Japan - The Government of Japan

Emergency food was available. But there wasn’t enough water to go with it. During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, water shortages exposed another problem at evacuation shelters: some dry emergency foods were difficult to eat and could leave people even thirstier. That experience led to LIFE STOCK, an emergency jelly developed by One Table Inc. in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture. 🥫💧 It can be eaten straight from the pouch without water, power or gas. Its jelly form provides fluid and can be easier to consume for people who struggle with dry foods, including some older people. It can be stored at room temperature and has a six-year shelf life from the date of manufacture. Disaster experience does not have to remain just a memory. Not enough water. Food that some people struggled to eat. Lessons like these can shape how products and preparedness systems are designed for the next emergency. Turning lessons from past disasters into concrete design choices is also an important part of preparing for what comes next. 🌱

#PhotoOfTheMonth: Why build a shrine gate on a summit this hard to reach? ⛩️⛰️🌊 Standing at the peak of the 404-meter Mount Inazumi in Kanonji City, Kagawa Prefecture, Takaya Shrine is famous for its "Sky Torii," offering a breathtaking view of the Seto Inland Sea. Yet, this sacred site has a surprising history. Originally built on the summit, the main shrine was moved down to the mountainside around 1600, and then to the foot of the mountain in 1760 for the convenience of daily life. Despite this, in 1831, the local community chose to return the main shrine to the summit, reached by a steep flight of 270 stone steps. To them, this commanding peak overlooking the sea and the town was the true home of the deities—a place where prayers belonged, reflecting the extraordinary commitment of their ancestors. The stunning panorama beyond the torii is more than just a beautiful view; it is a living testament to the centuries of devotion and collective effort of the people who keep this sacred tradition alive. 🌿🌾✨

Did you know there are invisible risks beneath our feet? ⚠️ A technology from Japan uses radar and AI to accurately visualize underground cavities linked to sinkholes as well as the location of buried infrastructure—all without excavation. As natural disasters and aging infrastructure become serious issues worldwide, the technology is helping cities detect hidden risks early and take preventive action. 🔍🛡️ Already used to identify more than 170,000 voids and to respond after major disasters in Japan, it is now expanding overseas to help cities worldwide become more disaster resilient. 🌏🤝 Find out more in the full article. https://lnkd.in/gM9eu6Vz #DisasterResilience #Infrastructure #AI #Technology #DisasterRiskReduction

Help us #PickaHeader for October! 🍂 In Japan, autumn brings vivid colors, the rice harvest and seasonal flavors. Four photos, one header—which best captures October for you? 1. Kochia in warm autumn colors at Hitachi Seaside Park (Ibaraki Prefecture) 🍁 Around 40,000 plants blanket Miharashi Hill in shades of orange and red. 2. Harvesting rice in golden fields 🌾 Combine harvesters work their way through the paddies, with freshly harvested rice soon to reach the table. 3. A colorful autumn harvest 🌰 Persimmons, chestnuts, acorns, maple and ginkgo leaves. 4. Susuki grass swaying in the breeze in Sengokuhara (Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture) ✨ Silvery plumes turn gold across roughly 18 hectares on the slopes of Mt. Daigatake. Comment with the number of your favorite photo by September 29. We'll announce the winning photo here on September 30 and use it as our header throughout October.

How did shogi pieces help connect two cities across borders? 🪵 Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, is where shogi pieces took root since the late Edo period, when the craft was encouraged as work for local samurai facing hardship. Over time, shogi grew beyond a local industry to become part of the city’s culture and identity. In 1956, this culture took on a new form: “Human Shogi,” with people in historical costumes becoming pieces on a giant board. Tendo’s shogi culture has also built connections across borders. Marostica, Italy, has its own “Human Chess,” played with people in medieval costumes. Recognition of the similarities between the two traditions helped initiate exchanges, and the cities became sister cities in 1989. Their ties continue through citizen visits, friendship ambassadors and other exchanges. 🤝 From supporting local livelihoods to connecting communities across borders, Tendo shows how cultural heritage can keep creating new connections between people.

What if hot ramen could be delivered by drone? 🍜🚁 In this episode of Inside JapanGov, we explore how Japanese startup Aeronext’s patented tech keeps cargo stable mid-flight—steady enough for a bowl of ramen to make the trip. We hear from a resident of a Japanese community where drone delivery has already become a familiar presence, and discover the difference these drones are making during disasters and in communities abroad🌏—offering a glimpse of the many ways they’re supporting people’s lives. It’s a look at how the sky is quietly becoming part of everyday life.✨ 🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/gfK4bmUV Package Delivery by an Aeronext Logistics Drone: https://lnkd.in/gxYvw_JC Related Article: https://lnkd.in/gs9ke9N3 #DroneTechnology #Logistics #SupplyChain #Innovation #DisasterResilience

How do you make coastal structures safer? Start by learning how they fail. 🌊 At the Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI) in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, the Large Hydro-Geo Flume, a 184-meter-long experimental flume allows researchers to study how waves affect coastal structures and the ground beneath them. It can simulate wind-driven waves up to 4.5 meters high and tsunami waves up to 2.5 meters high, allowing tests at nearly full scale. 🔬 Why are large-scale experiments needed? Small-scale models cannot always reproduce how the ground and structures behave. This flume allows researchers to study how the ground moves, where structures start to deform and how damage progresses. The flume has been used to investigate breakwater damage from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Findings from such experiments can inform the design of coastal defenses against tsunamis, storm surges and high waves. 🌊🏗️

A levee can hold back water. But what if water gets through? 🌊 For generations, communities in Japan’s Kiso Three Rivers region have lived with that question. 2026 marks 50 years since the 1976 flood disaster, when a Nagara River levee failure caused widespread damage. Low-lying settlements and farmland were enclosed by “waju” levees. But their preparations did not end there: they also planned for what to do if water got in. “Mizuya,” built on raised ground higher than the main house, stored food and belongings and could serve as refuge. Some homes kept “agebune” boats ready for emergencies. 🏡 The idea was simple: never rely on a single layer of protection. Prepare for what comes next. Today, that knowledge is passed on through historic structures, materials and educational programs at the Kiso Sansen Waju Museum, recognized as a NIPPON Bosai Asset in 2025. The tools have changed, but the principle still matters. Preparedness should not stop at “prevent.” It should also ask, “what next?” 🌿

An airport you visit without flying. ✈️🌌 In eastern Hokkaido, Kushiro Airport is a gateway to Kushiro Wetland and Akan-Mashu National Park—but for many travelers, the airport itself is simply a place to pass through. Some of its younger staff members began exploring how it could connect people with the region—even when they were not flying. On selected nights after the last flight, participants are invited onto the normally restricted runway for guided stargazing and a close-up look at the airfield lights. The airport launched a 10 km runway race in 2025. Several hundred places filled up quickly, and the event returned the next year with room for more. 🏃 No new landmark was needed. By giving the airfield a second role outside operating hours, Kushiro Airport is becoming part of the destination—and showing how communities can create new experiences from what they already have. ✨

A survey vehicle moves along the road—and underground conditions begin to take shape in 3D. 🚐🏙️ Watch GEO SEARCH’s technology reveal hidden subsurface risks while the vehicle travels at normal road speeds—like a CT scanner on the move. 👀✨ Press play and see what lies beneath the surface—without excavation. 🎥 https://lnkd.in/gES9W4xd Related Article: https://lnkd.in/gM9eu6Vz #DisasterResilience #Infrastructure #AI #Technology #DisasterRiskReduction