開催趣旨 「稲むらの火」について 開催概要 全体日程とプログラム フォーラムのあらまし 参加者名簿 Forum Purpose About the ‘Inamura-no-hi’ Story Event Outline Total Schedule and Program Summary of the Forum List of Participants 第1章 アジア防災教育子どもフォーラムについて Chapter 1. The Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education
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アジア防災教育子どもフォーラムについて surveying the tsunami damage of the 1896 Sanriku-oki Quake. This story itself was later re-written by a local elementary school
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Transcript
開催趣旨
「稲むらの火」について
開催概要
全体日程とプログラム
フォーラムのあらまし
参加者名簿
Forum Purpose
About the ‘Inamura-no-hi’ Story
Event Outline
Total Schedule and Program
Summary of the Forum
List of Participants
第1章アジア防災教育子どもフォーラムについてChapter 1. The Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education
In Japan, the dangers of ʻTokai / To-Nankai / Nankai’ earthquakes are ever apparent. Furthermore, and especially in the Pacific Ocean region, the devastation and havoc caused by tsunamis are a fact of life. Asian countries are also at risk, as evidenced by the extraordinary number of lives lost (�00,000) to the Indian Ocean Earthquake Tsunami in December 2004. At the United Nations, continuing on from the 1987 initiative for a 10 year project, the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction was adopted in 1999. Likewise, the UN is promoting international cooperation to improve disaster prevention systems, infrastructure and facilities, disaster prevention education, and to mitigate disaster risk and damage. However, in Asian countries, measures for tackling the common threat of earthquakes, and the underlying solidarity and mutual cooperation they require, are clearly insufficient. Concrete action is needed to establish them.
Therefore, it was decided to hold an ʻAsian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education’ in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The location is significant for its connection to the inspiring story and essential teaching resource known asʻInamura-no-hiʼ(ʻThe Burning of Rice Straw Bundlesʼ). The Forum will be held through the cooperation of Wakayama Prefecture Board of Education, Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) and the Inamura-no-hi Council. Children from areas struck by natural disasters, from Wakayama and beyond, from areas all around Japan, and from Asian countries devastated by the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami will join together. This meeting will showcase and popularize information needed to realize a disaster reduction-oriented society.
The ʻInamura-no-hi’ story will be promoted internationally as an exemplary disaster prevention educational resource. This Forum will also significantly increase awareness among children of their place in the next age of disaster prevention and about their roles in community disaster prevention. It will provide an opportunity to bring a meaningful disaster reduction society into each community. Furthermore, by taking borderless disaster prevention education forward, together with education for sustainable development, the Forum will aim to establish a new core partnership among Asian countries towards collaborative disaster mitigation and prevention.
開催趣旨/ Forum Purpose
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Around 150 years ago, on a December evening in 1854, a large earthquake and devastating tsunami struck Hiro-mura Village in the Kishu area of Japan (present-day Hirogawa Town, Arida County in Wakayama Prefecture). �6 villagers lost their lives and every single house was badly damaged.
Many people were saved thanks to the quick thinking of one �5 year old man called Goryo Hamaguchi who set fire to some dry bundles of rice straw, cut and stacked in nearby paddy fields. He used these as torches to guide villagers to safety in the higher grounds of Hiro Hachiman Shrine.
The cultural writer Lafcadio Hearn (Yagumo Koizumi) reflected this theme in his short story ʻA Living Godʼ after surveying the tsunami damage of the 1896 Sanriku-oki Quake. This story itself was later re-written by a local elementary school teacher, Nakai Tsunezo, for use in school textbooks, although his version differed in some parts to the original story. In the new version, after the earthquake has struck, an old man named Gohei observes how the sea has retreated into the distance and forecasts that a tsunami must be coming. In order to warn the villagers, who remain oblivious to the impending danger, Gohei sets fire to the rice straw. In doing this, he draws the people away to higher ground. The story has always left a strong impression on the children who read it.
However, the great deeds originally performed by Goryo Hamaguchi extended far beyond saving villagers from the disaster. He went on to personally fund reconstruction and repairs to damaged property. He also constructed a
This forum was executed as part of the 2006 Upper Secondary School Student Exchange Programme within the framework of the ACCU International Exchange Programme under the UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust for the Promotion of International Cooperation and Mutual Understanding.
600 meter long, 5 meter high sea barricade (the registered historical site known as the ʻHiromura Bank') and provided villagers with work. It was this bank which, some 80 years later, saved many more people from the tsunami caused by the 1946 Nankai Earthquake.
In December 2004, the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami inflicted extensive destruction in multiple locations and, in July 2006, the Java Indonesia Earthquake also caused a devastating tsunami. The Japanese people live under the constant threat of another ʻTokai, To-Nankai, or Nankai earthquakeʼ suddenly occurring. The ʻInamura-no-hiʼ story therefore serves as an impressive lesson for teaching the importance of swift action and decision making as well as being prepared for natural disasters within our daily lives. The story is highly valued as an essential teaching resource.
稲むらの火が掲載された「小学国語読本」
国指定史跡「広村堤防」浜口梧陵
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協 力(海外)Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC)/Centre for Environment Education (CEE, India)/ Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO / Mercy Malaysia / Department of Education of the Philippines / Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka / UNESCO Bangkok / Yayasan IDEP Foundation (Indonesia)
VenuesWakayama Prefectural Culture HallHotel Avalorm Kino-kuni※Pre-Event:Hirogawa Town Public Gymnasium, and others
SponsorshipThe Organizing Committee for the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction EducationWakayama Prefectural Board of EducationAsia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)Inamura-no-hi Council
Cooperating Organizations JapanJapan Broadcasting Corporation Wakayama Station / Crisis & Environment Management Policy Institute (CeMI) / Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) / The Ritsumeikan Academy
Cooperating Organizations OverseasBangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC) / Centre for Environment Education (CEE, India) / Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO / Mercy Malaysia / Department of Education of the Philippines / Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka / UNESCO Bangkok / Yayasan IDEP Foundation (Indonesia)
Supporting OrganizationsCabinet Office Government of Japan / Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan / The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan / Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan / Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport of Japan / Japan Meteorological Agency / Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan / Japanese National Commission for UNESCO / Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
開催概要/ Event Outline
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全体日程とプログラム/ Total Schedule and Program
○全体日程/ Total Schedule
日付 Date 午前の活動 Morning Activities 午後の活動 Afternoon Activities
10/�0㈪MondayOctober �0th
○オリエンテーションOrientation
○ワークショップ1 Preparatory Workshop for the Summit 1
○歓迎夕食会 Welcome Dinner
10/31㈫TuesdayOctober �1st
○プレイベント:広川町現地研修・交流会Pre-event:Traning and Exchange Visit to Hirogawa Town
○ワークショップ2Preparatory Workshop for the Summit 2
11/1㈬WednesdayNovember 1st
○開会式Opening Ceremony
・表彰式Awards Ceremony
○交流昼食会Exchange Luncheon Party
○子ども防災教室Youth Classroom for Disaster Reduction
○ワークショップ�Preparatory Workshop for the Summit �
11/2㈭ThursdayNovember 2nd
○アジア子ども防災サミットAsian Youth Summit for Disaster Reduction
・わかやま宣言の決定Adoption of Wakayama Declaration
○記念イベントCommemoration Event
・記念創作劇Creative drama presentation
・特別講演Special Lecture
○閉会式Closing Ceremony
・わかやま宣言の発表Presentation of Wakayama Declaration
○お別れ夕食会Farewell Dinner
11/3㈮FridayNovember �rd
○高野山世界遺産見学Visit to the World Heritage Site of Koyasan
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Opening Greetings: Yoji Ozeki, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Forum (Superintendent of Education In Wakayama Pref.)
Welcome Address: Kunio Sato, Director-General of Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO Honorary Guest Speech: Toshiaki Endo, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of JapanOrganizing Prefecture’s Welcome Speech: Yoshiki Kimura, Governor of Wakayama Pref.
●Opening Declaration/Announcement of winners of the radio program contest (which was advertised throughout Japan) and the announcement of schools of excellence for disaster prevention education.
●Together with lecturers active in disaster prevention and disaster education, youths from 8 different countries will hold a discussion on earthquake disasters and prevention.
“Extra Lesson: A Study of Disaster Victims by children in their teens” ○1st Period: “Learning about the mechanisms of natural disasters” Lecturer: Seiji Suwa (from the Environment and Disaster Mitigation Course at Maiko
High School of Hyogo Pref.)○ 2nd Period: “129 Photographs Taken by Children” Lecturer: Masaru Goto (Photojournalist living in Thailand)
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11月2日/ November 2nd
Time 内 容 Description 会 場 Venue
9:30 アジア子ども防災サミット(9:30~ 12:30) Asian Youth Summit for Disaster Reduction (9:30 ~ 12:30)
ホテルアバローム紀の国 鳳凰の間(西・中) Hotel Avalorm Kino-kuni Hou-ou no ma (Phoenix Hall)(West / Center)
●Discussion on what we can do for the creation of a society that is able to manage disasters, based on what has been learnt in the sessions and workshop. Group presentation of conclusions. Adoption of "Wakayama Declaration".
○ Creative drama presentation “Inamura-no-hi and Goryo Hamaguchi” Drama produced by: Theatrical troupe “Nostalgia” (Representative: Yoshiaki Okazaki) Cast: Junior high and high school students within Wakayama Pref. ○ Special Lecture “Toward Disaster Reduction Society” Lecturer: Yoshiaki Kawata (Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University)
●Presentation of youth Forum Conclusions, Announcement of “Wakayama Declaration Adoption” by “Asian Youth Summit for Disaster Reduction” and finally, the Closing Ceremony.
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⑴ Forum Participants<From Asia>Through the good offices of the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), we obtained the cooperation of relevant local authorities to invite a total of 42 people comprising four students and two leaders from each of seven countries to attend this forum. The countries selected were India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand - all of which sustained heavy damage from the Asian Tsunami generated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake - in addition to Bangladesh and the Philippines.
<From Japan>A total of nine students from junior high and high schools in Wakayama Prefecture were selected from among the applicants as Japanese representative participants to join in the forum activities with their fellow students from the above-mentioned Asian countries. These students participated in the entire program. In addition, junior high and high school students from schools that conduct disaster reduction education exercises in disaster-prone areas of Niigata, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Hyogo, Tokushima and Kochi Prefectures were invited to the forum. Furthermore, more than 2,000 Wakayama elementary, junior high and high school students also participated.
<Facilitators>Three ACCU members and, three NGO experts from India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka were invited to take part in the forum as facilitators. Their tasks were to help the student participants develop their discussions standing on a common Asian foundation, and to engage them in planning and operation from the preparatory Workshops and Classroom through to the summit events.
⑵ Forum Program Contenta. Pre-Event ○Traning and Exchange Visit to Hirogawa Town
(October �1st at Hirogawa Town, Arida County, Wakayama Prefecture)The participants visited Hirogawa Town, which has experienced devastation from tsunami in the past. Here
they practiced evacuation, emergency and outdoor meal preparation training based on the scenario that the area had been hit by a tsunami. In addition, they studied the historic achievements of Goryo Hamaguchi (that have left their mark on the town today) and visited sites of national historic importance such as the Hiromura sea embankment, Hamaguchi’s Taikyusha training house, etc.
b. Program ○Opening Ceremony
(November 1st at Wakayama Prefectural Culture Hall, Wakayama City)After addresses by the organizers and guests, representatives of Wakayama Prefecture’s own participants explained the purpose behind the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education. They also delivered a progress report, introduced the overseas participants from each country, and then issued an opening declaration. Following that, all the participants observed one minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, the 2004 Java Indonesia Earthquake and other natural disasters.The Opening Ceremony also included announcements of case studies on disaster reduction education practices, as well as examples of radio program contests, both of which had been gathered nationwide as forum-related projects. In addition, the ceremony featured a presentation of the Excellence Awards for Disaster Reduction Painting and Message. These, illustrated by the sender and with a few accompanying words, were gathered from schools throughout Wakayama Prefecture.
○Youth Classroom for Disaster Reduction
(November 1st at Wakayama Prefectural Culture Hall, Wakayama City)With the participation of invited lecturers, active in the field of disaster reduction education, the students from the eight participating countries talked with each other, exchanging a diversity of thoughts and ideas about earthquake disasters and ways of achieving disaster reduction.
○Asian Youth Summit on Disaster Reduction (November 2nd at the Hotel Avalorm, Kinokuni)Based on what they had learned during their site
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traning and workshop activities, the participants used this summit to think about and discuss what they could do to create a society that cannot be defeated by disasters. Then they adopted the “The Wakayama Declaration by Youth on Disaster Reduction” (Wakayama Declaration), which summarized the results of their discussions.
Junior high and high school students from Wakayama Prefecture performed a creative memorial drama entitled Inamura-no-Hi and Goryo Hamaguchi (The Burning of Rice Straw Bundles and Goryo Hamaguchi). Also, Yoshiaki Kawata, the Chief of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Kyoto University, delivered a special lecture entitled “Toward Disaster Reduction Society.”
○Closing Ceremony (November 2nd at Wakayama Prefectural Culture Hall, Wakayama City)Following presentation of an activities report by representatives of the participants from Wakayama Prefecture and the introduction of picture boards summarizing disaster reduction messages (made by the students themselves), the students announced the Wakayama Declaration in each participating country’s national language.
With this, the two-day Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education, held November 1st (Wednesday) and 2nd (Thursday), and attended by over �,000 participants, ended to favorable comment.
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国名/ Country 名前/ Name 所属組織・学校名/ Organization 肩書等/ Position
バングラデシュ BANGLADESH
Mir Abdur Razzaq Taslima Memorial High School
StudentMohammad Rezaul Karim Kutibe Jum Ideal High School
Sumiya Binte HaidarA.M. High School
Nusrat Jahan Sayeeda
Mohammad Rafiqul Alam Dwip Unnayan Songstha (DUS) Team Leader Executive
Director (ED)
Sultana Afsari Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC) Documentation Officer
Good morning everybody. Blessed as we are today with this fine weather, I am very happy to be able to welcome all the children from the various Asian countries and also the many participants from places across Japan to this Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education here in Wakayama. Thank you all very much for joining us.
In recent years, the Asian region has been hit by the major disasters of the Indian Ocean Earthquake and the Java Indonesia Earthquake, and by the large tsunami that followed these quakes. In Japan too, we have experienced a number of major natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunami and typhoons, the largest being the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 and the Chuetsu Earthquake of 2004. By no means can we say that we are fully prepared, or that we have sufficient knowledge and training, to guard ourselves against such natural forces. However, we must deal with these events as they come by and draw upon our collective wisdom in order to keep the damage to a minimum. In this regard, the power that we can achieve through education is very great indeed.
If we are to learn properly about how to cope with disasters at home, in our local communities and at school, so that we will be able to take appropriate action in the event of an emergency, regular study is the most important thing we can do. In order to realize that, for the purpose of raising local youth disaster-prevention capabilities, Wakayama Prefecture has made a variety of efforts, including the establishment of a disaster prevention school run by some of the high school students who are attending todayʼs forum. In addition, holding this Forum itself is another such undertaking. The idea of the Forum is to invite children from Asian countries that have been struck by natural disasters, so that we can learn from each other about disaster prevention and then pass on what we have learned
開会挨拶/ Opening Greetings
アジア防災教育子どもフォーラム実行委員会会長小関 洋治Yoji OzekiChairman of the Organizing Committee for the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education
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In 1854 - approximately 150 years ago - a large earthquake and tsunami struck Wakayama Prefecture. The story of Inamura-no-hi, which was based on this historical incident, was introduced in Japanese school textbooks in 1935. There is therefore great significance in holding the present Forum in Wakayama, which has a history of being devastated by tsunami.
It is a tribute to the forumʼs joint organizers - the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO and the Inamura-no-hi Council - and to their superb assistance, that we are able to hold this forum by welcoming people from seven other Asian countries. I earnestly hope that everybody will join forces in order to make this forum a success. I also expect that, after the Forum is over, you will all undertake to promote disaster prevention not only here in Japan but also in other places across Asia and indeed throughout the world. Yesterday, an on-site training and exchange meeting was held in Hirogawa Town as a pre-forum event. Continuing from this, a succession of main program events is scheduled over the course of today and tomorrow. I would be delighted if our participants would make good use of this opportunity to learn fully about disaster prevention and to make this Forum really meaningful while expanding your circle of friendship with people from countries throughout Asia.
To finish up, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude to the many esteemed guests, beginning with the Senior Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Toshiaki Endo. These special people have honored us with their presence today and add a colorful touch to this forum. That concludes my address for this opening ceremony. Thank you all very much.
Good morning everybody. I am Kunio Sato, Director-General of the ACCU which is co-hosting this Forum together with the Organizing Committee for the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education, the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, and the Inamura-no-hi Council.
First of all, let me express my most sincere appreciation to the many people involved with the Forum. It is their efforts that have allowed us to hold this Opening Ceremony in such a splendid fashion. In particular, I would like to thank the Senior Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Toshiaki Endo, who is here with us today, for his invaluable help. But in addition, we have been able to accept all sorts of support from an enormous number of people, and I hope they will forgive me if I donʼt mention them all by name.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to the students and teachers who have gathered here today from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as from many places all over Japan, including right here in Wakayama.
The ACCU is supporting this Forum, which has allowed children from the diverse Asian countries struck by the Indian Ocean Earthquake (and the accompanying Tsunami) to gather together with children from across Japan to discuss and learn about disasters and to put into action “what we can do now.”
The Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami was a natural disaster on an immense scale. A powerful earthquake occurring beneath the sea close to Indonesia gave rise to a large tsunami that caused death and destruction in places as far away as India and beyond. One lesson that this huge
主催者挨拶/ Welcome Address
財団法人ユネスコ・アジア文化センター理事長佐藤 國雄Kunio SatoDirector-General of Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
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event should have taught us all is the importance of people acting cooperatively across national borders.
Here in Wakayama Prefecture, there is an excellent example of an attempt to prepare for and deal with natural disaster in the story of Inamura-no-hi. It is my hope that by learning from this nineteenth century tale and also by drawing on the experiences of those who personally witnessed the destruction from the Asian Tsunami, we will send out a powerful message in the form of ‘the Wakayama Declaration .̓ This will be a commitment to making a future disaster reduction society a reality.
The ACCU will use the results you achieve in the course of this forum to produce teaching materials, etc., for distribution around the world in order to promote education for sustainable development, which is one of UNESCOʼs most important goals.
I hope that this two-day forum will be a great success for you all, and that you will also make a lot of new friends.Thank you very much.
To mark the opening of the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education, I would like to say a few words.First of all, allow me to extend a warm welcome to all those who are with us here today from many places throughout Asia. Thank you for coming so far to be with us. It is very nice to have you along. I would also like to express my deep respect and gratitude toward the many people, from all over Wakayama and many other parts of Japan, for their efforts to promote disaster prevention education in their own schools and for pursuing activities on a routine basis aimed at preventing disasters in their own areas.
The earthquake below the ocean offshore from Sumatra Island the year before last, and the huge accompanying tsunami that devastated the many coastal areas around the Indian Ocean that took so many lives, are still fresh in our memories. Additionally, in recent years, many regions of Asia (including ourselves in Japan) have experienced natural disasters including major earthquakes and typhoons. Given this situation, it is vitally important that we give our children a disaster prevention education that helps them understand what they need to do to protect their own lives and limbs, an education that teaches them the safety basics. When an earthquake or typhoon strikes, they must be able to take the safest course of action on their own initiative, to both protect themselves and the safety of others. This has to be done locally and throughout society as a whole.
At the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, we are trying to improve disaster prevention education in schools by, for example, promoting endeavors such as the holding of workshops related to earthquakes and meteorological disasters with teachers playing a leading role in school safety. Also, in the coming school year we are producing teaching materials for elementary schools.
来賓挨拶/ Honorary Guest Speech
文部科学副大臣遠藤 利明Toshiaki EndoSenior Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
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The current Forum is a timely event comprising an interesting program that includes workshops in which junior high and high school students from across Asia consider what they can do to prevent disasters and the holding of the Asian Youth Summit on Disaster Reduction. The whole event is taking place here in Wakayama, a place renowned for Inamura-no-hi, which embodies the spirit of protecting each otherʼs safety both locally and throughout society. I sincerely hope that this Forum will be an exceedingly fruitful experience for all its participants.
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all those involved in this Forum, beginning with the members of the Organizing Committee for the Asian Youth Forum for Disaster Reduction Education, the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, the ACCU, and the Inamura-no-hi Council. And last of all, I pray that this Forum will be a resounding success.
It is predicted that my home prefecture of Wakayama will sustain large-scale damage from a Nankai earthquake and tsunami that is expected to strike some time in the not too distant future. The total number of people killed by the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, which occurred in December 2004, is thought to be more than 300,000, and the home countries of many people participating in this Forum suffered major damage.
The United Nations is promoting international cooperation with the objective of reducing damage by carrying out improvements to disaster prevention systems, facilities and equipment, and by promoting disaster prevention education. In Asia, however, a system for enabling neighboring countries to help each other has not yet been sufficiently established. During the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami disaster, many people lost their lives because they were unaware of that a tsunami is. They did not know one basic fact about tsunami that is common knowledge to Japanese people - the fact that a tsunami is likely to follow after a big earthquake which necessitates people evacuating to higher ground. I believe we must share more of this kind of knowledge from now on and we must undertake activities aimed at disaster reduction, not just in Japan, but throughout Asia.
One of the main purposes of holding this forum is to popularize the story of Inamura-no-hi. Do you know about this story? It concerns a man named Goryo Hamaguchi who was born in a place, now called Hirogawa Town, here in Wakayama Prefecture. When a major earthquake struck the area in 1854, the force generated a large night-time tsunami which came ashore all around the Kii Peninsula. Goryo was able to save some people from the tsunami by setting fire to piles of harvested rice straw that were stacked in the fields. By using the fires as landmarks, he was able to guide people to a place of safety. This story is widely known in Japan.
フォーラム趣旨説明/Forum Purpose Explanation
星林高等学校西岡 唯Yui Nishioka, StudentSeirin High School
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We thought it would be a good idea to make this story more widely known to people around the world by including it in disaster prevention education materials. The story clearly illustrates what a tsunami is and what people should do when a tsunami comes. That is also why Wakayama was chosen — where the events described in the story took place — as the venue for this Forum, a place where we can come together to discuss disaster prevention, share information and consider what we can do as Asian friends to create a society that is not defeated by earthquakes.
Throughout this Forum, participants from many parts of Asia including Japan will discuss issues, consider what they can personally do in the interests of disaster prevention, and share their knowledge in order to proceed with creating local communities that can persevere through earthquakes or tsunami. By taking advantage of the opportunity provided by this Forum, we earnestly hope that the youth of Asia will forge strong ties with each other across national borders as good partners and friends.
We would like to announce the project we nine participants of Wakayama, have been tackling towards todayʼs forum.
Hirogawa Training: July 23, 2006 (at Hirogawa Community Center, etc.)There are nine members in our group and our starting point was Hirogawa Town, which is the birthplace of Goryo Hamaguchi. Beginning with almost no knowledge whatsoever about earthquakes or tsunami, we learned about the subject from a college professor, who also gave us a picture postcard show.After that, we toured the sea wall that Goryo worked so hard to construct. We could sense that this embankment, which has protected the lives of the people of Hirogawa for generations, is now part of their spiritual support.We heard stories about the arrival of an actual tsunami from people who had experienced a more recent tsunami themselves. We could gain a real sense of fear for something we have never directly experienced. We realized how important it is to have people who can speak from their own experience to prevent the lessons learned from past encounters with earthquakes and tsunami from fading away. On that day, we resolved to spread the importance of many people being aware of disaster prevention.
Kobe Training: July 29, 2006 (at the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution and Hyogo Prefectural Maiko High School)Armed with what we had learned and resolved to do in Hirogawa, we headed to Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe suffered the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake disaster in 1995. We visited the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, which was established for the purpose of handing down the experience and lessons of that earthquake to future generations.Among the stories we heard there from people who spoke
私たち (日本代表)の軌跡/ Our Trajectory
笠田高等学校 湊 友希那賀高等学校 峰 悠子Yuki Minato, Student Kaseda High SchoolYuko Mine, Student Naga High School
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of their own experiences was an impressive story about lifein an evacuation center. We learned that even after oneʼs life has been saved following a major earthquake, many difficulties lie ahead including securing and distributing food, maintaining hygiene, etc.At the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, we saw many photographs that captured the distressing condition of the city just after the earthquake occurred and during the subsequent journey towards recovery. Among them, the pictures showing the smiles of people putting every ounce of their energy into the recovery effort, resolute in their faith that the city would be reconstructed, were particularly impressive.Our next port of call was Hyogo Prefectural Maiko High School, where they teach a disaster prevention specialty subject called Environmental Disaster Prevention. In this class, we discussed disaster prevention with the schoolʼs students. Up until then, we had only been concentrating on gaining knowledge about earthquakes, but here, for the first time, we had the opportunity to express our own opinions too.From the students at Maiko, we also received some advice concerning our upcoming visit to Sri Lanka. “Even if spoken language communication is ineffective, songs and messages can provide something more accessible.” Later on, when we did get to Sri Lanka, we could see that this was good advice.
Sri Lanka Training: August 23 ~ 28, 2006Before we departed for Sri Lanka, we learned about the situation in that country. In the videos we watched, we saw many houses gutted and abandoned after the tsunami. People were making all kinds of effort to recover from the disaster little by little, by selling small items, etc. Realizing that we were going to be coming face to face with this kind of situation, we became a little anxious as to what we would be able to do in Sri Lanka.We wanted to ask the four Sri Lankan students who are participating in this Forum about their own experiences with the tsunami when we saw them, but at the same time we felt that to ask them directly might bring back painful memories. Faced with this dilemma as well as a language barrier, we discussed the issue among ourselves until late into the night.The Sri Lankan peopleʼs passionate welcome and carefree smiles put paid to all such fears. We spent a lovely time with them singing and dancing together. Through these activities, we could feel the ties between people, and this is a very important thing.
On the next day of our visit, we listened to stories about the disaster at the spot where a train had been overturned by the tsunami. On that train alone, 1,700 precious lives were lost. For those of us living in the coastal areas of Japan, always exposed to the danger of tsunami from the predicted Tokai, To-Nankai or Nankai Earthquakes, stories like this are not merely someone elseʼs tragedies. We learned about the grief of people who had lost their families because they didnʼt have knowledge of tsunami, and who did not know that you have to evacuate to high ground when a tsunami approaches. So, in Sri Lanka, the importance of having ties between people and having even just a little knowledge were both things we especially felt to be closely linked to disaster prevention.
After returning to Japan, we each thought independently about disaster reduction. Then we carried out a variety of activities, including informing the people around us about disaster prevention, activities aimed at improving disaster prevention awareness on a school-wide basis, and producing a disaster prevention homepage easy for even children to understand, etc.
Yesterday, armed with a variety of new knowledge and definite thoughts, we again visited Hirogawa Town, which had been the starting point for our disaster prevention activities. Unlike on our previous visit, when we had almost no knowledge of the subject, we now had a much deeper understanding about disaster prevention. Also, after our exchanges with the children in Sri Lanka, we could see some new aspects within disaster prevention issues.Accordingly, we would like to expand our own potentialities through this gathering here today.
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On behalf of the students of the eight Asian countries, all gathered here at Wakayama to share experiences and determine the role of the youth in managing and reducing the impact of disasters, I have the proud privilege and honor of declaring open the Asian Youth Forum on Disaster Reduction Education.
開会宣言/ Opening Declaration
田辺工業高等学校 早瀬 知寿Chitoshi Hayase, Student Tanabe Technical High School
Shanika Nisansala Udugampola, StudentSouthland College, Galle, Sri Lanka
A Presentation on Overseas Activities Performed by Junior-high School Students from Wakayama Prefecture. An Awards Ceremonies and cace study Presentations about Disaster Reduction Education Practices, Disaster Reduction Painting and Message, and a Radio Program Contest.
This was a presentation given by the 10 junior-high school students from Wakayama Prefecture, who participated in a goodwill ambassador program of the Junior Chamber International Wakayama. They reported on their activities during a 3-day visit to Hong Kong (Sep.16 to Sep.18).
<Excerpt from the presentation>In preparation, we went to Hirogawa Town for a pre-visit field trip. They learned about Goryo Hamaguchi and visited the sea embankment which he built and funded with his own money. They also rehearsed the roles they would play in a picture-story play called “Inamura-no-hi,” which would later be performed in English language in Hong Kong. When in Hong Kong the students visited Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, introducing themselves, and interacting with the local students, teaching and learning about each otherʼs cultures. Both schools explained about their activities and the “Inamura-no-hi” show was performed as a part of the cultural exchange. There had just been an earthquake, on the day prior to the visit, so the Hong Kong students appeared particularly interested to hear the story.
The Wakayama students concluded that they had learned a lot about disaster prevention through the experiences they had been through, and that they now felt better prepared for disasters than before. They hoped to be able to continue to tell the story of Goryo Hamaguchi and Inamura-no-hi to other students around the world, and to learn more about disaster prevention.
事例発表・表彰等/ Presentations and Awards Ceremonies
1.和歌山県中学生の活動事例発表/Presentation on Overseas Activities Performed by Junior High School Students from Wakayama Prefecture.
和歌山ジュニア親善大使(和歌山県内の中学生10人)Wakayama Junior Goodwill Ambassadors(10 junior high school students from Wakayama Prefecture)
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In order to compile a collection of effective practices for furthering disaster prevention education in schools all over Japan and to promote disaster prevention education for the next generation, a request to gather case studies to be collected had been made nationwide. The Forumʼs Organizing Committee received submissions from 49 schools all over Japan. These included 15 elementary schools, 16 junior high schools, 16 high schools, and 2 schools for special needs children. 8 cases were finally selected for awards and the works put on display during the Forum period. Shizuoka Prefectural Susono High School was invited to the Awards Ceremony, held at the Forumʼs Opening Ceremony, to represent the awardees.
<Excerpt>■Summary of the schoolSusono High School was established 103 years ago as the Sano Nogyou Hoshu Gakko (Agricultural School) at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The school developed an integrated course curriculum that allowed students to choose classes appropriate for their career. The school, with its motto of “consciousness”, has 5 departments. These are ʻHumane
and International Studies ,̓ ‘Natural Sciences ,̓ ‘ Information Business ,̓ ‘Business Accountingʼ and ‘Care Work .̓
■Introduction to the “ Environment and Disaster Prevention”
Students reaffirm the aim of the class to learn “Environment and Disaster Prevention” in the 1st lesson.
2.防災教育実践事例発表・表彰/Awards Ceremony for, and Case Study Presentations about, Disaster Reduction Education Practices.
○防災教育実践事例代表校による発表 静岡県立裾野高等学校
A Case Study Presentation, about Disaster Reduction Education Practices from Shizuoka Prefectural Susono High School.
手綱 翔一、田中 翔『教科【環境と防災】、防災研究会の活動』Presenters: Shouichi Teduna and Sho Tanaka Subject: Environment and Disaster Prevention, Disaster Prevention Study Group
The aims of this class are “ to promote disaster prevention education and to think about how we should live as people in a humane society,” “to develop capabilities for coping with disasters,” and “to develop humane resources for local leaders and raise their consciousness.” Disaster prevention only becomes possible when each individual thinks about, acts towards and spreads awareness for disaster prevention. Then the class learns how to define a disaster. For example, we generally donʼt call an earthquake or an eruption in a deserted area a disaster. In such a case, it is merely a natural phenomenon. However, it becomes a disaster when it endangers and causes destruction to human society. During the class, students are encouraged to think about what they can do if disaster strikes. In a disaster, the best course of action can change with every moment passed and individuals cannot cope with every problem. Students learn the importance of doing only what they are capable of and how to do and achieve their full capability. Although the term “disaster prevention” has been the phrase choice, we all know that the force of nature is so strong that it is impossible to “prevent” disasters. Rather we must seek how to reduce the inevitable damage as much as possible. The teachers have not tried to turn their students into disaster or environment protection professionals. They only wish them to have some professional knowledge about environment and disaster prevention. The course has included 30 lessons in one year and, so far, the students have learned about Mt. Fuji, Japanʼs natural environment, and about earthquakes and typhoons. They will also be studying first aid and how to make disaster prevention maps. Some teachers have ʻdisaster prevention expertʼ or ‘volunteer coordinatorʼ qualifications. Activities of the Susono High School have been featured in a Prefectural Disaster Prevention news magazine delivered to every household in Shizuoka.
■Introducing the Disaster Prevention Study GroupOn August 4, 2005, a Study Group conducted a game exercise called “DIG” (short for ʻDisaster Imagination Gameʼ ) with the help of local junior high school students.
Using a map about the size of 6 ʻtatamiʼ mats, [which is equivalent to a small room] showing an area reaching from Tokyo to Kyushu, the study group learned about the likely, and expected, scale of any future ʻTokaiʼ , ʻTo-Nankaiʼ and ʻNankaiʼ earthquakes compared to the past Chuetsu and Hanshin Earthquakes. They also learned about the geographical situation of, and implications for, Shizuoka Prefecture using a map (3 tatami-mats in size)
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that depicted the entire prefecture. On December 4, 2005, an integrated training exercise for Shizuoka Prefecture was held at Susono High School and its students explained to visitors about the kind of damage that could occur in central and western Japan. On July 23, 2006, the Study Group visited the Ground Self-Defense Force, Fuji School where they observed the portable toilets, rescue devices and emergency foods kept on standby there. On August 11, 2006, a Disaster Prevention Summer Workshop was held for Children. The workshop had been prepared by the students guided by the expertise of some professors. Those participating visited activity booths and enjoyed a stamp-rally game. Students used experiments to demonstrate the liquefaction phenomenon and active faults by using pancake and cocoa powder. They explained about the psychological states of people who experience disasters with reference to the Tokai Earthquake and tsunami. They also reported about the recent disasters that have occurred around the world. They were due to present and demonstrate an experiment on volcano disaster prevention at Susonoʼs autumn fire-fighting festival.
The study group announced that they would keep spreading the knowledge of disaster prevention and act for disasters when necessary for they believe that it is their duty to do so.
In order to expand awareness for disaster prevention, and to provide children in Wakayama with a chance to think about their own roles for developing disaster-prepared communities, Painting and Message on the subject of disaster prevention were collected from every school in Wakayama Prefecture. The Committee received applications from 378 schools comprising 247 elementary schools, 111 junior high schools, 11 high schools, and 9 schools for special needs children. After a great deal of careful deliberation, 5 schools were awarded the first prize and 12 schools the second prize. Shingu Municipal Miwasaki Elementary School, Hashimoto Municipal Kamuro Junior High School and Wakayama Prefectural Mikumano Special Needs School were invited to the awards ceremony held at the Forumʼs closing ceremony to represent the awardees. The Painting and Message were all on display during the Forum period.
3.ぼうさい絵手紙・表彰/Awards Ceremony for the Painting and Message Expressing Hopes for Disaster Reduction.
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Radio program scripts had been collected from junior high and high schools from all over Japan. The purpose of preparing such scripts was to help develop the humanity and character building in students, and to nurture the spirit of acting to prevent disasters as exemplified by the story of “Inamura-no-hi.”
The Committee received applications from 16 schools: comprising 3 junior high schools and 13 high schools. After lengthy deliberations, one school was awarded the first prize, 2 schools the second and 3 schools the third prize. Nihon University Fujisawa High School received the first prize and was invited to, and honored, at the Awards Ceremony held at the Forumʼs closing ceremony, representing all the awardees. The schoolʼs radio program “Wasureteita Saigai (a Forgotten Disaster)” was broadcast
at the venue and also uploaded to the Forumʼs web site.
4.ラジオ番組コンテスト・表彰/ Awards Ceremony for the Radio Program Contest.
A total of 20 high school students from eight Asian nations including Japan appeared on the stage where they learned about and discussed disaster prevention in two lessons.
MCs: Katsuro Ono, NHK chief announcer Kyoko Tashiro, NHK announcerLecturers: Seiji Suwa, teacher at Hyogo Prefectural Maiko
High School Masaru Goto, photographer
Planning and production: NHK Wakayama Branch Bureau
<1st Hour>Lecturer: Seiji SuwaHyogo Prefectural Maiko High School is the only high school in Japan that teaches disaster prevention as a curriculum subject. This subject was established in 2002 in order to preserve the lessons learned from the experience of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995. Mr. Suwa has been conducting disaster prevention classes at Maiko ever since the new subject was introduced. The lesson activities extend well beyond the classroom and have even extended overseas. He has taken students on visits to Indonesia and Sri Lanka to observe disaster sites following the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami and to help with recovery support activities, etc.
Seiji SuwaHello everyone. Today I would like to talk about the mechanism of natural disasters and psychological care for disaster victims, and to introduce some of the things currently being researched in Japan to protect peopleʼs lives from disasters.
■ Earthquake Zones in AsiaIn fact, Asia is a continent where earthquakes happen frequently. On this map, I have placed red stickers on the places where earthquakes are known to have occurred in the past. How about the place where you live?In particular, the map of Japan is thick with red stickers. It is estimated that one out of every ten earthquakes that occurs around the world takes place in Japan. So the Japanese will have to live with the prospect of further natural disasters from now on too.
子ども防災教室/ Youth Classroom for Disaster Reduction
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■ Earthquake Mechanism ExplanationIn order to protect ourselves from natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami, it is important for us to know something about the mechanism that produces them. So today, Iʼd like to tell you about some of the things currently being researched in Japan. Let me explain about the mechanism through which earthquakes happen using this video recording.■ Earthquake Mechanism: Plate Movement As I explained with the map model, the ground on which we live is floating on top of huge masses of bedrock that we call plates. These plates are moving relative to each other at rates of several centimeters per year, and where two plates are moving towards each other, one plate slides under the other. This sliding is not smooth because there is friction between the two plates. This causes a progressive build up of stress as they push against each other. When this stress reaches its limit, there is a sudden slippage and a release of energy, which we experience as an earthquake.■ Tsunami GenerationIf the earthquake occurs below the sea, when the seabed moves, the seawater above it is forced upwards. This is what causes the tsunami. It is said that future Tokai and To-Nankai Earthquakes, which are forecast to strike off Japanʼs Pacific coast during the first half of the present century, will be accompanied by tsunami generated in this way.
■ The Importance of KnowledgeIn the case of the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, far more people were killed by the tsunami than died due to the collapse of buildings caused by the earthquake. It was the tsunami that made the volume of damage so huge.Even so, if people had known that a tsunami would arrive after the earthquake, they could have reduced the destruction to some extent. In fact, in some cases, there was a difference in the amount of damage suffered by those who knew about tsunami and those who didnʼt.■ Explanation Citing the Example of Two IslandsBy way of example, let me introduce Simalur (Simeuloee) and Nias, two islands off the coast of Sumatra. While 78% of the population of Simalur knew of the existence of tsunami, only 28% of the population of Nias had this knowledge. As a result, during the tsunami disaster, only six people died on Simalur, which has a population of 70,000, while over 200 people died on Nias with a population of 600,000.Simalur had previously experienced a tsunami in 1907, and as a result the islanders there have a tradition of evacuating
■ The Danger of a TsunamiIt is important that you move away from the sea and evacuate to a high place if you think a tsunami might be coming. Next, I would like to introduce you to the potential power of a tsunami.
※ Video Introduction <Video recording of the Indian Ocean Tsunami>On December 26, 2004 at 7.58 a.m., below the Indian Ocean off the coast of the island of Sumatra, an underground fault slipped and caused a substantial rise in the seabed. The magnitude of the earthquake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale. In response, the sea level rose over an area measuring 1,100km by 200km. The height of the tsunami created was about 2m far out into the ocean, but as the wave approached the shore, it rapidly grew into a wall of water over 10 m tall. <The power of a tsunami>The Port and Airport Research Institute in Kanagawa Prefecture is home to the worldʼs largest-class artificial tsunami generating machine. Here I conducted an experiment to research the power of tsunami by establishing a model.When an ordinary wave is generated by a wind, after it breaks the waveʼs power weakens before it reaches the coast. On the other hand, a tsunami of the same height approaching the coast actually gains in power after it breaks.Comparing the two waves, ordinary wind-produced waves consist of shallow ridges, while tsunami are backed by a continuous block of water at the same height as the wave itself.When an approaching tsunami is viewed from the beach, the place where it breaks to form white water is almost the same place that an ordinary wave would break, so at this point it is hard to tell whether the approaching wave is an ordinary wave or a tsunami. One of the most fearful things about seeing a tsunami is that we canʼt tell in advance whether it has a huge volume of water behind it or not.
<A 2m high wave can tear down a house>Experiments exposing people to tsunami 30cm high show that people can bear the force of a tsunami that is lower than their knee. However, if the tsunami is 50cm high, people in its path are carried away immediately. The power
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of a tsunami increases markedly even with a modest rise in the water level. In my experiments, a 2m high tsunami tore down a model house. The force of impact of a 2m tsunami on the objects in its path is roughly equivalent to that of a car travelling at about 40kmh.
Seiji SuwaEven in countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand, which seldom experience earthquakes, tsunami do occasionally strike suddenly, as happened following the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. If you feel that there is something abnormal about the behavior of the sea, it is important to evacuate straight away. The basic plan should be to move farther from the coast and up to higher ground.
※Video Introduction <Shanikaʼs experience of disaster>Shanika still has a doll that once belonged to an unknown owner. The doll was picked up by Shanikaʼs sister on the day after the tsunami, and has been washed and kept in her house ever since.Shanika lives in Galle in the south of Sri Lanka with four other members of her family. She clearly remembers the day that the tsunami struck.Shanika and her family evacuated to a relativeʼs house on high ground and were safe. When they returned home after the tsunami had receded, her younger sister found the doll lying in a corner of the garden. At first, Shanika was afraid even to look at it because she imagined that the dollʼs owner might have died in the tsunami. But after she had lost her fear of the tsunami, she was no longer afraid of the doll either. She now carefully looks after it at home so that she will never forget the tsunami. After experiencing the tsunami, Shanikaʼs family made an emergency evacuation point next to their home in preparation for any future disaster. The structure is about 4m high and built of concrete and blocks. Shanika and her family hope it will be a safety point not only for themselves but for their neighbors too.
Seiji SuwaPreparing for future disasters in such ways is a very good thing to do. What is particularly wonderful is that the family made their emergency evacuation place with the idea that their neighbors could use it too.
Let me now introduce you to a project started by a student named Hayase in Japan, as an example of what high school students can do.
※ Video Introduction<Hayaseʼs activities>A postcard bearing the message, “If an earthquake occurs, we high school students will do our best,” was sent by Wakayama Prefectural Tanabe Industrial High School students to the elderly residents of their town as a gesture of encouragement.Since 2004, the students of this school have sent a message stating “if a disaster occurs, we want to be of help” to elderly people in the local area to coincide with Respect for the Aged Day (15 September). This year, the students sent out a total of 92 postcards. This postcard initiative was started by a student named Hayase and his fellow student members on the school council.The Akebono district where Tanabe Industrial High School is located is likely to experience an earthquake measuring level 7 (on the Japanese earthquake scale) when the next Tokai or To-Nankai earthquake occurs.With the postcard activity as a beginning, Tanabe Industrial High School has begun conducting annual disaster prevention exercises together with local residents, based on the idea that the high school studentsʼ youthful energy can be harnessed for rescue work and emergency evacuation center operations in the event of an emergency. Each postcard bears an additional message saying that students would like local senior citizens to participate in these disaster prevention exercises.On the way back home from school, Hayase often visits his neighborhood senior citizens. He wishes to offer them a little emotional support.
Seiji Suwa You might think that what a high school student can offer isnʼt very much. But perhaps it is more than we adults can offer. When we adults visit senior citizens, some of them tend to be on their guard. But these same people often open their hearts when children visit them. I hope you will all think about what you personally can do.One thing that I want to emphasize in this lesson is that natural disasters will occur at some time or another with certainty. When a disaster strikes, one thing that will help protect your life and those of your family is knowledge. When you return to your homes, you really must tell your friends and families about the things you have learned
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<2nd Hour>Lecturer: Masaru GotoMasaru Goto is a photographer who lives in Thailand. Thinking that the camera could be used as a trigger to help disaster-stricken children recover from the tsunami, he began a project called InSIGHT Out! in which Indonesian and Thai children are taught how to use a camera. In the summer of 2006, an exhibition of photographs by children from areas stricken by the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami disaster was held in a bookstore in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Masaru GotoToday Iʼd like to introduce you to InSIGHT Out! which is a project that my wife and I began. The word “InSIGHT” is a play on “inside”. The name was coined to describe the act of releasing our interior emotions and landscapes to the outside. We have held workshops four times up to now, and a total of 129 people have participated.The participants have all been of junior high and high school age, so they are about the same age group as you. Among them are some people who lost their entire family to the disaster.
※While Introducing Photographs“Things I want to tell people about through photographs” - In line with this theme, the children shot their own photographs according to their own ideas. Among their works, many feature scenes from the emergency evacuation centers where they are living at present.All these photos have come out so naturally. It is difficult to produce such natural looking pictures even for a professional photographer.So far, InSIGHT Out! has conducted four workshops. Today I would like to introduce two children who joined us from the first workshop, and Iʼd like to show you some of the photographs they shot. These children are very special to me personally.
<Introducing Amuri, who was 17 years old when the tsunami struck>He told me that he stretched out his hand to his mother as she was being washed away by the tsunami, but his hand didnʼt reach her. He photographed the graves of his uncle and aunt. They were buried by the roadside, so his family placed a sign by the graves saying “Tsunami victims sleep here,” in the hope that people would not throw their litter around that spot. At first he was rebellious towards me but I paid a visit to his familyʼs grave and at last he said “Thank you!” and opened up to me.
<Introducing Anna Fitoria who was 12 year old when the tsunami struck>Her parents and siblings were all washed away by the tsunami. It was only by some miracle that Anna survived by holding tightly onto a mattress. Currently she is living in temporary housing with her grandmother. In the beginning, she never smiled but she is now beginning to overcome her trauma.
<Do all disaster-stricken children change as a result of expressive activities?>Because many of these children have had horrific experiences, none of them smiled at all when I first met them. However, I think that all of them have made some kind of recovery after joining InSIGHT Out!
<How were they able to change?>When I started working on InSIGHT Out!, I handed over cameras to them and told them, “Shoot what you want to keep most in your memory and what you want to tell to other people, whatever that may be.” Then they went out and photographed the remains of their homes that had been washed away, the graves of family members, and so on.
These children all shot these photos while plucking up courage to face their own disaster experiences. Unlike with painting or writing, people canʼt take photographs according to their imagination. A photo cannot be taken unless you visit the site, face the subject and press the shutter button.I imagine that it was a very difficult thing for them to go
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back and visit the sites wrecked by the tsunami. But their own wish to record these scenes by photographing them and their wish to deliver their experiences to other people conquered their fears. I think that is why they were able to shoot these photos.Perhaps they were able to look at the remaining sites ʻnormallyʼ, that is, without a sense of the tsunamiʼs presence by viewing their subjects through the viewfinder.
※ Video Introduction<Introducing Anna>Anna lost almost her whole family in the tsunami disaster. In the beginning, she tended to remain in her shell. But now she has confidence and is able to talk about herself positively.When Mr. Goto held an InSIGHT Out! photo exhibition in Osaka, a teacher at Nishiawaji Elementary School in Higashi Yodogawa Ward came to know about Anna. That teacher introduced Annaʼs photos during school classes and expressed the wish that the children would think about Annaʼs feelings. Since then, the children of Nishiawaji Elementary School, wanting to be of some help to Anna, have sent her encouraging letters or handmade toys, and have kept up an exchange with her. Anna has replied to them, noting that she does not feel so alone anymore. That feeling has encouraged her.
Masaru GotoIʼve just heard the contents of that letter for the first time, and I am very glad to hear it. At present, Anna says she wants to become a professional photographer. It is very hard for her to become a photographer because she has many disadvantages, such as not having a family and having to live in temporary housing, etc. But I hope she will persevere and not give up.