Are you ready to brave a magnitude 7 earthquake? TO escape from a flash flood? Or to test yourself in an escape room… full of smoke? In Tokyo, in the Sumida district, a few steps from the famous Tokyo Skytree, all this is possible, and fun too! Inaugurated in 2002 and recently renovated, the Honjo Disaster Prevention Center offers an out-of-the-ordinary educational experience, ideal for adults and children.
Through realistic simulations and interactive activities, visitors can experience first-hand what it means to face an earthquake, escape a fire or escape a flood. An innovative and engaging way to educate the population about safety, transforming fear into knowledge and prevention.
In a country like Japan, constantly threatened by earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons, preparing for natural disasters is a top priority. The Honjo Disaster Prevention Center stands out as an example of safety education, offering citizens an immersive and engaging training experience.
Through realistic simulations and interactive activities, visitors can experience first-hand what it means to be at the center of a magnitude 7 earthquake, escape from a flash flood or escape from a room filled with smoke.
View this post on Instagram
But the centre’s training offer does not stop at simulations. Visitors can participate in first aid courses, learn to use fire extinguishers and fire hydrants, and immerse themselves in a virtual reality that recreates the devastating effects of a typhoon.
“Our goal is to provide citizens with the tools necessary to protect themselves and others in the event of an emergency,” the Center says. “We want people to become aware of the risks and develop the ability to react in a calm and rational wayeven in the most critical situations.”
The Honjo Disaster Prevention Center stands out as a model of safety education, an initiative that deserves to be taken as an example and replicated in other contexts.
Its effectiveness lies not only in the cutting-edge technologies used, but above all in an innovative pedagogical approach that places experience at the center of the learning process.
Here, in fact, we don’t just listen to lectures or read manuals: visitors are personally involved in realistic simulations which faithfully reproduce the dynamics of a disaster. They can thus experience what it means to be in a building that shakes during an earthquake, escape from a flash flood or extricate themselves from a room filled with smoke, learning to manage stress and put into practice the evacuation techniques they have learned.
This experiential approach promotes deeper memorization and effective internalization of informationtransforming fear into awareness and theoretical knowledge into practical skills.
The Center offers different activities and educational paths, differentiated by age groups and skill levels, in order to guarantee a tailor-made educational experience for everyone, from children to the elderly, from people with disabilities to foreign tourists. Access to the center is completely free and the structure is easily accessible by public transport, breaking down any economic barrier and promoting the participation of a large and diverse audience.
The Honjo Disaster Prevention Center represents a forward-thinking investment in citizen safety and community resilience. A place where knowledge turns into action and fear gives way to awareness, contributing to create a society better prepared for the challenges of the present and future.