Disaster preparedness focus grows following heavy rains in Japan

Following recent natural disasters, including heavy rains in Chiba and Ishikawa prefectures in Japan, as well as significant flooding and landslides near the China-Nepal border, there is a renewed focus on disaster preparedness.

A survey conducted by Master Lock Sentry Japan highlights a gap between the high perceived necessity of disaster readiness—felt by nearly 90% of respondents—and the actual level of preparedness reported by 62.1% of households. Common barriers to maintaining readiness include costs, forgetting to review supplies, and difficulties managing expiration dates.

To address these challenges, the concept of ‘phase-free’ is gaining traction. This approach encourages using everyday items that also serve as emergency supplies, such as stools with built-in storage for disaster kits. Additionally, the idea of ‘leaving-behind preparedness’ is being discussed to help evacuees avoid the temptation to return to homes to retrieve important documents or valuables, which can delay safe evacuation.