Disaster drills for foreigners › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

PHOTO BY TARO FUJIMOTO

Tuesday 20th January, 01:55 PM JST

Foreigners take part in an earthquake drill for foreign residents conducted at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Tuesday. In the drill organized by the Tokyo metropolitan government, about 160 foreigners from more than 40 countries learned emergency aid, how to use fire extinguishers and survival techniques with instructions by volunteer interpreters, police officers and firefighters. Officials from foreign embassies, students at Japanese-language schools and other foreign residents participated. For more photos, visit: JapanToday.Gallery

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

nightflesh at 03:22 PM JST - 20th January

160 foreigners who are now educated to help the thousands of Japanese that are not. Glad foreigners can be of good use this time around.
kwatt at 03:31 PM JST - 20th January

Please your life try not to depend on evacuation camps holding stockpiles. You will wait for some water and food for many many hours. Public toilets become too terrible to do it.
Wakarimasen at 03:43 PM JST - 20th January

Listen to kwatt- man knows what he is talking about. all his points were covered in the foreigner only drill that the photo shows.
Noripinhead at 03:46 PM JST - 20th January

Whoa! Who cut the cheese?
ptolemy at 04:48 PM JST - 20th January

My question would be why they didn't have this exercise in warmer weather.

Uncles Taro and Shintaro don't want us to get too comfortable here. Nyuk, nyuk. Seriously, I wish Nagoya had something like this. In Kasugai where I live the Red Cross sponsors practice drills in Japanese, Portuguese, English, and Korean, together at the same time, but only a handful of people show up. It's only a 20 minute trip on JR from Nagoya Station. I seriously feel sorry for people if Tokai has the big one. People will seriously freak out.
spiderman at 05:01 PM JST - 20th January

they teach you how to smile while running to save your life...
thedesertfox at 06:22 PM JST - 20th January

Leaving the tent after a few bong hits....
Yelnats at 08:00 PM JST - 20th January

Best response to this silly article is: Lots of plastic bags stored up for due to lack of flushing and lots of toilet paper too, but real stuff. Not that stuff your fingers go through. Also, you should have on hand, lots of canned goods and two can openers in case they are not pop tops. First aid kit, a Kerosene heater and several of those red containers of Kerosene. Batteries and lighters. extra pairs of hundred yen glasses. Board games and cards, and other things to amuse yourself with. Lots of batteries for your digital camera as there will be tons of great disaster shots to take. By the way, tighten up the bases of those tansu earthquake protecting things as they loosen up in the winter. LOts of slippers as the vacuum will not work to clean up the broken glass. Always keep ¥50,000 handy as you can go to a store, plop down a ten and ask for written credit. Oh, by the way, learn Japanese.
zurcronium at 08:30 PM JST - 20th January

This photo looks like anyone exiting a JR station escaping the clouds of cancer causing tobacco smoke.

The big one is coming up in Tokyo, get ready. Its way overdue now.
memyselfI at 08:43 PM JST - 20th January

The mother of all earthquakes is coming. Come to think of it. I haven't felt a tremor in awhile. In reality Tokyo will be an inferno. Cell phones wouldn't work . Black outs everywhere.

Stock up on bottled water, candles, can food, m & m 's , batteries, keep your documents in water tight plastic bags and make sure your suitcase is handy.

Fire extingusishers !! No where your fire exits are. Apartment and work area.
funkyfresh at 09:39 PM JST - 20th January

or during the weekend?... when more people have time off work/school to attend, or at least over a week's period. but none the less, better than nothing right?.
Betzee at 09:44 PM JST - 20th January

In your home, make sure not to keep place heavy objects anywhere they could hurt in the event the earth starts moving. After having been awoken by an earthquake, I don't keep framed pictures over my bed. And don't leave half drunk cups of coffee, or any other liquid, near your computer.
Freddy5 at 10:47 PM JST - 20th January

Damn, I don't these two guys, so I won't have a clue what to do.
smithinjapan at 01:02 AM JST - 21st January

Saran wrap and plastic bags, kiddies. Saran wrap to cover your plate/bowl when you eat, as you don't want to waste any water in washing. The bags... well... imagination.
Taka313 at 03:55 AM JST - 21st January

A few people have mentioned not knowing what to do or how to prepare.

Here's a really good site, recommended to me a couple of years ago by a friend who is also the disaster readiness guy for all naval forces in Japan:

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/

Lots of good information there.

Taka