The third workshop is finally in Kumamoto!

29th November 2022

Since September of this year, JPF has been holding training sessions using the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" in order to share the knowledge gained from supporting the survivors of the Kumamoto earthquake throughout Japan. The past two workshops were held for the Council of Social Welfare and intermediary support organizations in Fukushima Prefecture, and the third workshop will finally be held on Sunday, December 11 in Kumamoto Prefecture, an area affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. Disaster prevention specialists living in Minami Ward, Kumamoto City, are scheduled to participate in the workshop. We will report on the workshop and the reconstruction of the affected areas later!

Held the second training session using the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" for intermediate support organizations in the Fukushima prefecture area

31st October 2022

• Lively discussions were exchanged at the second workshop ©JPF
• Various ideas generated from the work ©JPF

JPF is currently actively holding training sessions using the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" a collection of knowledge on support for survivors of the Kumamoto Earthquake. Following the first workshop held in Kawamata-cho, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture on September 1 for Kawamata-cho Social Welfare Council staff and others, the second workshop was held in Omachi, Fukushima City on October 27 for Fukushima Prefecture area intermediate support organizations.

In recent years, large-scale disasters have occurred frequently throughout Japan, and starting with the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016, information sharing meetings have been held in prefectural areas in an effort to eliminate "leakage and unevenness" of support in order to protect the lives of victims. Under such circumstances, there is a growing awareness of the importance of establishing a system of collaboration among various organizations in the region from normal times in order to coordinate support for resolving issues.

Against this backdrop, the second training session was planned and held with a focus on "a simulation for building a system to hold a prefectural information sharing meeting immediately after a disaster strikes to organize and disseminate information," in order for participants to learn "the importance of securing reliable partners and understanding local conditions and the characteristics of residents' lives during normal times, since various unexpected events may occur at the actual support site. The participants also learned about the contents of the CHS^*, which is explained in the "Collection of Tips for Supporting Disaster Victims," as it can serve as a common language for communication when people from various organizations are working together.

* CHS: Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. For more information, click here.

This workshop was attended by 17 participants, including those from intermediate support groups in the Fukushima prefecture area. The workshop was very successful, with many participants having experience in providing support, and many ideas were exchanged throughout the workshop.

The "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" posted on the JPF website is accessed approximately 500 times per month, and many people in society have expressed interest in this site. If you have any questions about the contents or would like to request a training session, please feel free to contact us at the following address.

▶ Contact：info@japanplatform.org

First workshop held in Fukushima Prefecture using the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters".

16th September 2022

• The training was held at "Kawamata Town Senior Citizens Welfare Center, Iki-Iki Villa ©JPF
• Participants engaged in group work ©Kawamata Town Council of Social Welfare

JPF is currently holding training sessions using the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" in order to share the knowledge gained from the support for survivors of the Kumamoto earthquake throughout Japan.The first training session was held on September 1, and we would like to inform you about it.

The first training session was held in Kawamata Town, Date County, Fukushima Prefecture, where the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), a JPF member NGO, is conducting support activities under the JPF's Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (Fukushima Support) Program. The 16 participants, including staff members of the Kawamata Town Council of Social Welfare, learned about the CHS^* "Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability" which are points to keep in mind when supporters work in disaster-affected areas as explained in the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" through group work to provide high-quality support that suits TPO in cooperation with related persons.

The training covered the issues of setting up and operating a disaster volunteer center to be set up in the event of a disaster, based on the assumption that the center would be set up in the event of a disaster. In the group work sessions held three times during the training, "Iki Iki So," which is also the office of the Kawamata-cho Council of Social Welfare, was used in the work assignments, and case studies were conducted with the issues of the organizations to which the participants actually belonged in mind. We made every effort to make participants feel familiar with CHS, which they are not usually familiar with, while learning about it.

In a post-training survey, all participants who completed the course indicated that they would like to share what they learned with others. They felt that they would like to spread the knowledge they learned in this training to their family, friends, colleagues, business associates, and local residents.

We are very encouraged by the fact that participants in the JPF training sessions are spreading the knowledge they have learned to others, and we hope to work with our member organizations to create such a spread of knowledge throughout Japan. We will continue to hold training sessions in the future, so if you are interested, please feel free to contact us at the contact information below.

▶ Contact：info@japanplatform.org

※ When making an inquiry, please contact us with the following information. Please note that we may not be able to meet your request due to scheduling conflicts.

• Name of Institution/Organization
• Expected number of participants
• Preferred location
• Preferred date and time (preferably multiple dates)
• Reason for requesting to hold the event

※ CHS: Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. For more information, click here.

Knowledge gained from the Kumamoto Earthquake Assistance Activities to Fukushima Prefecture

31st August 2022

Training sessions using the "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" collection of knowledge on support for the people affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake that we reported on last month, will finally start on September 1. The first session will be held for the Kawamata Town Council of Social Welfare in Date County, Fukushima Prefecture. Kawamata Town is the site where the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), a JPF member NGO, is conducting support activities under the JPF's Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (Fukushima Support) Program. The knowledge gained from the Kumamoto earthquake support activities will be used for the Great East Japan Earthquake support activities. We will report back on the workshop at a later date!

In addition, while the above-mentioned training session will be held for Kawamata Town Council of Social Welfare, we are also in the process of explaining the contents of the collection of tips and the start of training for intermediate support groups in Fukushima Prefecture. On August 31, a preliminary meeting with the intermediate support groups was also held.

JPF will continue to actively organize training sessions to share the knowledge gained from the Kumamoto earthquake support activities throughout Japan. The training is targeted at any place in Japan where the support activities are taken. Please feel free to contact us.

Preparing for a training session using "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters"!

28th July 2022

JPF published last month "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters - Lessons from CHS & 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake -", A collection of knowledge on support for the people affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake. Many of you may have already read it.

This collection of tips is a compilation of hints for improving the quality of support based on the international standard CHS^*. By learning about the CHS, we hope that people in Kumamoto Prefecture and throughout Japan who are involved in supporting the disaster affected prople will find it useful in their future disaster support activities, as they will be able to learn the criteria for decision making in various aspects of relief activities.

※ CHS: Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. For more information, click here.

We are currently preparing to hold training sessions using this collection of tips for NPOs, governments, social welfare councils, and local communities in and outside of Kumamoto Prefecture that are engaged in support for disaster-stricken areas, starting immediately in August. After that, we plan to continue holding training sessions for various organizations and groups throughout Japan until December.

In order to make support activities, which are often considered difficult, as accessible as possible, the collection of tips uses as few technical terms as possible, and instead makes extensive use of illustrations and easy-to-understand language. This makes the contents of the book easy to understand for those who are new to support activities.

We are sure that you have experienced such problems as "I want to provide support, but I don't know where to start," "I feel somewhat lost in my activities," or "Was that the right thing to do at that time? We believe that knowing the nine perspectives as criteria for decision making will help you to achieve your goals and provide better support. If you are interested in holding a workshop, please feel free to contact the JPF Secretariat!

▶ Contact：info@japanplatform.org

※ When making an inquiry, please contact us with the following information. Please note that we may not be able to meet your request due to scheduling conflicts.

• Name of Institution/Organization
• Expected number of participants
• Preferred location
• Preferred date and time (preferably multiple dates)
• Reason for requesting to hold the event

JPF publishes "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters -Lessons from CHS & 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake", a collection of knowledge on support for the people affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake

27th June 2022

"Cover of "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" ©JPF

JPF has been involved in various forms of support since immediately after the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, in cooperation with member NGOs, local support groups, government, social welfare councils, and media organizations. In particular, since October 2016, six months after the earthquake, we have focused on "strengthening local capacity" so that local people can play a leading role and work together toward reconstruction, and we completed our grant program in July 2021. In order to apply the knowledge gained from such activities to future disaster relief, we have recently published a "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters.

Floods and earthquakes occur every year in various parts of Japan, and it is said that another major disaster will occur in the near future. Many of you may be thinking about participating in disaster relief activities. At such times, you may be wondering, "I want to help, but I don't know where to start," "I feel somewhat lost in my activities," or "Was it the right thing to do at that time? The "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters" is a collection of easy-to-understand hints to help you deal with such problems. We hope that by being exposed to this booklet not only in times of disaster, but also in normal times, the quality of support will improve and help to provide good support.

▼ Click here for "Tips for Assisting Survivors of Disasters - Lessons from CHS & 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake"
https://www.japanplatform.org/E/programs/kyushu/tips.html

JPF publishes "Program Evaluation Report" on its Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto

30th May 2022

Part of the cover and inside pages of the program evaluation report ©JPF

JPF provided emergency support immediately after the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, and from October 2016 to July 2021, JPF has been working to "strengthen local capacity" so that local people can work together for reconstruction. Since August 2021, JPF has also been conducting program evaluation in order to verify what role the activities for "strengthening local capacity" actually played and what results were achieved, and to apply the findings to the future.

Program evaluation was conducted by outside experts who were not directly involved in the program in order to emphasize objectivity. Based on approximately 5 years of data, interviews and questionnaires were conducted with persons who have been involved in the program activities to date. The program evaluation has now been completed and the "Program Evaluation Report" has been published.

JPF will return the findings from this program evaluation to the affected areas and disseminate them widely to the public so that they can be applied to disaster relief efforts that may occur nationwide in the future. We hope that those who are interested in disaster relief will take a look at the report.

We will also soon be releasing "Tips for Supporting Victims," a collection of support tips for each CHS commitment, based on examples of JPF support to date, including support for victims of the Kumamoto earthquake!

▼JPF "Program Evaluation Report" on its Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto (Japanese Only)
https://www.japanplatform.org/programs/pdf/JPF_kyushu-disaster2016-202205_JPF.pdf

JPF will present a case study of its support for the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake at an online event hosted by JVOAD

26th April 2022

Japan Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (JVOAD) will hold the 6th National Forum on Cooperation in Times of Disaster online on Thursday, May 12 and Friday, May 13, 2022. JPF will be speaking at the breakout session 4-C of this forum and will introduce JPF's case study in supporting the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake.

The theme of the breakout session 4-C is "Learning from Past Disaster Relief Efforts: From the Perspective of Sphere and CHS [Preparedness]". JPF's support activities for the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake have incorporated the Sphere Standard*1 and CHS*2, and we will be presenting two specific examples from those activities that are ideal for deepening your learning about the CHS. The content will be useful for all those who are interested in support activities, including those who have no experience in support activities. We look forward to seeing you there!

The case studies presented at this forum will also be included in the booklet we reported on last month. The booklet will be ready soon! Please look forward to it as well.

※1 Sphere Standards: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. For more information, click here.
※2 CHS：CHS：Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. For more information, click here.

To familiarize you with the knowledge of JPF support activities

22nd March 2022

• Rough illustrations to be included in the booklet^※1

As reported in our activity report on January 26, JPF is preparing to publish a booklet and book summarizing the findings of our support activities from immediately after the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016 to the end of our grant program in July 2021. In advance of the publication of the booklet, we would like to share with you some of its contents!

This booklet is a compilation of tips for improving the quality of support based on the international CHS^※2 standard, and is intended to be used as a reference for future disaster relief activities by people in Kumamoto Prefecture and throughout Japan who are involved in supporting disaster victims. Therefore, we have tried to make support activities, which are often considered difficult, as accessible as possible by using as few technical terms as possible and using many illustrations and easy-to-understand words.

For example, the above illustration^※1 is a new drawing to help you understand the second of the nine commitments of the CHS. If we were to express this in words alone, it would be, "Affected communities and people can receive humanitarian assistance when they need it," but we believe that the addition of the illustration will make it much more approachable.

Many more illustrations will be published in addition to this one, and we hope that as many people as possible will feel free to pick up a copy. The booklet is scheduled to be published in the spring of 2022. We will inform you via our website and social networking services when it is completed, so please look forward to it!

※1 Illustrations are subject to change at time of publication.
※2 For more information on the nine commitments, click here.

Conduct preliminary questionnaire for preparation of evaluation report

17th February 2022

Since August 2021, JPF has been evaluating the JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto, which was implemented from April 2016 to July 2021.

Under the "Strengthening Local Power" project launched in October 2016, as one of the projects, we have provided grants to intermediary support groups in the municipal area to promote the development of human resources and the strengthening of infrastructure to take charge of the recovery in the region. In the ongoing program evaluation, we are preparing an evaluation report so that we can look back on the project activities to date and make use of them in the future.

In the process of preparing this evaluation report, we conducted a questionnaire recently. Questionnaires were given to supporters, government officials, social welfare councils and others who participated in information sharing meetings held by the four organizations. The objective of this report is to make it more effective by reflecting in the evaluation report the "living lessons" felt by people who have actually been involved in support activities on the ground, such as how the JPF project has been helpful and how they have been utilized in the process of transition to peacetime. When the evaluation report is completed, we will let you know on our website or SNS!

We are also preparing a booklet that explains in an easy-to-understand manner the knowledge for supporters obtained from the evaluation, and a book that summarizes the path of public-private partnership from the disaster to reconstruction. We believe that by publishing our findings in booklet and book, private sector supporters, government officials, social welfare councils, and others in Kumamoto Prefecture and throughout Japan will be able to make use of the findings in their future disaster relief efforts.

Publications are Being Prepared to Collect Knowledge on Supporting the People Affected by Kumamoto Earthquake

26th January 2022

Immediately after the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, JPF has been involved in various forms of support, collaborating with member NGOs, local support organizations, the government, social welfare councils, and the media. In particular, since October 2016, six months after the Kumamoto earthquake, we had been focusing on "Strengthening Local Power” so that local people can play a leading role and work together toward recovery. And in July 2021, we completed the support project.

JPF is now preparing to publish a booklet and a book on the subject, with the desire to share the knowledge gained from these activities with people in Kumamoto Prefecture and throughout the country who are engaged in disaster relief activities, and to utilize them in future disaster relief activities. The booklet, which is scheduled to be published in the spring of 2022, summarizes the considerations for supporters entering the affected areas, based on the 9 commitments of the CHS “Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability”*. As much as possible, we try to avoid technical terms and use illustrations and figures to make the content easier for the general public to understand. When the booklet or book is published, we will inform you on the JPF website, so please look forward to it.

* For more information on the nine commitments, click here.

JPF Held Online Reporting Session of “Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Program”

15th December 2021

On November 16, JPF, together with the Kumamoto Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), held an online reporting session on the results of its support for the people affected by Kumamoto earthquake, entitled "Hints for Strengthening Local Power to Survive the Corona Disaster and Reconstruction with the Power of 'Tsunagu'.

In addition, you can see the records compiled by the intermediate support groups in the four municipalities who joined the reporting session here. (in Japanese)

Press Release

8th November 2021

JPF, together with KVOAD will hold an online debriefing session on the results of the project to strengthen community power that was developed to support the victims of the Kumamoto Earthquake.

Date and time: Tuesday, November 16, 18:00-19:30

Click here for the press release (in Japanese)

Online reporting session is being prepared

October 2021

Since August of this year, JPF has been conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Program and compiling the findings. In the evaluation, JPF has conducted interviews with survivors and supporters to ensure that the voices of the affected areas are appropriately reflected, and in the compilation of findings, JPF is working with KVOAD and a local publisher, Kumanichi Publishing.

We are also preparing for the reporting session (online) of the "Infrastructure Development to Support Human Resources (Identifying and Launching Local Intermediate Support Groups)" project that was completed in July. The details of the session will be announced in early November.

Evaluation for the outcomes and learning from this program is underway

September 2021

• Interviews with the people involved ©JPF
• Students from Kumamoto University at the Miyagi Psychological Care Center during a study tour program to learn from past disaster areas (click here for details) (December 16, 2017) ©JPF

Since August JPF has been conducting an evaluation of the Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto program which has been ongoing since April 2016. In this program, activities have been carried out since October 2016 under the theme of "Strengthening Local Power" in which local people work together for reconstruction. In the course of these activities, JPF played a role as a granting organization, a supporter of organizations in the affected areas, and a coordinator to promote cooperation among various actors such as support groups, government, and media.
Since the beginning of the disaster, external experts have been monitoring the project and conducting yearly evaluations. In this evaluation, we will conduct a more objective evaluation by external experts who have not been directly involved in JPF's activities to date. Furthermore, in order to reflect the voices from the affected areas in the evaluation, we are conducting interviews with the affected people, local support groups and organizations, government agencies, and social welfare councils.

Working with the media to preserve the findings of the support project

August 2021

• Online meeting with Kumanichi Service Development Corporation, KVOAD, and JPF Secretariat ©KVOAD

JPF's Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto, which started in April 2016, went through an emergency phase and during the recovery phase, activities aimed at "strengthening local power" were carried out. Organizations in the prefecture conducted training and observation tours to learn from past disaster areas, and intermediary support groups created booklets of knowledge about the support they have provided since the beginning of the disaster. The project ended in July 2021, and this month, we began a project to evaluate the entire support provided over the past five years and four months, and to preserve the findings.

One of the features of the support for the Kumamoto earthquake was that the local media, the Kumamoto nichinichi Shimbun Newspaper, joined the collaboration and continuously provided information over a long period of time to bridge the gap between the needs of the people on the ground and the people who wanted to help.

In the project started this month to preserve the knowledge, we have received cooperation from Kumanichi Service Development Corporation, a group company of the Kumamoto nichinichi Shimbun Newspaper. We will also collaborate with KVOAD*, an intermediary support group in the prefecture that has been working together to provide support in the region, to create a book of disaster relief tips and public-private partnerships based on a wealth of materials, data and experience.

The book will be based on the nine commitments of the " Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS)" and will include illustrations and other useful information for donors based on the evaluation of the JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto.

A book on public-private partnerships is also being prepared. The Kumamoto earthquake was the first major disaster in which intermediary support group NPOs in the prefecture coordinated support from the beginning through public-private partnerships. Subsequent disasters have also led to a greater emphasis on the role of information sharing meetings for coordination of support. This book will summarize the efforts to date so that it can be used by governments, social welfare councils, and supporters in the affected areas.

*Kumamoto Volunteer Organization Network

New Project to Support Kumamoto Earthquake Victims Begins

30th July 2021 20:00

JPF has been providing continuous support for the victims of the Kumamoto earthquake from the immediate aftermath of the disaster until the recovery period. In August, we will begin to evaluate the program, summarize the findings, and provide support to strengthen the system of intermediate support groups in the prefecture toward the end of the support in one year.

In recent years, not only earthquakes but also floods and other disasters have been occurring frequently throughout Japan. In the project starting in August, we will produce a book containing hints for support based on the findings from the program evaluation, as well as a book that summarizes the trajectory of support efforts by intermediary support groups, residents, government, and social welfare councils in the affected areas. Through debriefing sessions and workshops, we will disseminate the lessons learned from our support not only to Kumamoto but also to the rest of Japan.

Through the "Strengthening Local Power" project, JPF has been accompanying the activities of the local community, sharing the goal and continuing the efforts for reconstruction. We will continue to work together with the local community for the last year of activities to sustain the results of our support even after the Kumamoto Earthquake Victims Support Program ends next year.

*********************************************************

As one of the three pillars of the "Strengthening Local Power" project, the third phase of the "Identifying and Establishing Local Intermediary Support Groups" project, intermediary support groups in the four municipalities of Kumamoto that connect disaster victims, support groups, and the government have looked back on their activities since the beginning of the disaster and created a booklet that collects their knowledge of support.
The booklets are available here.

“Meeting to Reflect on Five Years since the Kumamoto Earthquake" was held

30th June 2021 22:42

• KVOAD office in Kumamoto and Tokyo were connected online ©KVOAD
• ©JPF

This month, the "Meeting to Reflect on Five Years since the Kumamoto Earthquake" was held. On the day of the event, the JPF secretariat, KVOAD, and outside experts who have been involved in the project gathered together with organizations that have been active in the third and final phase of the "Project to Identify and Launch Local Intermediary Support Groups" that JPF has been implementing in collaboration with the "Kumamoto Volunteer Organization Network" (KVOAD). The event was held partly online and the participants looked back on the project and exchanged opinions.

In the third phase of the "Discovering and Launching Local Intermediate Support Groups" project, intermediate support groups in four cities and towns in Kumamoto that connect disaster victims, support groups, and the government looked back on their activities since the beginning of the disaster and created a booklet of their support knowledge.

During the meeting, some of the participants said that they were able to look back on their own activities and recognize that needs change depending on the phases such as emergency and recovery. Also, through the project, they were able to highlight not only what they did well but also what they can improve in the future.

After completing the booklet, each group distributed it to the government and other support groups. After the booklets were completed, each group distributed them to the government and other support groups, and the recipients shared their comments that the booklets were a valuable resource for them in the event of a disaster in their area. This showed the importance of keeping a record of the support and sharing it with others.

It was also suggested that in the future, when there is a similar opportunity to look back on the support, it would be good to include not only information for the support group, but also feedback from the beneficiaries of the support, so that it can be used for mutual assistance by the residents.

Unfortunately, because of the Corona disaster, the meeting was held online and was limited to only those involved, but we hope to have an opportunity soon to widely disseminate information while meeting face-to-face in the field.

The booklets prepared by each group can be viewed here.

BULBY's booklet "Mifunet" is now available!

27th May 2021 22:58

• Creating the booklet "Mifunet: A Record of the Mifune-town Disaster Support Group Network," which summarizes the lessons learned from the collaborative disaster support meetings in Mifune-town ©BULBY
• Mifune-town Disaster Support Group Network (Mifune-net), a group of organizations that had been engaged in support activities in Mifune-town, was established, and organizations from various regions participated in the meetings ©BULBY

As part of the Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto, JPF, with the cooperation of the local organization Kumamoto Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), is conducting a project to find and launch local intermediary support groups.

A booklet entitled "Mifunet: A Record of the Mifune-town Disaster Support Group Network" was completed this month, which summarizes the lessons learned from the Mifune-town disaster support collaboration meeting led by the NPO BULBY in Kumamoto City.

The "Mifune-town Disaster Support Group Network" (a.k.a. Mifunet) was established by a group of organizations that had been engaged in support activities in Mifune-town. Groups from all over the town, as well as from within and outside Kumamoto Prefecture, participated in the network. It was established about a year after the earthquake, and from August 2017 to July 2018, it carried out its activities with the support of JPF. The group disbanded in July 2019.

The booklet includes reflections from each of the participating groups and records of the support activities conducted in cooperation with other groups, along with photos from that time.

Mifune Town's support was characterized by the large number of supporters from outside the town. As the phase of disaster support changed, the need for local supporters to take over the support system for out-of-town groups, which tend to withdraw quickly, became apparent in order to establish a sustainable, community-driven management system as a conference body.
This report contains lessons learned from Mifunet's activities over the past two years, such as the fact that they were able to collaborate and deliver support while utilizing their respective areas of expertise.

It also introduces the "Musubook" information booklet, which was inspired by the study tour to Miyagi Prefecture in 2018 to observe the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The "Musubook" booklet is a collection of information for those who need help from support groups as they work on community building and community development in Kumamoto.
(Musubuku can be found here: ▶ http://musubook.bulby.net/)

The completed version of "Mifunet: A Record of the Mifune-town Disaster Support Group Network" will be available on the BULBY website. Please check it out.

5 years passed since the Kumamoto Earthquake

14th April 2021 12:16

Today Kumamoto commemorated the fifth anniversary of a pair of massive earthquakes occurred on April 14 and 16, 2016. We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected.

While many people are starting to live a new life by moving to post-disaster public housing complexes or rebuilding their homes, there are still 150 households with 418 people* (as of March 31) in the process of rebuilding their lives in temporary housing, including publicly funded private rental accommodations. Many evacuees had to move multiple times during these five years. We would like to express our heartfelt prayers for every evacuees’ wellbeing.

Japan Platform (JPF) dispatched its staff to the disaster stricken areas immediately after the earthquake and utilized its past experience to provide emergency assistance, including the distribution of supplies and the operation of evacuation centers, while giving consideration to vulnerable people. Subsequently, with the aim to “strengthen community power" in which the local people work together toward reconstruction, JPF has been working to create a system in which local communities can take on the responsibility for the long-lasting reconstruction.

From 2021, with the local organizations and residents, we will look back on our activities to date and compile all the lessons learned that can be applied in future relief efforts.

※Kumamoto Prefecture (As of March 31)
https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/137008.pdf

Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center Preparing Booklet "Takusu (Entrust)" Compiling Relief Activities to Date

31st March 2021 18:00

• Transcribing interviews ©Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center
• Proofreading the booklet ©Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center

As part of our response program for the Kumamoto Earthquake, JPF is currently implementing the third phase of the capacity development activities to support local human resources. Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center was established in the wake of the Kumamoto Earthquake and has been providing assistance ever since. The knowledge and experiences gained from the ongoing activities in Mashiki Town, the hardest hit area in this earthquake, and the history of relief activities implemented have been compiled into a booklet called "Takusu.” Takusu is a verb meaning to entrust.

Interviews were conducted with a number of private relief organizations, government officials, and social welfare councils, and the booklet summarizes how activities have changed depending on the post-disaster phase. It also covers how cooperation among parties involved in the Minna no Volunteer Station (Everyone’s Volunteer Station, or Minbora for short in Japanese), which served as a platform for private relief organizations in the initial response phase, has enabled the Reconstruction Volunteer Center (known as Fukko Bora Sen for short in Japanese) to serve its functions in the reconstruction phase as a collaborative effort between Minbora and the Mashiki Town Social Welfare Council.

In many cases, when the post-disaster initial response phase comes to an end, there is a tendency for relief organizations from outside the community to retreat, and there ends up less support for the local people afterwards. So, the creation of the Reconstruction Volunteer Center has allowed for a system to be established where all of the still ongoing needs of the residents during the reconstruction phase could be gathered and responded to within the community. In Mashiki Town in particular, this system enabled the local community to take the initiative in meeting local needs, and it has led to the promotion of a locally led reconstruction process overall.

Also, with the large-scale consolidation of temporary housing complexes happening in 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the residents, and the results are compiled in the booklet. The survey asked what issues the residents were facing, what support they needed, as well as the positive aspects of the consolidation. The booklet reflects on all the relief and support activities since immediately after the disaster to date, and also covers cooperation with the local media, which was a distinctive feature of the Kumamoto Earthquake relief efforts.

This booklet is now in the final stages, scheduled for completion in mid-April to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the Kumamoto Earthquake.

Bulby’s Project Begins

28th February 2021 14:00

• ©Bulby

With the cooperation of Kumamoto Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), an organization based in the local community, JPF is identifying local intermediary support organizations in the cities, towns, and villages affected by the earthquake that are connecting community members, relief organizations, and local government agencies, and providing grants for their activities.

Bulby, a nonprofit organization based in Kumamoto City, is engaged in disaster relief and community building activities in Kumamoto prefecture. In the town of Mifune, Bulby supported a liaison meeting where the local government, social welfare council, local organizations, local residents, and other relief groups gather to share information. Through this project, Bulby will look back on the collaborative efforts in Mifune since the Kumamoto earthquake with those who participated in this liaison meetings and the residents of Mifune.

Because many supporters from outside of the local community were involved in the relief efforts, there have been challenges in building connections among all the parties involved as well as in maintaining a structure where the local community is the one that leads the reconstruction process. They were able to confirm all the lessons learned from the difficulties they faced, and how significant the liaison meetings have been in fostering cooperation among the various parties.

In order to make use of these lessons for other communities, Bulby will compile these into a booklet and distribute it to governments and relief organizations, while also sharing them widely on the organization's website.

Kasesuru Kumamoto and Studylife Kumamoto’s Knowledge Sharing Tools Completed.

30th January 2021 11:00

• Mr. Saito (left) and Mr. Yoshida with the completed booklet "Connect" ©Kasesuru Kumamoto
• Mr. Mizuno (left) presenting booklet to the General Office for Reconstruction of Kumamoto City ©Studylife Kumamoto

In partnership with a local organization called the Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), JPF is implementing a project to identify and launch local intermediary support organizations. The projects undertaken by Kasesuru Kumamoto in Otsu Town and Studylife Kumamoto in Kumamoto City have been completed, and the booklets they have created to share the knowledge gained from their support activities have also been completed at this time.

Kasesuru Kumamoto completed a booklet called "Connect," which summarizes the knowledge gained from more than four years of support activities in Otsu Town. The booklet looks back and examines the support activities in each phase of the recovery process, including the support coordination activities immediately after the earthquake and the community building support they provided later through events when people started to move into temporary housing. The booklet is filled with lessons learned from the field of disaster relief.

Studylife Kumamoto has also completed their booklet, which is entitled "Interactive Relief Activities throughout the Passage of Time Since the Kumamoto Earthquake: From the Field of Disaster Relief in Kumamoto City.” Through the lessons learned in supporting evacuees living in post-disaster publicly funded rental accommodations in Kumamoto City, the booklet provides information on when, where, and what kinds of support activities are needed in each phase of the post-disaster recovery. It propels the readers to consider how we can support interactive relief activities that ultimately lead to the independence of the people affected by disasters. The booklet also introduces a simulation of what it would be like to be affected by a disaster, including evacuation options and challenges at each evacuation site.

By distributing the book to local governments, organizations, and residents, as well as online, the goal is to contribute not only to the recovery and reconstruction from the disaster, but also to the building and strengthening of community ties during non-disaster times.

Last Hinokuni Conference Meeting Held for 2020

31st December 2020 7:00

• ©KVOAD

On the 22nd of this month, the last Hinokuni Conference meeting of the year was held with participation from local governments, relief organizations, media, and educational institutions. Participants discussed the conditions in Kumamoto and the on-going assistance efforts.

Since July of this year, in addition to the Kumamoto earthquake relief efforts, the conference participants have also been sharing information about the damages caused by the July 2020 floods. JPF has been participating online since July as well.

Regarding information on earthquake relief, participants shared their challenges with the new coronavirus pandemic's impact on assistance provision, such as support for community building among post-disaster public housing residents and events to foster connections among local residents.

This year, Kumamoto was hit with the torrential rain and flooding while assistance was still being provided for those affected by the earthquake. Additionally, the new coronavirus made it impossible for relief providers to do what they have done in the past, which was to send as many relief workers to the disaster sites as possible from outside of the affected communities. In fact, providing remote support proved to be quite a challenge.

Kumamoto became a prime example of how the same community can be repeatedly affected by disasters. It remains a big challenge as to how relationships can be built among people affected by the disaster, and relief providers, local governments, and others while all are being careful about preventing the spread of infections. Since the remote support method is expected to continue next year, we will continue our assistance while placing even more importance on communications with people in the affected communities.

Many people in these communities that have experienced multiple disasters will be welcoming the end of this year and the beginning of the next while still in difficult circumstances. JPF will continue to work for the recovery of these communities in partnership with local intermediary support organizations next year.

*Hinokuni Conference: Began immediately after the earthquake in April 2016 to ensure information sharing as well as effective and speedy problem-solving efforts among relief organizations, local groups, and local governments. Met every evening for two months after the earthquake and is still meeting once a week. The conference has totaled over 340 meetings to date.

Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center, an Intermediary Organization, Begins Project

30th November 2020 23:00

• ©Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center

As part of our response program for the Kumamoto Earthquake, JPF is implementing capacity development activities to support local human resources. In this program, we identify local intermediary support organizations in the cities, towns, and villages affected by the earthquake that are connecting community members, relief organizations, and local government agencies, and providing grants for their activities. As we are in the third phase this year, we have been looking back on our activities to date and compiling all the lessons learned that can be applied in future relief efforts.

Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center, an intermediary support organization, began a project this month. In areas that were affected by natural disasters, it is important to pass on skills, experiences, know-how, and records within the affected communities before the local relief groups completely wrap up their relief activities. Through this process, the local community's disaster mitigation capacity can be improved so that they can minimize the damage that may occur in the event of future disasters.

Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center's project will involve the compiling and sharing of these skills, experiences, know-how and records. They will focus on the role of "Minna no Volunteer Station (Everyone's Volunteer Station)," which is made up of a network of multiple relief organizations, in improving disaster mitigation capacities, as well as the knowledge and experiences gained from when the temporary housing complexes were consolidated.

Studylife Kumamoto Creating Tool to Share Findings from Disaster Relief Work

31st October 2020 14:00

• ©KVOAD

With the cooperation of Kumamoto Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), an organization based in the local community, JPF is identifying local intermediary support organizations in the cities, towns, and villages affected by the earthquake that are connecting community members, relief organizations, and local government agencies, and providing grants for their activities.

After the Kumamoto earthquake, Studylife Kumamoto, a local intermediary support organization, worked with the local government, social welfare councils, and relief organizations to hold social events for residents living in temporary housing complexes, while also providing information to the residents and supporting community building in the surrounding area. This was the first attempt for a local organization and government agencies to implement such activities, so they built this system of support for the residents from scratch.

This project is in its third phase with Studylife Kumamoto is providing intermediary support at this time. We are working together with other organizations on a leaflet to be completed within November that wraps up all the work so far as we compile all the accumulated wisdom in support provision. The leaflet compiles all the elements necessary in supporting community building efforts at each turning point in the living conditions for the community members: from evacuation shelters to temporary housing, and from temporary housing to rebuilding their own homes. The completed leaflet will be distributed to the local government, local residents, relief organizations, and others so that it can be used in the event of another disaster.

The photo shows the parties involved exchanging opinions on the production of the leaflet. A report-out session will be held in December to share the results of this project widely.

Creating a Leaflet for the Lessons Learned from the Kumamoto earthquake, Studylife Kumamoto

30th September 2020 19:28

With the cooperation of Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), an organization based in the local community, JPF is identifying local intermediary support organizations in the cities, towns, and villages affected by the earthquake that are connecting community members, relief organizations, and local government agencies, and providing grants for their activities.

Studylife Kumamoto is one of the intermediary support organizations that JPF supports, and they operate a lifelong learning support office in Kumamoto City. Through this grant project, Studylife Kumamoto is working to make effective use of the lessons learned from the Kumamoto earthquake. They have been supporting community building efforts in the public housing complex in Kumamoto City that has been used as post-disaster temporary housing, through holding social events for the residents. They are currently working with other relief organizations to create a leaflet about community building among evacuees based on the lessons learned from the Kumamoto earthquake.

Please visit Studylife Kumamoto’s website and Facebook page.

Website Update: Project to Identify and Launch Local Intermediary Support Organizations (Phase 3)

24th August 2020 21:30

JPF is pleased to announce that we have updated our website for the third phase of our project to identify and launch local intermediary support organizations in the Kumamoto earthquake relief efforts. We will continue to report on the activities of our two grantees, Studylife Kumamoto and Kasesuru Kumamoto, as well as on their new projects on our website and social media.

https://www.japanplatform.org/contents/kumamoto_tsunagu/

New Grant Projects Determined

31st July 2020 22:30

• ©JPF

JPF has decided to provide new grants to two organizations, Studylife Kumamoto and Kasesuru Kumamoto, with the aim of identifying and launching local intermediary support organizations in the Kumamoto earthquake relief efforts.

Studylife Kumamoto will work with the local government, social welfare councils, and other support organizations to bring together the knowledge regarding community support for residents of publicly subsidized post-disaster rental accommodations in the city of Kumamoto. Kasesuru Kumamoto, whose full name is Reconstruction Project Otsu Kasesuru Kumamoto, is a group run by young people in the town of Otsu, and it will carry out projects that will be useful for community revitalization even during non-disaster times through compiling the knowledge on supporting people who have been affected by the disaster and are living in temporary housing and post-disaster public housing complexes.

The grants are intended for long-term activities of non-profit organizations and volunteer groups that are implemented as intermediary support to help those affected by the Kumamoto earthquake rebuild their lives and to solve local and regional problems that have surfaced post-disaster. For more information, please visit the "Project to Identify and Launch Local Intermediary Support Organizations" page here: https://www.japanplatform.org/contents/kumamoto_tsunagu/
We will also report on the activities of our grantees on our website and social media.

Domestic Division New Blog Post! COVID-19 and Disasters Thinking about the new nomal in evacuation, Part 2 - Evacuation center operation drill in Mashiki

9th June 2020 11:41

• ©KVOAD

In the Domestic Division blog, JPF staff introduces the readers to our activities throughout Japan. The latest blog post is about the evacuation center operation drill that was held in Mashiki Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, in late May. The town hall employees took initiative in leading the drill in case disaster strikes while the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. With disasters frequently occurring around the country, we hope that other communities can refer to and learn from Mashiki’s example. Please take a look at the blog post!

JPF Domestic Division Blog can be read here: http://blog.japanplatform.org/entry/2020/06/09/105215

Domestic Division New Blog Post! COVID-19 and Disasters: Thinking about the new normal in evacuation - Meeting for Kumamoto Earthquake Reconstruction 2020

25th May 2020 11:15

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In the Domestic Division blog, JPF staff introduces the readers to our activities throughout Japan. The latest post is about the online “Meeting for Kumamoto Earthquake Reconstruction 2020” which took place on 5th May. Those who have worked on disaster relief discussed what is needed in supporting evacuation shelters and how to utilize information and communication technology (ICT) if disaster strikes while we are still fighting COVID-19. Please take a look!

Domestic Division blog can be read here: http://blog.japanplatform.org/entry/2020/05/25/104721

4 Years Since the Kumamoto Earthquake

14th April 2020 22:00

14th April this year marked the fourth anniversary of the Kumamoto Earthquake. Once again, we extend our sympathies to everyone who has been affected by this disaster. We would normally expect to see various reconstruction-related events during this annual commemorative week, but due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), they have all been postponed.

With four years having passed, there are fewer and fewer spaces and sites that serve as physical reminders of the destruction and damages from the earthquake. However, when a local newspaper asked residents whether they personally felt the impact of reconstruction in their lives, 22% of the people responded that they either somewhat or completely did not feel its impact in their lives.

Please see this Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun article (13th April 2020 8:00) on their survey of local residents: https://this.kiji.is/622204896257000545?c=92619697908483575

As one of the reasons why local residents may not feel the impact of reconstruction in their lives, the newspaper tells the story of people facing serious problems in rebuilding their own homes. Temporary housing is being consolidated now, and those who have been relegated to being more vulnerable as a result of this earthquake must continue to be supported. There is need for support provision that does not overlook anybody, including the need to revamp a system to look out for vulnerable residents. Additionally, the need to offer long-term support for children was also mentioned. Psychological impact of a disaster may surface in those affected after some time has passed, and there is need to maintain a system of psychological care as well.

Please see this Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun article (13th April 2020 16:00) on psychological effects on children: https://this.kiji.is/622325703464911969?c=92619697908483575

Study Session to Formulate Next Year’s Program Plans

24th March 2020 17:30

• ©KVOAD

As part of our response to the earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan, JPF is currently implementing a project to lay the foundation to support local relief workers, with KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) as the local implementation partner working with us. On 1st March, a study session was held to formulate next fiscal year’s program plans, but JPF staff refrained from making the long-distance trip to Kumamoto due to COVID-19 and participated via Skype instead. We hear that activities and events that were planned have been either cancelled or postponed in Kumamoto as well.

At the study session, participants shared their understanding of issues that would arise next fiscal year, such as the consolidation of temporary housing, people moving into post-disaster public housing, and the need to rebuild community for these residents. Furthermore, they went over what kinds of challenges each city or town in the affected region is facing, discussed assistance policy for which the organizations in KVOAD can unite and work on together, and formulated an outline of the program plans.

Searching for Ways to Utilize Drinking Water and Relief Items Donated After the Earthquake

10th February 2020 15:00

• ©KVOAD
• ©KVOAD

As part of our response to the earthquake in Kumamoto, JPF is currently implementing a project to lay the foundation to support local relief workers, with KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) as the local implementation partner working with us. In Kumamoto, back in September of last year, it was discovered that drinking water and relief items like blankets, which were sent from all over the country right after the earthquake, were left undistributed. Currently, KVOAD is taking the lead in making sure these items of good will would not go to waste. They are working together with local governments, social welfare councils, and relief organizations to sort these items and to transport them to disaster storage within and outside of Kumamoto prefecture. This process began in November 2019 and is expected to be completed this March.

Project Term Extended

30th January 2020 17:30

As part of JPF’s current Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto, JPF and our contractor organization KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster) are implementing capacity development activities to support local human resources. The project term has been extended to last through the end of March 2021, and we are determined to work on further strengthening local community power. We will continue to update you on KVOAD’s activities and our monitoring in Kumamoto on social media and on our website.

Program Monitoring and the Conditions in Kumamoto

24th December 2019 17:30

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From the 18th to the 21st of December, JPF staff visited Kumamoto.

During this business trip, we worked with KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) as we reviewed this year’s program outcomes and deliberated on the plans for next year. Since 2017, JPF has supported programs in post-earthquake Kumamoto that strengthened community power, based on which local organizations worked towards reconstruction. These local relief organizations have served as liaisons between people affected by the earthquake and the municipal government and other social institutions. At this time, we compiled all of their program outcomes and put our heads together to see how JPF can continue to be involved in the reconstruction of Kumamoto.

Also, while we were at KVOAD, we participated in the bimonthly information sharing meeting at the Community Co-Support Center whose office is right next to KVOAD’s. We recognized, once again, that through interviewing people affected by the disaster as carefully as possible and sharing the results, we could help solve problems people are facing that are not readily visible from the outside.

JPF staff travels to Kumamoto almost every month and is keenly aware of how necessary cars are here, but within the city center, the Kumamoto City Tram is very useful. The streetcar takes passengers from either the JR Kumamoto or JR Kami-Kumamoto stations to Kengunmachi in the eastern part of the city. 3.3 km in its total length, the flat fare is at 170 yen per adult. Kumamoto is known as a castle town, and you indeed find municipal offices and shopping areas clustered around the castle.

Check out the map of the Kumamoto City Tram here: http://www.kotsu-kumamoto.jp/timetable/pub/rosen.aspx

Some are one-car trams while others are the new two-car trams, but you still see retro trams from the 1950s and 60s still running with wooden floorboards! No matter which tram you catch, you can use an IC card to pay your fare.

When the staff visited, the banpeiyu (a type of Japanese citrus) was in season. Banpeiyus are a part of the pomelo (citrus maxima) family and grow to be as large as a person’s head at about 20 to 25 cm in circumference and 1.5 to 2.5 kg in weight. It is said to be the largest citrus in the world. Besides eating fresh, the thick peel preserved in sugar or made into jam are both delicious ways to enjoy the fruit. In Kumamoto, you find quite a variety of citrus almost around the year, and one of the highlights of our visit is walking around grocery stores and shopping arcades spotting different types of oranges we don’t see back in East Japan.

Program Monitoring and Special Opening of the Kumamoto Castle

20th November 2019 20:30

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From the 8th to the 13th of November, JPF staff visited Kumamoto.

During this trip, we focused on making visits to various sites to check on the current conditions as well as to deliberate on the future of our response. We traveled over a large area across Kumamoto with KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), an external expert, and a JPF board member, visiting several temporary housing and post-disaster public housing complexes in the Aso region and other municipalities.

People are increasingly moving out of temporary housing units, and the temporary housing complexes are expected to be consolidated at some point mid next year to ensure safety and security and to better keep watch over the residents. People are starting to move into post-disaster public housing, which is permanent housing for the residents. This has proven to be an opportune time to reconsider the impact of the changes in living environments for those who were affected by the disaster.

Among the post-disaster public housing complexes in Kumamoto City, there were differences in whether or not the building had an elevator, where it was located, how easy it was to interact with other residents in the neighborhood, and how easy it was to get your daily shopping done. In Nishihara Village, they had built stand-alone houses using lumber supplied from within the prefecture, and we found these public housing to be considerate toward the elderly and for families raising children.

In the town of Mashiki, the consolidation of public housing would result in remaining residents living in the Kiyama Temporary Housing Complex next to the temporary town hall, and people would move out of the Techno Temporary Housing Complex that is currently the largest among the temporary housing complexes. Due to this move into Kiyama, we anticipate that many current Techno residents would struggle with longer commutes to their workplaces and schools.

In terms of the maximum length of stay allowed in public temporary housing, the original two-year term was extended another two years, and for those who meet certain criteria the term can be re-extend for another year. (The conditions vary from municipality to municipality.) To prevent isolation among those who will continue to live in temporary housing and to help those moving into post-disaster public housing to assimilate into the local community, we need to explore ways of providing assistance that build on existing community power and strengths.

By the way, let us touch on our previous October trip to Kumamoto here again. At the time, we were able to stop by Kumamoto Castle, which had a special opening then. For the post from 29th April of this year, we mentioned the route you would take to observe the castle’s repairs. During the special opening in October, we were able to take a closer look at the castle tower. Restoration is to be completed in 2038, which is still a long way to go, but we hope that the repair work goes as safely as possible for Kumamoto Castle, which serves as one of the symbols of the city’s recovery.

Find out more about the Kumamoto Castle here: https://kumamoto-guide.jp/spots/detail/122

Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto: Just Completed Musubook Vol.02, Connecting People Affected by the Earthquake with Local Organizations

1st October 2019 19:30

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In coordination with KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), JPF has been implementing capacity development activities to support local human resources. As part of one such activity, the second volume of a relief and assistance manual called Musubook has been finally completed!

In Musubok vol.02, relief and assistance organizations and their activities are organized and presented clearly, and users can also search by category. We sincerely hope that this manual will reach those in need and will be their reassuring partner if and when an emergency occurs. We thank the nonprofit organization BULBY and others who have helped make this second volume of Musubook a reality!

Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto: Musubook, a pamphlet that connects affected people with local organizations, is being edited

26th September 2019 13:00

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Staff members of Japan Platform (JPF)’s Domestic Division team visited Kumamoto from Sep. 10 to monitor programs that are part of the JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto. The initial plan was to fly to Kumamoto on Sep. 9, but due to Typhoon Faxai, their plane was cancelled right before it was scheduled to fly, and they had to wait until the next day.
Due to the damages caused by Typhoon Faxai, there are still many people who are forced to live under challenging conditions in Chiba Prefecture as well as Kanagawa, Ibaraki and Shizuoka Prefecture. As damages stemming from the typhoon are becoming prolonged and increasing, JPF has begun to provide aid in Chiba Prefecture as well as other locations.
▼See here for details on the JPF Emergency Response to Typhoon Faxai
https://www.japanplatform.org/E/programs/chiba-typhoon2019.html

JPF is working with Certified Nonprofit Organization Kumamoto Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD)　to implement a program to create a platform that supports aid workers. One of its activities is creating “Musubook: A Manual for Aid” that connects affected people and local aid organizations, and Certified Nonprofit Organization Bulby is taking the lead.
The first version was issued in March 2019, but as people are moving out quicker from temporary housing units and publicly funded private rental accommodations, the editors are checking for changes in their needs that may have occurred over the summer. Information on aid organizations and their activities is neatly organized so that affected people can easily look for an aid organization based on their needs.
Bulby is taking the lead and working hard with local social welfare councils to put together the second version, which is to be issued in October. Please look forward to it!
▼See here for details on Musubook
http://musubook.starfree.jp/home/
https://www.facebook.com/musubook8/

JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto: Bringing together the power of the community

16th August 2019 19:30

• Brainstorming to provide better aid until the end of the program ©JPF
• JPF staff check a light truck in use ©JPF
• Discussing again what can be done ©KVOAD
• With the strong sunshine in Kumamoto causing weeds to grow tall quickly, volunteers that can cut these weeds are still needed ©JPF

The Japan Platform (JPF) blog post linked below was written by Saito from the Domestic Division and reflects on the monitoring in Kumamoto conducted in July 2019.
It describes the visit to Fukko (Recovery) Project Otsu Kasesuru Kumamoto and Certified Nonprofit Organization Bulby, organizations that are both receiving funding through a JPF program, as well as temporary housing units seen on the way. It also talks about what JPF aims to achieve through its aid to Kumamoto. Please take a look!
▼See here for the JPF blog post
http://blog.japanplatform.org/entry/2019/08/16/185635

Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto: Visit to Kumamoto and program monitoring

25th July 2019 19:30

• ©JPF
• ©JPF

From July 13 through July 17, members of the Japan Platform (JPF) Domestic Division visited Kumamoto to conduct monitoring for the JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto. Currently, JPF is working with Kumamoto Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD) to implement a program to create a platform that supports aid workers.
On July 13, we arrived at Kumamoto Airport. The heavy rain caused some of the flights that were to depart later to be cancelled, but the team managed to visit four organizations that receive funding from JPF--General Incorporated Association Study Life Kumamoto, Fukko (Recovery)Project Otsu Kasesuru Kumamoto, Certified Nonprofit Organization Bulby and Minna no Volunteer Station (Everyone’s Volunteer Station)--and conduct monitoring on the status and results of their efforts.
During our visit, we dropped by the ruins of the Taisho-ji temple, the family temple of the Hosokawa clan, located in Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, where we had passed by several times but never visited until now. Part of the garden is now open to the public in the form of Tatsuta Nature Park, and the tea ceremony room and chozubachi (water bowl) used by Hosokawa Garasha (daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide) can be seen. The temple is also known as Higo no Kokedera (Higo’s moss temple), and the moss garden inside the grounds was stunningly green. Kumamoto was extremely hot and humid throughout our visit, but we were able to cool down for a moment in this green oasis.

Today, starting at 14:00: JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto Reporting Session: “Even Though We Say Coordination is Key When Disaster Strikes... Possibilities of Coordination Made Visible in Kumamoto”

8th June 2019 13:09

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We’re having our final preparation meeting with the panelists. The event starts at 14:00. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

JPF Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto Reporting Session: “Even Though We Say Coordination is Key When Disaster Strikes... Possibilities of Coordination Made Visible in Kumamoto”

7th June 2019 15:30

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On Saturday, 8th June, JPF will hold an event titled “Even Though We Say Coordination is Key When Disaster Strikes...: Possibilities of Coordination Made Visible in Kumamoto.”

Hinokuni Conference began as a meeting held every night for two months immediately following the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and has continued to this day being held every week, totaling over 220 meetings altogether. How did Hinokuni Conference begin? What are the challenges of coordinating our efforts toward reconstruction?

At this event, we will talk about local NPOs’ coordination efforts exemplified by Kumamoto Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster (KVOAD)’s Hinokuni Conference, JPF’s programs that aim to strengthen community power, various activities in other disaster-affected areas since the Kumamoto Earthquake, and examples from assistance efforts overseas.

For more information on the event, please visit here: https://www.japanplatform.org/info/2019/05/241010.html

226th Hinokuni Conference in Action, Connecting Kumamoto and Tokyo

21st May 2019 19:30

Hinokuni Conference met every single evening for two months since the Kumamoto Earthquake, and the meeting still continues every Tuesday to this day. It was held today at the venue for the “4th National Forum on Coordination During Disasters,” hosted by JVOAD (Japan Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), attended by Mr. Higuchi, who is the representative of KVOAD (Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), and others who have come to Tokyo for this forum. The conference hasn’t missed a week, connecting Kumamoto and Tokyo!

3 Years Since the Kumamoto Earthquake: “Symposium on Lessons Learned from the Disaster and How to Make the Best of the Experiences” Today

21st April 2019 17:54

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On 21st April, in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD) and JPF co-hosted the “Symposium on Lessons Learned from the Disaster and How to Make the Best of the Experiences,” and the venue was full with around 100 participants. The symposium was covered by local media outlets including television and newspaper.

The symposium covered a wide array of topics including the following:
- Keynote address on reconstruction and community after domestic and international disasters;
- Panel discussion on the works of and challenges faced among organizations providing intermediate support not only in Kumamoto but also in Osaka, Okayama, Hokkaido, and other places around Japan;
- Three-party talk by local governments and social welfare councils on the future of disaster response; and
- JPF’s assistance projects for the people affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake.
The symposium provided space for the sharing of various experiences and perspectives.

Visit to Kumamoto: Almost 3 Full Years Since the Kumamoto Earthquake

6th April 2019 16:43

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The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Kumamoto now.

On 19th April 2016, soon after the earthquake happened, Hinokuni Conference was launched. Its objective was to connect different parties across the walls that separate businesses, government, and academia, and to gather relief organizations, local government bodies, volunteers, the media, and others together for information sharing and partnerships that would allow for more effective and speedy disaster relief. The conference met every single night for two months, and it still meets once a week. The other day, the conference met for the 220th time!

JPF was in Kumamoto since right after the earthquake struck, and in cooperation with other parties, we have supported Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD), which hosts the Hinokuni Conference. We have worked with KVOAD towards reconstruction that relies on Kumamoto’s great potentials as we engaged in grant making and hands-on support provision while we developed staffing and intermediary support organizations towards the strengthening of community power.

Today, JPF’s Domestic Programs Division staff Maki Saito is in Kumamoto to meet with Mr. Higuchi, representative of KVOAD, to discuss the upcoming “Symposium on Lessons Learned from the Disaster and How to Make the Best of the Experiences” to be held on Sunday 21st April.

Visit the Hinokuni Conference Facebook page here.

Emergency Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto: KVOAD and Local Government Sign Partnership Agreement - Towards a More Prompt and Effective Assistance [Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun]

29th March 2019 21:00

The Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun newspaper reported that the Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD) and the town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, signed a partnership agreement to assist those affected by disasters. The partnership aims to strengthen coordination and cooperation during large-scale disasters. The partnership will allow for NPOs and the local government to share information during non-emergency times, so the agreement will facilitate more prompt and smooth delivery of assistance that would be needed by those affected should disasters occur in the future.

This marks the first step for the realization of effective assistance through the residents, the local government, and relief organizations connecting with each other, which was an objective towards which both JPF and KVOAD have been working. At the signing ceremony held at the temporary town hall, Mayor Hironori Nishimura addressed his hopes for the future, stating the town’s resolve to “establish a system where both parties [KVOAD and the town] can cooperate with each other.”

Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun Facebook Page

New Post on Domestic Programs Division Blog: Towards a Locally-Led Post-Disaster Reconstruction - “Seminar on Obtaining Grants” Held in Kumamoto

1st February 2019 21:00

• Mr. Matsumaru’s lecture is easy to understand for the participants ©KVOAD
• Participants working on creating their own problem-solving models 1 ©KVOAD
• Participants working on creating their own problem-solving models 2 ©KVOAD
• Participants listening attentively 1 ©KVOAD
• Participants listening attentively 2 ©KVOAD
• Everybody working together to extract a problem and lead to a solution ©KVOAD

It has been almost three years since JPF began providing assistance to Kumamoto after the earthquake struck the region. On 12th January 2019, as part of our efforts to support the people who are responsible for the local reconstruction efforts, JPF co-hosted a “Seminar on Obtaining Grants” with Kumamoto Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (KVOAD).

The participants were relief workers who are continuing their relief efforts toward reconstruction every day in their local communities. In this seminar, they learned the “secrets,” so to speak, of obtaining necessary funds from appropriate donors so that their own organizations can meet the expectations of the people who were affected by the earthquake and are currently living with various unmet needs.

In the JPF Domestic Programs Division blog, you will find the video of the seminar and also a description of the “Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Records,” which is a compilation of experiences and knowledge regarding post-disaster reconstruction based on past disasters such as those in Tohoku, Kobe, and Chuetsu. We hope you visit the blog and read the records, too.

Please find the Domestic Programs Division’s blog post by our staff Maki Saito here: http://blog.japanplatform.org/entry/2019/02/01/185559

Response to Earthquake in Kumamoto: “Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Records” Completed, Compiling Efforts to Pass on Experiences and Knowledge on Locally-Led Reconstruction

23rd January 2019 23:00

When JPF’s response program for those affected by the earthquake in Kumamoto shifted from the emergency phase to the reconstruction phase, we also shifted the emphasis of the program to strengthening local community power. This was to have the local people take the lead and exercise their agency in the reconstruction efforts.

As part of our program, we have implemented a project called “Staff Development Training for Personnel Involved in the Reconstruction of Kumamoto Prefecture.” Between December 2016 and March 2018, we contracted with the Sanaburi Foundation, with whom we had also previously partnered after the Great East Japan Earthquake, to run a series of staff development trainings. Instructors were those who had been involved in the reconstruction process with past disasters elsewhere, and they shared with the participants the common issues you can expect to see as reconstruction progresses, knowledge and experience needed to solve these issues, and other information that people involved in reconstruction ought to know. There were also training at post-disaster sites for the participants. The trainings were considered to be very practical for the participants, and were received very favorably overall.

At this time, we have published the staff development training records with the objective of sharing this knowhow with not only the original target population - or the NPO, resident association, and municipal government staff working on reconstruction efforts within Kumamoto Prefecture - but also as a reference for a wider audience to utilize. It is our hope that these records will be of help in the processes of reconstruction for those in Kumamoto, who are still going strong on their reconstruction efforts, and for others around the country working on disaster response.

Each workshop or lecture is available for download separately, and we suggest that you take a look at whichever one that may be of your interest. We also hope that you utilize these records as a resource for group work and individual learning as well.

Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Records can be found here: https://www.japanplatform.org/programs/kyushu-disaster2016/documents.html