Disaster Preparedness Drill Book

About this drill BOOK

This disaster drill book was created in memory of Montgomery (Monty) Dickson, a University of Alaska Anchorage graduate who perished in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011. After graduating from UAA in May 2009 with a B.A. in Japanese, Monty participated in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program and taught English in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. 

A video of people evacuating in front of the Rikuzentakata City Hall, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, after the earthquake shows Monty, a student of one of the authors, Harada, walking right and left amidst the cries of an oncoming tsunami. The thought of how well Monty understood the language of the time, and the reflection that she had not taught Monty the language relating to natural disasters, became the starting point for the creation of this drill book.

We also strongly felt the need to understand the language from the stories of JET ALTs (JET; Japan Exchange and Teaching programme: ALT; Assistant Language Teachers) who spent the night in a dark room after the earthquake. This was also the basis for the creation of this book. 

Based on this background, we collaborated with Japanese language professors at American universities to provide drills on language learning in times of disaster, and professors at the Research Center of Regional Disaster Management, Iwate University, a UAA partner university, provided drills on specialized knowledge. After repeated exchanges of ideas both face-to-face and remotely with each other, the earthquake and tsunami parts have now been completed.

This book is a disaster prevention drill book for ALTs in Japan through the JET program and other programs.

Various types of natural disasters occur in Japan. These include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods. Every year, some of these disasters occur, and unfortunately, many people are affected, sometimes even killed.

To avoid being struck by a disaster, it is important to quickly understand where, what, and how things are happening and what to do in the event of a disaster emergency. In Japan, however, much of this information is provided only in Japanese. As an ALT, you may need to ensure the safety of your students in the classroom in the event of a disaster. 

This book provides you with drills that will help you acquire the basic Japanese terminology needed in a disaster situation, as well as the basic disaster knowledge you need to know. However, please understand that this drill book is not designed to prepare you to be fully prepared for all natural disasters. 

What are the characteristics of natural disasters that occur in the area where you live or work? What types of disasters occur there? Where and how can you get emergency information? What should you do if a disaster is about to occur? All of these things must be prepared for even before a disaster occurs. You should actively gather the information you need to know before a disaster strikes. There are many ways to do this, but one good way is to consult with your supervisor.

This edition features earthquake and tsunami, which are often difficult to predict and often occur suddenly. Therefore, it is important to prepare in advance in order to take appropriate actions when it happens, although we strongly hope that no one who uses this book will be affected by a natural disaster.

Credit

Presented by:
Research Center for Regional Disaster Management, Iwate University

Montgomery Dickson Center for Japanese Language & Culture, University of Alaska Anchorage

Dedicated to:
Montgomery Dickson, UAA Graduate and former JET, who perished in the 2011 Tsunami

CO-Authors

Editors :

Hiroko Harada, Professor Emerita, University of Alaska Anchorage

Shin Koshiya, Professor Emeritus, Iwate University

Science :

Kunihiro Fukutome, Professor, Research Center of Regional Disaster Management, Iwate University

Shin Koshiya, Professor Emeritus, Iwate University

Toshinori Ogasawara, Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University

Shinsuke Okada, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University

Nao Sakaguchi, Associate Professor,  Research Center of Regional Disaster Management, Iwate University

Hidekazu Yamamoto, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University

Language :

Hiroko Harada, Professor Emerita of Language, University of Alaska Anchorage; Director of Montgomery Dickson Center

Masako Douglas, Professor for the Japanese Program, Emerita Faculty, California State University, Long Beach

Yurika Izumi, Senior Lecture, Japanese, Utah State University

Hiroko Kataoka, Professor for the Japanese Program, Emerita Faculty, California State University, Long Beach

Kazue Masuyama, Professor, Department of World Languages and Literatures, California State University, Sacramento

Chisato Murakami, Term Assistant Professor of Japanese, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Junko Tokuda, Japanese Language Faculty, University of California, San Diego

Voice :

Hiroko Harada, Professor Emerita of Language, University of Alaska Anchorage; Director of Montgomery Dickson Center

Haruki Kamimura, 5th Grade Teacher, Japanese Immersion Program, Sand Lake Elementary School; President, Alaska Association of Teachers of Japanese

Nao Sakaguchi, Associate Professor,  Research Center of Regional Disaster Management, Iwate University