Disaster training held for international students (16 and 18 May 2019)

On Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 May, the Kyoto Prefectural International Center (KPIC) hosted the 2019 Disaster Prevention Training Session for a total of 45 participants from Kyoto University, most of them international students.

KPIC began offering this program to KyotoU international students in the fall of 2018, and the University has since been encouraging those applicable to take advantage of this opportunity so as to enhance their preparedness for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods, which can strike any time of year.

With 15 taking part on the 16th and 30 on the 18th, the spring 2019 training began each day with simulated experiences of a storm, earthquakes, and evacuation at the Kyoto City Disaster Prevention Center. In the storm session, participants were subjected to 32-meter-per-hour winds, strong enough to limit their ability to move. They next experienced rolling earthquakes that ranged in intensity from four to seven on the Japanese scale, before attending a lecture on how to prepare for and respond to such events. The ensuing "evacuation session" featured a realistically simulated hotel fire, which presented a rare opportunity to experience the challenge of finding a way out of a smoke-filled building.

In the next part, KPIC staff delivered a lecture on disaster prevention, introducing several useful resources, such as websites and smartphone applications, and a glossary of special terms. Afterwards, participants studied an evacuation map of the city of Kyoto to locate their nearest evacuation centers, and then took part in a role play to practice making emergency calls.

Throughout the program, everyone enjoyed each of the unique experiences offered while diligently honing their disaster preparedness.