Disaster drill › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

PHOTO BY TARO FUJIMOTO

Tuesday 27th January, 02:54 PM JST

People participate in an emergency drill held at Shinagawa station in Tokyo on Tuesday morning, aimed at orderly evacuation from a crowded place and immediate transfer of injured people in the event of an earthquake. The drill was organized by the Tokyo metropolitan government, police, the fire department as well as companies located in the area, such as Sony, NTT, and the Prince Hotel group. Some 750 employees from participating companies and 450 officials took part in the drill.

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

Spidey at 03:21 PM JST - 27th January

This "drill" has about as much reality as the people putting on those stupid vests during a "real" emergency would.

It's almost as bad as the "fire drills" that they have in schools. All pre-planned down to the last millisecond. Nothing like living in a dreamworld.

S
Wakarimasen at 03:23 PM JST - 27th January

Yes, walking practice. Anyhooo, chance of good Samaritans in Japan pretty small. Will just walk (straight) round dead and dying...... I like the bloke in the mask in the picture - another pointless and ridiculous "precaution"
lovevictim at 03:24 PM JST - 27th January

better than doing nothing.
Wakarimasen at 03:26 PM JST - 27th January

How is doing something useless better than doing nothing. You been in Japan too long.
Altria at 03:27 PM JST - 27th January

Those guys at Starbucks have the right idea - grab a coffee and wait for the rioting masses to pass.
memyselfI at 03:55 PM JST - 27th January

In reality thousands will die !!! I doubt somebody will help me during a earthquake in a JR Station. But, i will do my best to help somebody. I hope I am not on a train or a building during the mother of all earthquakes happen. Tokyo will have a billion fires going at the same time. Stock up on water, canned goods, batteries and candles.
ptolemy at 04:01 PM JST - 27th January

Will they be given those dorky yellow signs in the real thing?
norinrad21 at 06:27 PM JST - 27th January

ptolemy

I doubt it
borscht at 06:48 PM JST - 27th January

My school had a disaster drill once. Everyone did as they were told and everything worked out as planned. About four weeks later, we had a small fire and everyone stood around screaming "Doshiyo? Doshiyo?" until someone got permission to call the fire department. Then everything was "Taihen ne." for about three weeks.

Once again, reality and 'drills' diverged.
realist at 12:40 AM JST - 28th January

Whats with the silly looking things they have tied around their chests? This is really a joke. No way will japanese people behave like the ones in the picture when the bog one comes. Just watch how they get on some of the trains - like animals, in some cases.
loltehinterwebs at 03:48 AM JST - 28th January

lol! They're walking out of the shinkansen area, which wouldn;t even be operating in a disaster.
Sarge at 06:36 AM JST - 28th January

"I like the bloke in the mask - another pointless and ridiculous "pre-caution"

He's a doctor, of course, he would render emergency medical aid to the injured.
noirgaijin at 07:39 AM JST - 28th January

It would be unfair to say that the reaction to an actual emergency and a drill would differ only in Japan. However, as borscht pointed out, there are few to none that would step forward and take charge in this country in the event of a disaster in fear someone would be injured or die because they had took the initiative to restore calm and do the right thing in getting everyone to safety.
Spidey at 11:45 AM JST - 28th January

I guess the Starbucks seating area is impervious to earthquakes. Go figure!!

S
borscht at 12:34 AM JST - 29th January

I just noticed everyone has on sensible walking shoes and the women are all wearing pants instead of company uniforms (skirts). A real emergency would be totally different.