots," and the sense of tension I felt at that time is still fresh in my memory.
Unlike floods, which can be somewhat predicted, earthquakes occur suddenly, so it is essential to prepare regularly and engage in continuous training.
In response, Kurashiki City has planned the "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill."
The first drill was conducted on September 26, 2024, with approximately 90,000 participants. Furthermore, the second drill, "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill 2025," has also been decided.
We will introduce the "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill," which aims to instill the idea that "You must protect your own safety" and reduce unexpected situations while reviewing daily disaster prevention measures.
What is the "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill 2025"
The "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill" will be held on September 26, 2025 (Friday) at 9:00 AM, and is an earthquake response drill.
The purpose of the drill is to instill the idea that "you must protect your own safety" during an earthquake, to ensure that individuals do not get injured during disasters, and to enhance the community's disaster prevention capabilities by helping those nearby.
Essentially the same content as the "ShakeOut Drill"
The "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill" is conducted under the name of "ShakeOut Drill" in other local governments.
ShakeOut is a new earthquake disaster prevention drill name proposed by earthquake research organizations in California, USA, in 2008.
The safety actions during an earthquake, known as "1-2-3," are implemented simultaneously at a predetermined date and time in the community, with prior registration and learning.
The safety actions 1-2-3 are as follows:
- First, drop down (DROP)
- Protect your head (COVER)
- Do not move (HOLD ON)
The name ShakeOut is a coined term by its creators.
In Japan, it is referred to as "ShakeOut" or "ShakeOut Drill," but translations like "Simultaneous Disaster Prevention Drill" are also accepted, and "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill" is a case that uses that translation.
Differences from the previous drill (2024)
The "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill" was also held on September 26, 2024 (Thursday).
The methods and content of participation are basically the same, but the following points differ from the previous drill.
- Disaster Message Dial "171"
With the cooperation of NTT West Japan, the Disaster Message Dial "171" can be used. Please try it as one way to inform your family of your safety, assuming an earthquake occurs while you are at work. - Introduction and promotion of the "Kurashiki Emergency Notification App"
As the operation of the disaster loudspeakers will end in March 2026, this service will notify you of emergency information during disasters, such as evacuation information.
When emergency information is received, the app will automatically start and play a voice message. - Increased flexibility in accepting participating organizations
Focusing on the 9 AM start time, we are accepting participation from hobby groups, such as those playing ground golf or tennis.
Additionally, even if it is difficult to participate in the training starting at 9 AM, you can use the voice message that was broadcast through the "Kurashiki Emergency Notification App" (which is saved in the history) to conduct the training at a convenient time.
How to participate in the "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill"
Participating is very simple.
General citizens do not need to register to participate; instead, they should read the explanation page and flyer for the "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill" as prior learning to understand the purpose and content of the drill.
For organizations (businesses, voluntary disaster prevention organizations, neighborhood associations, schools, etc.), registration is recommended, so please check the Kurashiki City website and register to participate.
If you have the emergency notification FM radio "Kokucchi", please confirm that it operates normally, and install the "Kurashiki Emergency Notification App" on your smartphone to complete your preparations.
Then, on the day (September 26), let's conduct the drill at 9 AM.
The drill itself will take about 1 minute.
Feel free to participate and take this opportunity to review your actions during an earthquake.
We spoke with Kengo Kaku and Akihito Yano from the Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office, Kurashiki City, who are planning and managing the "Kurashiki City Simultaneous Earthquake Response Drill 2025."
Interview with the staff of the Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office, Kurashiki City
As this is the second implementation, could you tell us about the results of the previous drill?
Kaku (no honorifics)
Last year, due to the issuance of the "Emergency Information on the Nankai Trough Earthquake (Warning for Major Earthquakes)" before the drill, approximately 90,000 people participated.
Conducting the drill revealed some issues, and we believe that enhancing the disaster prevention awareness of each citizen and the cooperation of the community, including voluntary disaster prevention organizations, is important, which is why we decided to hold it again this year.
What issues were revealed during last year's drill?
Kaku
Last year, we received participation declarations from about 1,100 organizations (mainly businesses and schools), but we also felt a difference in disaster prevention awareness.
A key point was how well leaders and disaster prevention personnel could lead those around them, which seemed to reflect in the differences in the content of subsequent plus-one training.
I felt that how far we can advance this point is a challenge for the administration as well.
Additionally, last year, participation was mainly from businesses, and there were fewer community-based participants, such as from town development promotion councils. Therefore, this year, we are encouraging participation by holding outreach lectures.
Are there any differences from last year's drill?
Kaku
Basically, it is similar to last year's drill.
However, this year, with the cooperation of NTT West Japan, we will be able to use the "Disaster Message Dial 171" as a plus-one training.
The Disaster Message Dial 171 allows you to convey your safety in your own voice. When a major earthquake occurs, you would want to check on your family's safety first. However, if transportation networks are disrupted due to liquefaction, it can become very difficult to return home.
In such cases, being able to hear a healthy voice would greatly increase your sense of security.
To use it, call "171," enter your phone number, and leave a message.
Conversely, if you want to listen to a recorded message, call 171 and enter the other person's phone number to play it back.
In situations where direct phone calls are difficult during a disaster, this system allows you to leave messages like "I'm safe," enabling family members in distant locations to confirm each other's safety.
Yano (no honorifics)
Additionally, we have introduced the "Kurashiki Emergency Notification App."
This is a system to notify emergency broadcasts during disasters, such as evacuation information, at high volume from smartphones, as the operation of disaster loudspeakers will end in March 2026.
Even if you live outside the city, you can listen to Kurashiki City's emergency broadcasts, so family members living apart from parents in Kurashiki City can hear the city's emergency broadcasts and encourage family members living in the city to evacuate. We expect that voices from family members during emergencies will be very effective in prompting behavioral changes.
The service will start on October 1, but we will conduct a trial operation during this drill, so we hope you will install it.
Additionally, while the drill starts at 9 AM, there may be cases where schools cannot conduct it at that time.
The received emergency information is automatically saved on smartphones for the last 10 messages, allowing you to review it later, so you can also conduct the drill at a convenient time using that information.
Furthermore, as a change for this year, we have focused on the 9 AM start time and are accepting participation from hobby groups, such as those playing ground golf or tennis.
The simultaneous earthquake response drill is a training exercise to learn safety actions during an earthquake, assuming that an earthquake occurs at that time and place (first drop down, protect your head, do not move).
If you are outdoors, please discuss what actions to take within your group.
Having conducted this training once, what significance do you think it holds?
Kaku
This training is based on a very simple concept of "taking safe actions when a strong tremor occurs" and can be completed in just about a minute. Anyone, from adults to children, can participate.
The reason why such a simple training is important is that if a large-scale earthquake, like one at the Nankai Trough level, occurs, if you are injured, it will require a lot of manpower for subsequent rescue operations.
However, if through this training you can first ensure your own safety, you will then be able to help others. This is a case where "minus" turns into "plus," which holds great significance in emergencies.
Conversely, if you have not trained, you will likely panic when the time comes, wondering "what should I do?" Therefore, it is crucial to actually experience and physically remember this very simple yet extremely important first step.
By experiencing this training, you can become one of those who "help" when an earthquake at the Nankai Trough occurs. We hope that this simple training will serve as a "trigger" for everyone to think about and start taking action regarding disaster prevention.
Did you receive any feedback from participants in the training?
Yano
We received several interesting opinions from last year's participants.
For example, an unexpected comment was that "it was difficult to get under the desk".
As adults, we rarely have the opportunity to quickly duck under a desk. When we actually try to do it, we find that "our bodies have grown, and the desk was smaller than we thought", or we might say, "my knees hurt" or "my back hurts," which also served as a chance to understand our own physical condition.
Additionally, many expressed that they understood the importance of protecting their heads, with some even feeling the need to purchase helmets.
From these opinions, we recognize that this training was very helpful in raising participants' awareness of "first protecting themselves".
Especially since many participants had not engaged in disaster prevention training regularly, experiencing this simple first step of self-protective action seems to have been a valuable experience.
Finally, please share a message for the citizens.
Kaku
The "Kurashiki City Earthquake Response Training" is focused on the Nankai Trough earthquake.
In the event that a large-scale earthquake occurs, we believe that the manpower of the administration, including the fire department, will be absolutely insufficient. In such cases, the disaster prevention awareness of each citizen and the cooperation of local residents, including self-defense organizations, become extremely important.
In Kurashiki City, strong tremors of shindo 6 weak to shindo 6 strong are expected over a wide area, so we hope this training will serve as a chance for everyone to reconsider "what preparations are necessary."
This training is a simple activity that can be done in just about a minute. Furthermore, it is open to everyone from adults to children.
By protecting yourself, we hope you can turn a negative into a positive and become someone who can help others.
We encourage many citizens to participate widely.
Conclusion
A friend who moved from Kanto to Kurashiki once told me, "Kurashiki really has few earthquakes, and the disaster prevention awareness tends to relax as a result."
Indeed, in Kurashiki, the impression of the "heavy rain of July 2018" is strong, and people tend to associate "disasters" with water damage, which may lead to a lower awareness of "earthquakes."
I felt this acutely with the "Nankai Trough Earthquake Emergency Information (Warning for Major Earthquakes)" announced last year (2024). To be honest, I could only think of stockpiling as a preparation.
Preparation for disasters is not just a one-time effort; it is also important to review it regularly.
How about participating in the "Kurashiki City Earthquake Response Training 2025" on September 26 at 9 AM and taking some time to think about disaster prevention?
Data on Kurashiki City Earthquake Response Training
| Name | Kurashiki City Earthquake Response Training |
|---|---|
| Date | September 26, 2025 (Friday) at 9 AM |
| Location | Home, workplace, school, etc. |
| Participation fee (including tax) | None ※ For groups (businesses, self-defense organizations, neighborhood associations, schools, etc.), participation registration is recommended |
| Website | Kurashiki City Earthquake Response Training (Official Kurashiki City Website) |
※Refer to the application form here