NEW YORKSEP 27–DEC 12, 2018
EXHIBITION REPORT

Acknowledgement
EARTH MANUAL PROJECT — THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exhibition
collaboration between The Japan Foundation Asia Center and Parsons School of
Design / The New School, in cooperation with Design and Creative Center Kobe
(KIITO) / Plus Arts.

This exhibition is curated by Hirokazu Nagata, President, Plus Arts andVice Director, Design and Creative Center Kobe (KIITO).
International transportation for this exhibition is generously supported by ANA(All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd). This exhibition is made possible with the cooperationof NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Special support is provided by thePermanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. Special thanks to Japan Society,
Inc.; AIG Japan; MUJI (Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.); and Procter & Gamble Japan.

About The Japan Foundation
The Japan Foundation is Japan’s only institution dedicated to carrying out
comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world.
The Asia Center, established in April 2014, is a division within the Foundationthat conducts and supports collaborative initiatives with its Asian—primarily
ASEAN—counterparts. Through initiatives that span Japanese-language
education, arts and culture, sports, and grassroots and intellectual exchange,
the Asia Center works toward strengthening understanding and connections
within Asia. The Japan Foundation is represented by two offices in the UnitedStates—one in New York and the other in Los Angeles.

SHEILA C. JOHNSON DESIGN CENTER,PARSONS / THE NEW SCHOOLNEW YORKSEP 27–DEC 12, 2018
EXHIBITION REPORT
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Contents

12

14

Greeting by Christiane Paul, Director,
Sheila C. Johnson Design Center

16

Introduction18

Map of disasters covered in EMP

21

Emergency! Kaeru Caravan!

25

Jishin ITSUMO Project29

Red Bear Survival Camp33

How to Craft Safety

37

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake+ Creative Timeline Mapping Project43

Climate School Project47

HANDs! Project51

The Filipino Spirit is Waterproof

55

Paper Partition System 4

59

The Tanohata Village Temporary Booth63

Roo su Flood: Knowledge to Fight Flood

67“Lost Homes” Model Restoration Project

71

Core House: Living Post-Earthquake

75

FLOATING WOMBS:
a healing project through the arts — “heArts”

80

Stepping Stones Through Disaster:
A Summary of Parsons School of Constructed
Environments’ Collaboration with Hirokazu Nagata,
The Japan Foundation and the Zolberg Instituteon Migration and Mobility

84

Timeline of EMP activities in the U.S.

CONTENTS

13

Greeting

The presentation of EARTH MANUAL PROJECT —THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE at the Sheila
C. Johnson Design Center (SJDC) in the Fall of
2018 made an invaluable contribution to The New
School community. The SJDC’s mission is tohighlight the important role that innovative art anddesign play in responding to our contemporary
world, and its exhibitions respond to current
environmental and social challenges, with the goal
to encourage and support creative researchand pedagogy.
Showcasing best practices and creative designideas for dealing with disaster preparedness andresponse and relief efforts, the EARTH MANUALPROJECT perfectly aligned with the SJDC’s
mission and goals. The show provided a unique
opportunity to learn from the educational,
communication, and design initiatives undertaken
in countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and
the Philippines where natural disasters are frequent.
The exhibition was the culminating event in aclose collaboration between The Japan Foundation
Asia Center and Parsons School of Design, which
greatly enhanced the school’s curriculum andopened possibilities for students to directly engage
with disaster preparedness.
We are grateful to curator Hirokazu Nagata,President of Plus Arts and Vice Director of Design
and Creative Center Kobe (KIITO) in Japanand The Japan Foundation for tirelessly working
with us to make this exhibition possible.
Christiane Paul
Director / Chief Curator
Sheila C. Johnson Design Center,
Parsons/The New School

14

GREETING

15

Introduction

The EARTH MANUAL PROJECT is a showcaseof creative and innovative practices for dealing withdisaster at different stages, from preparedness
education to response and relief efforts. Originatingin Japan, this exhibition also includes examples ofwork from other countries where natural disasters
frequently occur, such as Indonesia, Thailand,
and the Philippines. The exhibition’s goal is to share,connect, and learn from each other about thesepractices, some of which have evolved and changed
since their inception.
The projects featured in this exhibition are basedon extensive research and detailed interviews withdisaster survivors, and are created by experts on
disaster, architects, designers, and artists, sometimes
in collaborations. The resulting projects utilize
distinctly creative and innovative approaches todisaster issues.
News of disasters worldwide, both natural andmanmade, have sadly become all too familiar. In the
New York metropolitan region alone, there havebeen terrorist attacks, natural disasters such as
Hurricane Sandy, and blackouts covering theentire region. Disaster preparedness and response
are pressing universal concerns, and now there are
more people than ever who are proactively tacklingthese issues.
The inaugural EARTH MANUAL PROJECT exhibition
opened at Design and Creative Center Kobe (KIITO)
in Kobe-city, Hyogo, Japan in 2013. It has since
traveled to several venues in the Philippines
and Thailand; this New York exhibition marks the
project’s North American debut.
Disaster preparedness begins by communicating witheach other. Let us start now.

16

INTRODUCTION

17

EMP:
Response tonatural disasters
in Asia
Asia is subject to frequent major disasters; approximately
40% of total disasters, 40% of the resulting damage,and more than 80% of total number of people killed andvictimized by disasters between 2000 and 2005 werein Asia. Flaws in infrastructure and issues like poverty often
exacerbate the problems that natural disasters cause.
Research also shows that rising sea levels, caused byclimate change, has increased the scale of damage caused,a development that is making natural disasters one of
the biggest threats to human life for people living in Asia.
This map shows the disasters that designers andinnovators tackled in this exhibition.
Information Sources:
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan website
City of Kobe website
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
Situation Report

ThailandThailand Floods
In July 2011, a severe tropicalstorm named Nock-ten brought
continuous rain to North andNortheastern Thailand resulting
in heavy floods across 15
provinces. From around October,the flooding gradually moved
south along the Chao Phraya
River causing serious human andeconomic losses, particularlyin the central region aroundAyutthaya and the peripheral
districts of the capital of
Bangkok. The damage tobuildings and facilities wasenormous, including industrial
estates occupied by thefactories of many multinational
corporations. The effects ofthe flooding had a major impact
around the world due to thedisruption of global supply
chains, which also occurredfollowing the Great
East Japan Earthquake.

Damage situation:
Dead: 6,434 people
Missing: 3 people
Injured: 43,792 people
Completely destroyed buildings:
104,906 buildings
Evacuees: 316,678 people

JAPAN

Damage situation:
as of December 20, 2011
Dead: 744 people
Missing: 3 people

PHILIPPINESTHAILAND

Damage situation:
Dead: 5,778 people
Injured: 37,883 people
Completely destroyed buildings:
139,859 buildings

Indonesia
Mount Merapi’s Eruption
From October 26 throughNovember 2010, one of theworld’s most active volcanoes
in Indonesia, Gunung Merapi(which means “mountain of fire”
in the Javanese language)
underwent a major eruption.
During the eruption, the lava
dome that had formed near the
top of the mountain collapsed,setting off a pyroclastic flow.
Damage situation:
Dead: 386 people
Evacuees: 400,000 people

Damage situation:
as of May 23, 2013
Dead: 15,883 people
Missing: 2,676 people
Injured: 6,144 people
Completely destroyed buildings:
126,421 buildings
Evacuees: 303,571 people

Philippines
Manila Torrential Rain
On August 6 and 7, 2012, thesouthwest seasonal monsoon(known in the Philippines as
the Habagat) strengthened
under the influence of Typhoon
Hakui, while much of Luzon
Island was hit by a wave of
unusually heavy rain. Flooding
in numerous places submerged
the arterial roads and highwaysof Metro Manila. Electrical power
distribution had to be stopped
in some areas in order to prevent
electric shock-related accidents.
All this resulted in a paralysis
of urban functions.
Damage situation:
Dead: 109 people
Missing: 4 people
Injured: 14 people
Completely destroyed buildings:
3,354 buildings
Evacuees: 989,002 people

INDONESIA

Indonesia
Central Java Earthquake
On May 27, 2006, a magnitude
6.3 earthquake struck Yogjakarta
in Java, about 440km east of
the capital Jakarta. Many people
were killed having been buried
under collapsed buildings thatwere structurally weak due toconstruction with insufficiently
reinforced concrete shells or
sun-baked brick walls.

18

Japan
Great East Japan Earthquake
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0
magnitude undersea megathrustearthquake occurred below
the seabed about 130km
east-southeast of the Oshika
Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture.
This was the biggest earthquake
ever recorded in Japan, andit generated an extremely highand powerful tsunami thatdevastated large areas of the
Pacific coast of the Tohoku andKanto regions. The tsunami
height was measured at 9.3m
at Soma City in Fukushima
Prefecture, and more than 8.6m
at Ayukawa, Ishinomaki City in
Miyagi Prefecture.

Japan
Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
On January 17, 1995, a 7.3
magnitude earthquake occurred
at a depth of 16km centeredon an active maritime fault locatedbetween Awaji Island and Kobe
in Hyogo Prefecture. As the firstmajor earthquake to directly strikea large urban area in Japan in the
postwar period, the Great Hanshin
Earthquake caused an immense
loss of life and also inflicted
unprecedented damage on thesocial system, infrastructure,and economy of the Hanshin area.

Philippines
Typhoon Reming
In November 30, 2006, theprovince of Albay in southeastern
Luzon Island was hit by heavy
rain influenced by Typhoon
Reming. The rain brought
mudslides and flows of debris(including volcanic ash androcks from the eruption of theactive Mayon Volcano), whichcaused enormous damage
to towns mainly in the foothillsof the mountain. The severe
flows led to the collapse ofbuildings, uprooted trees, anddestroyed power distribution andcommunications networks, etc.
Damage situation:
Dead: 655 people
Missing: 45 people
Injured: 2,437 people

Philippines
Typhoon Sendong
On December 17 and 18, 2011,
heavy rain brought by Typhoon
Sendong struck the northeastof Mindanao Island. The
devastation was particularly
severe in the cities of
Cagayan de Oro and Iligan,
where flash floods caused
enormous destruction including
bridge collapse and damage
to water utilities, etc.
Damage situation:
Dead: 1,268 people
Missing: 181 people
Injured: 6,071 people
Completely destroyed buildings:
14,883 buildings
Evacuees: 441,022 people

19Disaster drills
that people
line up for.
Mr. Hirokazu Nagata (right) giving a tour at the opening of the EMP exhibition.

Emergency!
Kaeru Caravan!
Hiroshi Fuji
ArtistPlus Arts
Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake
Japan

20

21

Emergency!
Kaeru Caravan!

1

A toy exchange event attracted an unprecedented
number of people to participate in disaster drills
Emergency! Kaeru Caravan! is a disaster drill program in which participants can obtain theknowledge and skills necessary for disaster preparedness. It was first conducted in 2005
as part of the Message from Kobe-Ten Years after the Earthquake project commemorating
the recovery from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
Whereas previous emergency drill programs struggled with low participation rates,
especially among the younger generation, the Emergency! Kaeru Caravan! was able tosolve this problem by incorporating itself into an established toy exchange program,
Kaekko Bazaar (Exchange Bazaar).
Artist Hiroshi Fuji developed the Kaekko Bazaar, an event where children trade used toys
for “Kaeru” points (Kaeru means both exchange and frog in Japanese). These points
can then be exchanged for other toys. After incorporating Emergency! Kaeru Caravan!,children could also earn points by playing games that taught them disaster survival skills,
such as how to use fire extinguishers. The first event successfully attracted more than
3,000 children and adults.

Fig. 1 An array of toys that children brought tothe event. Children can exchange their “Kaeru”
points for toys.

2
Hiroshi Fuji / Plus Arts

Fig. 2 Children who
participate in the disaster
drill program can earn
“Kaeru” points

Fig. 3 Children look forward to the toy auction,
where they can bid on popular toys with their“Kaeru” points.

A survey of disaster survivors to create
new disaster drills
When creating the program, Fuji and Hirokazu Nagata, President of Plus Arts placed greatemphasis on surveying disaster survivors because they believed that these survivors
had the knowledge, skills, and firsthand information that would be truly helpful at thetime of a disaster. With the help of volunteers, they conducted interviews with over 50
survivors of the 1995 earthquake, who shared how they felt and what was helpful during,and immediately after, the disaster. Based on the survey results the disaster drill program
Emergency! Kaeru Caravan! took shape. This emphasis on interviewing the very people
who were involved in disasters is still one of the core operating principles of Plus Arts.

Hiroshi Fuji received his graduate degree from the Kyoto City University of Arts. After
serving as a lecturer at Papua New Guinea National University’s Art Department, heworked at an urban planning office. In 1992, he established the Hiroshi Fuji Planning and
Production Room. He seeks to encourage discussions about resources and recycling
by creating opportunities for dialogue through art. His major works include Walking of
the Skinny Dogs, The Story of Rice Ball Frogs, Vinyl Plastics Connection, Kaekko, andFujishima Hachijuro wo Tsukuru.
Plus Arts is a non-profit organization that aims to incorporate artistic ideas and creativity
in existing social fields such as education, urban development, disaster preparedness andinternational cooperation, in order to contribute to resolving some of the challenges andissues in these fields. Hirokazu Nagata, Vice Director of Design and Creative Center Kobe,
serves as President of Plus Arts.

22

EMERGENCY! KAERU CARAVAN!

23

3

Expanding activities in Japan andbeyond, upholding a philosophy thatthe local community is and will always
be the main actor
As of March 2018, the Emergency! Kaeru Caravan! has been conducted more than 452
times in 34 of 47 prefectures in Japan, as well as in 19 other countries. Emergency! Kaeru
Caravan! consists of 22 different possible activities, and local partners can choose theprograms that are most pertinent to their regions and needs.
The main purpose of the Emergency! Kaeru Caravan! program is to provide emergency drill
programming, but it also aims to train communities so that the program will run sustainably,
independent of Plus Arts. Volunteers from local communities are invited to participate incarrying out the program. This allows local communities to develop their own programs
based on issues specific to their areas.

Earthquake
survivors are
the trueearthquake
specialists.

Jishin ITSUMO Project
Bumpei Yorifuji
Art Director

Plus Arts
Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake
Japan

24

25

Jishin ITSUMO
Project

1

See an earthquake not from the specialists’viewpoint, but through survivors’ testimonies
The first edition of “Jishin ITSUMO Note” (Always Be Prepared: Earthquake Note)
was published in 2007. Based on interviews with 167 survivors of the 1995
Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the book takes a unique approach to disaster
preparedness as it focuses on the feelings of actual disaster survivors andtheir own ideas, rather than the perspectives of earthquake specialists. It was acollaborative project between Plus Arts and the artist, Bumpei Yorifuji.
Plus Arts also launched the SAVE YOURSELF project in cooperation with the Tokyo Gas
Company in 2007. SAVE YOURSELF is a disaster preparedness educational project forthe company’s employees, based on the data collected through the Jishin ITSUMO Noteproject. The information contained in the SAVE YOURSELF project is practical, easily
understandable, and gathered from reliable sources. It covers a wide range of issues,
including topics such as how to make your home more earthquake resistant, how to prevent
furniture from falling over, how to conduct first-aid treatment, how to prepare a go bag,how best to obtain up-to-date information during a disaster, and evacuation.

2
Bumpei Yorifuji / Plus Arts

Make information accessible to the public
After the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, the editors of“Jishin ITSUMO Note” launched the “Jishin ITSUMO.com” website, a free, open-source
website for disaster survival information aimed at the survivors of the earthquake.
Relevant content from “Jishin ITSUMO Note,” as well as information from the SAVEYOURSELF project, are available on the website.

Bumpei Yorifuji started his own design firm, Yorifuji Design Office, in 1998 and established
Bunpei Ginza in 2000. Yorifuji has art-directed many corporate advertisements andpublic service campaigns. His major works include the “manners” posters series for the
Tokyo Metro, an etiquette campaign for Japan Tobacco to encourage smokers to be
more considerate, the “ITSUMO no MOSHIMO” advertising campaign for MUJI, anda tourist map of Fukushima for Fukushima Prefecture. In addition to marketing andadvertising, he also does book design, illustrations, and writing. Publications include Shini
Catalogue (The Catalogue of Death), Genso Seikatsu (Wonderful Life with the Elements),
among others. His professional accolades include the Tokyo Art Directors Club Award,
Nikkei Advertising Award, Applied Typography Annual Grand Prize (Japan), Bronze at the
ACC Tokyo Creativity Awards, and the Kodansha Book Design Award.
Plus Arts is a non-profit organization that aims to incorporate artistic ideas and creativity
in existing social fields such as education, urban development, disaster preparedness andinternational cooperation, in order to contribute to resolving some of the challenges andissues in these fields. Hirokazu Nagata, Vice Director of Design and Creative Center Kobe,
serves as President of Plus Arts.

26

JISHIN ITSUMO PROJECT

27

3

Using illustrations to achieve
wider dissemination
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, more and more companies have started
including disaster preparedness in their corporate social responsibility efforts.
Plus Arts, in collaboration with Tokyo Gas Company and six other companies, developed
educational tools for disaster preparedness, including disaster prevention courses
for employees and clients.
Yorifuji’s illustrations for “Jishin ITSUMO Note” attracted great interest from companies
due to their simple and communicative design; the book made disaster preparedness more
approachable and understandable. With illustrations at its core, the Jishin ITSUMO
project helped to reach a broad audience.

Fig. 4 Jishin ITSUMO, Always Prepare
campaign by MUJI

Fig. 5 Jishin ITSUMO Exhibitionin Bangkok

Fig. 6 Disaster Preparedness Fair
at Tokyo Gas Company

Camping,a disaster
preparedness
activity.

Red Bear Survival CampRed Bear
Survival Camp Club
Plus Arts
Great East Japan
Earthquake
Japan

28

29

Red Bear
Survival Camp1

Learning disaster survival skills
through camping
In 2011, Plus Arts held the first Red Bear Survival Camp in Kobe City; there were 60
participants in the two-day event. The purpose of the camp is to equip participants
with survival skills to live through a disaster, since surviving the first 72 hours after acatastrophic event without outside help is critical.
At that time, Plus Arts had already conducted Emergency! Kaeru Caravan! — anemergency drill program introduced in a separate exhibit — for several years. Afterlearning that approximately 470,000 people evacuated to some 2,000 shelters during
the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, members of Plus Arts realized that different
skills are necessary to live in an unforgiving environment like a shelter. When they
considered how they could help people develop the survival skills, “camping” came up
as a key word because it equally requires one to make do with less. The Red Bear Survival
Camp teaches outdoor survival skills that would also be useful in a shelter situation.

Fig. 7 Children learning survival skills.

2

Fig. 8 Red Bear Orienteering to review
learned skills.

Supporting communities so the activity
takes root and grows sustainably
The Camp has been held throughout Japan, with changes to reflect disaster issues
pertinent to the region. Plus Arts emphasizes the importance of not only providinga system and know-how but also considering local issues together with residents tocreate programs that reflect their thoughts.

Red Bear Survival Camp Club / Plus Arts
Members of the Red Bear Survival Camp Club develop and conduct camping programs thatteach the kinds of skills, resilience, and creativity necessary to survive a disaster. Many
members of the club are Plus Arts staff members.
Plus Arts is a non-profit organization that aims to incorporate artistic ideas and creativity
in existing social fields such as education, urban development, disaster preparedness andinternational cooperation, in order to contribute to resolving some of the challenges andissues in these fields. Hirokazu Nagata, Vice Director of Design and Creative Center Kobe,
serves as President of Plus Arts.
Fig. 930

RED BEAR SURVIVAL CAMP

31

3

New disaster preparedness activities whose
creators and promoters are local residents
One of the initial Red Bear Survival Camps reflected the experiences of survivors of the
1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in its programs: since the camp was directed toward
the Hanshin-Awaji region, this meant the content of the camp was more relevant to
the local target audience. The Red Bear Survival Camp, with its disaster preparedness
programs created and developed by residents, has the potential to become a newmodel for conducting disaster preparedness activities.

Making use ofwhat you’ve got.
That’s a principleof BOSAI,
Japan’s approachto disaster risk
reduction.
HOW TO CRAFT SAFETY
NHK World-Japan

Great East Japan
Earthquake
Japan

32

33

HOW TOCRAFT SAFETY

1

Disasters deprive us of things we’re accustomed
to. We should make use of what’s available rather
than brood over what’s not.
At the time of a major earthquake, tsunami, or storm, people may be forced to leave theirhomes and take shelter elsewhere. Items that they usually have are not always available.
Making the most of what is at hand is the path of wisdom.
NHK produced this series in 2017 to show how this wisdom is put into practice. Twentyfive practical and creative ideas from viewers and specialists were selected after careful
screening. These include making a sling from a shopping bag and a stretcher out ofblankets. The series was broadcast within Japan and is available on NHK’s website.

NHK World-Japan
NHK’s international service delivers to the world the latest information about Japan andAsia through television, radio, and internet. With its 24-hour English language television
channel at the center, NHK WORLD-JAPAN enhances its internet presence and expands
video-on-demand multilingual content in languages other than English. It will continue
to be true to its mission of providing fair, impartial, and reliable information from Japan to
the rest of the world.

2

Being creative protects our lives.
A massive earthquake hit the Kansai area around Kobe in 1995. Sixteen years later,
another mammoth quake struck northeastern Japan, followed by a catastrophic
tsunami. Many people died in the disasters. Others perished due to stress and unhealthy
conditions afterwards. School gymnasiums were often used as evacuation shelters.
The wisdom to make beds and restroom equipment out of cardboard was born out of thepressing needs of evacuees.

NHK World-Japan brings Japan’s disaster risk reduction experience to listeners
across the globe. As a country prone to earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, storms,
and floods, Japan has had to learn how to minimize the risk and how to respond. Thisaccumulated know-how, called BOSAI, is now available through the international
service of Japan’s sole public broadcaster. NHK World-Japan provides informationin round-the-clock television programming in English, radio programs in 17
languages, social media, and other online services. BOSAI is one of the mostfrequent topics.
HOW TO CRAFT SAFETY is a series of short videos providing step-by-step instructions
for creating do-it-yourself survival products. For example, ponchos put together out ofplastic garbage bags and tableware made of newspaper. The programs were initially
produced in Japanese under the supervision of Hirokazu Nagata, President of Plus Arts,a non-profit organization devoted to disaster prevention education. They were latertranslated into English, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, and Chinese. The series has been
widely known through social media and on-site events.

34

HOW TO CRAFT SAFETY

35

3

BOSAI culture: Local, diverse, and global.
NHK World JAPAN translated “HOW TO CRAFT SAFETY” into five languages in 2017and 2018. The information has spread across the globe through broadcasts, social media,
and on-site events. Illustrated instruction manuals are accessible on their website
free of charge. The concept of making use of readily available things has been accepted
and adapted by people in many countries to meet their own conditions and needs.
BOSAI’s wisdom has been localized, diversified, and globalized.

Fig. 10 “HOW TO CRAFT SAFETY”
water purifying system by a residentof Lombok Island, Indonesia

Fig. 11 Tableware made frombanana leaf in Thailand(by courtesy of Hirokazu Nagata)Fig. 12 Event of listeners of NHK World Japanin Bangkok, Thailand

The 2011 Great
East Japan
Earthquake is notover yet, neither
is the 1995 Great
Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake+ Creative Timeline Mapping Project
SPREAD Design Group
Design andCreative Center Kobe
+ 36 volunteers

36

Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake
Japan

37

The Great
Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake+ Creative Timeline
Mapping Project1

Studying past disasters
to prepare for future disasters
After the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, Hirokazu Kobayashi andHaruna Yamada of design firm SPREAD asked the question: “What can creative
professionals do for the post-quake recovery?” This question eventually led to
the launch of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake + Creative Timeline Mapping
Project (TM Project).
The TM Project maps recovery support for the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake in the fields of art, design, and architecture. It provides information
on what was necessary and what was missing at important points of the recovery
process, suggesting ways forward after the March 2011 disasters. The TM Projectshows how certain relief activities began immediately after the disaster, and how
some continue to the present, decades after the disaster. The path to recovery andreconstruction is long, and some activities need to take place regularly—five, ten,twenty years after the disaster. Immediately after a disaster there are often many
fundraising events and, about ten years after, there is a shift towards educational
programs for the younger generation and others who did not experience thedisaster first hand. The project shows how art, design, and architecture can be
integral parts of disaster relief, evolving as the needs of the affected areas change.
The TM Project went live in November 2011, and is still online today at
http://tm19950117.jp/. The timeline in the exhibition showed data up to 2013.

Fig. 13–14 Exhibition held at Design and Creative Center Kobe in 2013

Fig. 15 Exhibition held in Tokyo in 2013

SPREAD Design Group ⁄Design and Creative Center Kobe
+ 36 volunteers
SPREAD is a creative unit created by Hirokazu Kobayashi and Haruna Yamada. One of
their works, “Life Stripe,” visualizes daily life as a band of colors by assigning a color to
everyday activities and adjusting the width based on the time spent on them; the work
received critical acclaim and has been shown internationally. Other major projects include
the 10th anniversary graphics for the National Art Center, Tokyo; the “Tsubame-Sanjo
Factory Festival,” a tour of metalwork factories in Niigata usually closed to the public, and“HARU stuck-on design,” large-scale decorative tape for interior design. Awards include
a Red Dot Design Award for Communication Design (Germany), an iF Design Award for
Packaging (Germany), and a D&AD award (United Kingdom).
Kobe City became a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in 2008, and Design
and Creative Center Kobe (KIITO) was established as a creativity hub in August 2012. It
aims to serve as a hub for designers, to incorporate innovative designs into people’s daily
lives to enrich them, and to connect people, not only in Kobe but also around the world.

38

THE GREAT HANSHIN-AWAJI EARTHQUAKE + CREATIVE TIMELINE MAPPING PROJECT

39

Detail of Creative Timeline Mapping Project

Data continues

40

THE GREAT HANSHIN-AWAJI EARTHQUAKE + CREATIVE TIMELINE MAPPING PROJECT

41

2

A timeline presents the pastand the future at a glance
The timeline format of the TM Project is based on an earlier work by SPREAD,“Life Stripe.” Life Stripe records people’s behavioral patterns in 24-hour blocks
by classifying activity into one of 21 categories, each represented by a different
color. Life Stripe is meant to enhance people’s self-awareness by showing
behavioral patterns over a day. SPREAD applied this concept to the TM Project,enabling viewers to visualize what took place in response to the Great
Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and apply what was learned to future disasters.

Fig. 16 Life Stripe
created by SPREAD

Fig. 17 First draft of timeline
Fig. 18 Final timeline

3

Efforts for the future also preserve
memories of the past

One cause offlooding was
an overuseof waterresources.

More than two decades have passed since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and there
have been few opportunities to look back on the earthquake outside of its anniversary
on January 17. The TM Project serves not only as guideline for future post-quake activities,
but also as a reminder for disaster survivors to hand down the lessons learned from theearthquake to future generations.

Climate School Project

Fig. 19 Kickoff meeting for the
TM Project.

42

Fig. 20 The two members of SPREAD
residing in Tokyo (center) frequently
went to Kobe to join meetings
with volunteers.

Fig. 21 Interviewing key people who had been
involved in support activities after the disaster was an important component.

DAKILA

Typhoon Ondoy
Philippines

43

Climate
School Project1

Promote disaster preparedness
through grassroots activism
In Malabon City, part of greater Metro Manila in the Philippines, floods are a year-roundproblem. These floods are the result of climate change and an over-pumping ofgroundwater that have caused land subsidence issues. Residents frequently end up
resorting to small wooden boats or large Styrofoam blocks as makeshift meansof transport in flooded areas. The flooding has also led to sea-level rise. Faced with thisreality, the social justice group DAKILA decided to initiate various creative activities
under the umbrella of their Climate School Project, which combats climate change
issues. DAKILA worked with Malabon City and the Malabon Music Alliance to broadly
disseminate information about climate change and created programs for residents
to get involved in climate change mitigation and preparedness.

DAKILA
Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism is a group of artists, students, young
professionals and individuals committed to working together in order to creatively
spark social change.

44

CLIMATE SCHOOL PROJECT

45

2

Utilize popular culture to draw attention
to the project
One of the campaigns DAKILA conducted addressed issues with trash, since it
is a big problem that also aggravates flooding. The activities in the Climate School
Project can be organized into three categories: BasuROCK, BasuraHAND,
and BasurART (basura means waste). In BasuROCK, musicians draw attention
to environmental issues through their music and lyrics. They talk about
environmental issues at their concerts and advocate reducing CO2 and trash.
In BasuraHAND, organizers engage in collaborative activities that involve
different groups of stakeholders in the city. They promote 3R (Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle) and hold plastic holiday events where the use of plastics is
prohibited at markets in Malabon City. In BasurART, environmental protection
is taught through the creation of artwork using recycled materials.
These activities helped raise awareness of environmental issues among a
younger generation, in addition to enhancing their artistic and creative potential.

Fig. 22 Participants ofBasurART workshop

Fig. 23 Artwork by children who
participated in a BasurART event

Your idea
can change
the future.

Fig. 24 BasuROCK event

HANDs! Project
The Japan Foundation
Asia Center

Japan
Nepal
India
MyanmarThailand
Malaysia

Cambodia
Philippines
Indonesia

46

47

HANDs!
Project

1

Visit disaster sites
In the first year, HANDs! Fellows have the opportunity to learn about effective disastereducation through Study Tours. The Tours cover disaster sites within participating
countries over the course of roughly three weeks. Fellows conduct discussions and analyze
problems related to disasters that have happened at a site, as well as the lessons
learned. During the tour, Fellows also acquire practical skills for problem-solving using“Design Thinking” and “Systems Thinking.” The Study Tours part of the program isdesigned to prepare Fellows for conducting Action Plan Projects in the second year.

Fig. 25 Fellows listening to local residents talk about surviving the Indian
Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami at the
Aceh Tsunami Museum.
(Aceh, Indonesia, 2015)

2
The Japan Foundation Asia Center
The Japan Foundation is Japan’s principal independent administrative institution
dedicated to carrying out cultural exchange initiatives throughout the world.

Fig. 26 Fellows interviewing Navotas
residents in a shelter about theirexperiences with disasters.
(Metro Manila, Philippines, 2016)

Fig. 27 Disaster preparedness game event
conducted by the HANDs! Fellows in thelatter half of their program. This project
brings disaster preparedness education
to elementary and junior high schools in
Aceh and Surabaya; both areas have been
affected by earthquakes and tsunamis.
(Surabaya, Indonesia, 2016)

Learn from locals
Special emphasis is placed on listening to locals. During a Study Tour, the Fellows conduct
interviews with local residents of the disaster sites to better understand their situations
before suggesting preventative measures for future disasters.
After the Study Tour, the Fellows find appropriate communities to plan and implement
Action Plan Projects. In preparing for their Projects, the Fellows conduct more research,
including detailed interviews with residents.

The Asia Center, established in April 2014, is a division within the Foundation that conducts
and supports collaborative initiatives with its Asian—primarily ASEAN—counterparts.
Through initiatives that span Japanese-language education, arts and culture, sports,
and grassroots and intellectual exchange, the Asia Center works toward strengthening
understanding and connections within Asia.
The HANDs! Project is an annual youth exchange program centered on the theme ofinnovative disaster prevention. Since Asia is the site of so many of the world’s natural
disasters, one of the program’s aims is to nurture a sense of community among thepeople of Asia. Youth with a strong interest in disaster prevention are selected as HANDs!
Fellows from nine countries: Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, India,
Myanmar, Nepal, Cambodia, and Japan. Program activities span a two-year period,
with study and research in the first year and Action Plan Projects, project design,and execution in the second year. Since the project’s inception in 2014, there havebeen 100 Fellows in this program.

48

HANDS! PROJECT

49

3

Take action!
Launch your own disaster awareness programs
Based on their experiences during the Study Tours and follow-up research, the Fellows
design new projects. The goal is to not only come up with good ideas, but to take action.
The Fellows often involve artists and other people from different backgrounds in orderto create engaging activities that are backed by solid research.
Since 2015, 27 projects have been implemented and more than 90,000 people havebeen reached. The Fellows continue this work today, increasing the number ofprojects and the number of beneficiaries. The Fellows’ careful research and active
engagement with the local people helps ensure that the projects are not only
accepted by locals, but also continue in coming years.

Social media(SNS) isa goodplatform tosend SOS.

Fig. 28

The Filipino Spirit is Waterproof
Ayala Museum502012 Metro
Manila Flooding
Philippines

51

The Filipino Spirit
is Waterproof

1

Be humble
and start small
In August 2012, during the monsoon season, the entire Metropolitan Manila region
suffered from immense flooding caused by torrential rains.
After witnessing the resilience of flood victims and the relief efforts by volunteers, Spike
Acosta, a member of the marketing and public relations team at Ayala Museum came up
with the slogan “The Filipino Spirit is Waterproof.” The slogan attests to the strength of
the Filipino spirit in the face of disaster — not just the ability to overcome the problems
created by flooding but also to offer aid to those who need it most. The slogan embodies
the Filipino concept of “bayanihan,” the idea of coming together to assist those in need.
Acosta, with his colleague Jei Ente, posted the slogan on the museum’s Twitter account.

Ayala Museum
Ayala Museum is an art and history museum dedicated to the discovery of joy and wonderof Philippine culture. Located in Makati, the country’s central business district, Ayala
Museum regularly schedules programs on history, contemporary art, music, and design,
including temporary exhibitions, lectures, artists’ and curators’ talks, workshops,
and performances.

52

THE FILIPINO SPIRIT IS WATERPROOF

53

2

Effective in a city withmany social media users
The slogan quickly grew into a campaign on its own. Filipino designers and artists
began to come up with visual images inspired by it.
In just a few hours, 20 designs were posted online, and within a month, 133 works with theslogan had been uploaded.
This campaign was able to gain traction because of the widespread use of social media
among Manila residents.
As the campaign gained public attention, it was criticized for being superficial and not
helping with the actual problems caused by the flooding. While the campaign could notassist with immediate flood relief, its publicity helped enhance awareness of disaster
preparedness among Manila residents, and led to discussions about infrastructure issues
in the Philippines.

Fig. 29 Ayala Museum, where
the slogan “The Filipino Spirit
is Waterproof” was launched.

Fig. 30 Various inspirational posters werecreated by Filipino designers anduploaded onto social media.

Fig. 31 Many posters combinedgraphics with the slogan.

The housethat would be
reliable intimes ofdisaster isa house madeof paper.
Paper Partition System 4
Shigeru Ban

Architect, Professor
at Kyoto Universityof Art and Design and
Keio University

54

Great East Japan
Earthquake
Japan

55

Paper Partition
System 4

1

The “perfect” partition system,
improved with each disaster
Paper Partition System (PPS) is a partition system for evacuation facilities designed by
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. PPS is easy to assemble and disassemble, reusable andrecyclable, and also affordable. The units afford evacuees some privacy, providing somereassurance and a sense of order in chaotic, disaster-stricken areas.
The first version of PPS, PPS1, was made in 2004 for evacuation facilities after the
Chuetsu Earthquake in Niigata, Japan. In order to keep out the cold and bright lighting
in evacuation facilities at night, PPS1 was designed to be a roofed structure. However,the units ended up being used more frequently as “special rooms,” such as children’s
playrooms. After the 2005 earthquake in Fukuoka Prefecture, Ban provided waist-highpartitions instead of roofed structures, but those did not provide sufficient privacy.
The following year he conducted studies in a gymnasium to address the privacy problem
and developed a PPS4 prototype.
In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, about 1,800 sets of PPS4 were
set up in 50 evacuation facilities. PPS4 uses paper tubes for the posts, beams, and joints,
and canvas for the wall partitions.

Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban graduated from the Cooper Union School of Architecture in 1984 andestablished Shigeru Ban Architects the following year. Ban has served as a consultant
to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since1995. After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, Ban established the Voluntary
Architects’ Network (VAN), a disaster relief organization. After the Chuetsu Earthquake
in 2004, he developed a Paper Partition System for use in evacuation facilities;
versions of the partitions have been used after subsequent disasters, including theGreat East Japan Earthquake (2011), Kumamoto Earthquake (2016), and thetorrential rains and landslides in Western Japan (2018). In his projects Ban pursues
the possibilities of recyclable materials, such as paper and wood. In addition tohis humanitarian work, his major projects include the Centre Pompidou-Metz (2010),
Oita Prefectural Art Museum (2014), and La Seine Musicale (2017). Ban won the
Pritzker Architecture Prize (2014) in recognition of both his work for private clientsand his humanitarian efforts. He currently teaches at Kyoto University of Art and
Design and Keio University.

56

PAPER PARTITION SYSTEM 4

57

2

Perpetually questioning the mission of
the architect
Ban started his disaster relief activities in war-torn Rwanda in 1994. Seeing the imagesof refugees wrapped in blankets and without shelter, he walked into the UNHCR
headquarters in Geneva without an appointment and, on the spot, proposed to build
paper shelters. His proposal was accepted by UNHCR and he went to work in
Geneva and Rwanda as a UNHCR consultant.
In response to other major disasters in various parts of the world, such as major
earthquakes in Japan, China, Indonesia, and New Zealand, Ban continued to develop
structures based on need: temporary housing and facilities in some situations andpartition systems for evacuation facilities in others. The motivation behind his disaster
relief activities is a strong sense of his mission as an architect. Ban says, “While
doctors and lawyers work for the weak, architects tend to produce something symbolic
for the rich. What can we architects do for society? I believe the ultimate mission ofarchitects is to make a ‘better living environment.’ This principle should apply equally
to both expensive residences and to temporary houses.”That wall
can be a desk.
It can also
be a chair.

The Tanohata Village
Temporary Booth
Nobuaki FuruyaArchitect, Professor
at Waseda University
Great East Japan
Earthquake
Japan

58

59

The
Tanohata Village
Temporary Booth

1

Designing simple structures
without a feeling of entrapment
By April 2011, residents of Tanohata Village in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, had been living in
the community hall for a month after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
In response to a request from the village council, architect Nobuaki Furuya designed
private booths to provide residents with some personal space within the evacuation facility.
As he had been involved in the design of the community hall, he was familiar with the space
and was also on friendly terms with the village residents.
The simple structure, made out of reinforced cardboard, is designed to establish as muchprivacy as possible without causing a sense of being trapped in a small and closed space.

Fig. 32 Booths used as changing rooms and study rooms in
the evacuation facility in Tanohata Village

Nobuaki Furuya
Furuya has been President of the Architectural Institute of Japan since 2017;
he is also a professor of architecture at Waseda University and the presidentof his own architecture and design firm, NASCA. He received his BA from Waseda
University’s Department of Architecture and also completed his doctoral studies in
Architecture at Waseda. He was an assistant professor at Kinki University before
returning to Waseda as an associate professor and became a full professor there in
1997. Since 1986 he has been a member of Studio Mario Botta in Switzerland
under the Overseas Study Program for Artists administered by Japan’s Agency for
Cultural Affairs. His professional achievements include awards and recognition
from the Architectural Institute of Japan, the Japan Institute of Architects, and theJapan Art Academy. For details of the Tanohata Village support activities conductedby Furuya Lab at Waseda University, visit http://www.arch.waseda.ac.jp/593/

60

THE TANOHATA VILLAGE TEMPORARY BOOTH

61

2

Adapting flexibly to needs
and eliminating inconveniences
Each booth was initially intended to be used as living space for individual households.
However, people in the evacuation center had already become accustomed to living as agroup at that point and did not like the idea of being divided by household. So the booths
were used as changing rooms and children’s study rooms instead.
Furuya also addressed the inconvenience of performing daily activities (eating, reading,etc.) on the floor by working with furniture designer Kazuko Fujie to produce furniture,again, out of reinforced cardboard. The cardboard furniture were very well received and 50
low tables were ordered and produced within three days.
In addition, chiffon curtains of two different colors designed by textile designer Yoko
Ando were hung at the entrance of each booth. The two layers of chiffon in different
colors allowed people to adjust the degree of transparency. The designer made it a point
not to draw strong boundaries between the inside and outside of the booth, so that it
did not create a feeling of being closed in.
In the process of creating his work, Furuya always tries to identify the needs onsite,
make suggestions, and determine what people really wish to have, instead of providing
ready-made solutions. Due to this flexible approach, Furuya had already earned
the trust of the villagers during the construction of the community hall, and they readily
engaged him in the community recovery plan after the earthquake.

Fig. 33 During the first phase of relief
activity, Furuya built temporary
cardboard booths and created small
partitions using cardboard boxes.

Fig. 34 During the second phase,
Furuya worked with Kazuko Fujie toproduce furniture and with Yoko Andoto design curtains for booth entrances.

With animations,Have-to-See
information
becomesWant-to-See
information.

Fig. 35 Furuya had meetings and discussions
with Tanohata Village representatives todiscuss their current needs, as well as futureplans for the village.

Roo su Flood­— Knowledge to Fight flood
Roo su Flood

62

Thailand floods
Thailand63

Roo su Flood— Knowledge
to Fight flood

1

Be a reliable friend to people in trouble
When massive floods hit Thailand in the autumn of 2011, a group of Chulalongkorn
University alumni volunteered in the disaster-affected areas. Their work included more
typical relief activities like food distribution and clean-up, but they also volunteered
to collect information for the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, the national news
broadcasting service. Unfortunately, most of the information they collected was lost.
The group found that essential information was often not communicated to those
who needed it, and resources online were not always trustworthy or accurate. To addressthese issues, the group decided to work together on an animation series that would
disseminate accurate information effectively.
“We wanted to become friends of people in need of help. So we started activities toprovide people with information that was accurate, easy-to-understand, and truly
helpful for their survival,” says volunteer group leader Thawatchai Saengthamchai.

Fig. 362

Fig. 37

Relay essential information
via public broadcasting
While Roo su Flood initially planned to disseminate the animated clips through YouTube,
Thai PBS offered to air the animated clips so that flood information could reach agreater number of people. Thai PBS also organized events incorporating the charactersthat appeared in the animation series, and sold character merchandise, with theproceeds going to flood mitigation measures.

Roo su Flood
Roo su Flood is a volunteer group of artists, animators, graphic designers, andother members from various backgrounds in Thailand. In the wake of massive floodingin their country in 2011, when information was extremely slow and confusing, Roo su
Flood gathered data and created a series of animations designed to provide up-to-date
information about the flood situation, as well as suggestions for ways to cope and safely
evacuate from flood-stricken areas. Animations of a whale, the symbol of Roo su
Flood, were aired repeatedly on TV and YouTube and became a sensation in Thailand.
Many members of Roo su Flood, including Thawatchai Saengthamchai, Kringkrai
Vachilathamporn, Nottapon Boonprakob, and Watthana Rujirojsakul, are graduatesof the faculty of Communication Art of Chulalongkorn University.
Fig. 38

64

ROO SU FLOOD — KNOWLEDGE TO FIGHT FLOOD

65

3

Accurate, high-quality animation
born of teamwork
The animation project was carried out by a tightly organized team. They held ameeting every morning to discuss day-to-day production processes and the themeof each episode. In the afternoon they conducted research and analysis. In
the evening they presented and discussed the research results before developing
the animated videos. Team members from diverse backgrounds and fields ofspecialization were asked for feedback and suggestions, with the goal of producingbalanced, easy-to-understand episodes.

Build models.
Rebuild
memories.

Fig. 39“Lost Homes”
Model Restoration Project
Osamu Tsukihashi

Architect, Associate
Professor at
Kobe University

66

Great East Japan
Earthquake
Japan

67

“Lost Homes”
Model Restoration
Project

1Model making as strategy to support
disaster areas“Lost Homes” is a project in which architecture students make pre-disastermodels of areas devastated by catastrophes like the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Architect Osamu Tsukihashi came up with the idea when he was pondering how
architecture students, particularly those outside disaster areas, could support theaffected communities.
In Japan, even students in their first year of study learn how to build architecturalmodels and therefore can take part in the effort. Over the process of making themodel, the students deepen their understanding of the disaster-stricken areas andnaturally start empathizing more with those directly affected. Tsukihashi believes
that looking at the miniature model of an area before the disaster and recognizing what
was lost could help residents of the affected communities to grieve and eventually
move on to reconstruction.

2

A scale model of their hometowns
helps survivors to bring back their memories
Students did not just create miniature models of buildings, but also held listening
sessions to hear the stories of residents and then added details to the buildings. The
students, using the residents’ memories as their guide, set up flags at each houseindicating whose house it was and what happened there. “You can have a more relaxed
conversation when talking through the medium of the miniature model, an object,than talking directly with people. As a result, you tend to recall many more stories. The
miniature model brings back the memories associated with the area. It also becomes
an effective medium for communicating history to future generations,” says Tsukihashi.

Osamu Tsukihashi
Born in Toyama in 1968, Tsukihashi graduated from the School of Architecture, Facultyof Engineering, Kyoto University in 1991. He completed coursework in a doctoral programat the University of Tokyo in 1998 and, from 1998 to 2002, worked at the Institute ofIndustrial Science at the University of Tokyo. In 2002 he established Architects Teehouse,a multidisciplinary office covering product design, editorial design, and urban planning.
From 2003 to September 2009 he served as an assistant professor in architecture at
Tohoku Institute of Technology. Since October 2009 he has been an associate professor
at Kobe University.

68

Fig. 40

Fig. 41

Fig. 42“LOST HOMES” MODEL RESTORATION PROJECT69

3

At a standardized scale,models can be used as archival materials
The miniature models produced in this project aim to help people remember, confirm
their losses, mourn for what was lost, and eventually lead toward reconstruction
efforts. In addition to being part of a healing process, the models also fulfill an archival
function. They are built to a 1:500 scale, providing accurate representations of
pre-disaster communities. They can be used as future reference material for building
disaster-resistant communities.

Disastersurvivors
do not want toleave theirhomes, or theirhometown.
Core House:
Living Post-Earthquake
IkaputraArchitect, Urban Designer,
and Associate Professor
at Gadjah Mada University

Central Java
Earthquake
Indonesia

Mr. Hirokazu Nagata (right) giving a tour at the opening of the EMP exhibition.

70

71

Core House:
LivingPost-Earthquake

1

Valuing extendable designs over exterior designs
Soon after a major earthquake hit Java, Indonesia in 2006, Ikaputra, an architect andprofessor, visited one of the devastated areas, Kasongan, to see how he could help.
In conversations with villagers he learned about their dissatisfaction with the temporary
bamboo shelters and decided to create a new kind of temporary housing with theirwishes in mind. The result was Core House, a shelter that could be produced quickly,
and can also be extended and built upon as permanent housing. The houses were
designed to meet minimum housing requirements in order to keep costs low, but thedesign also allows for expansion at a future point, if and when more funds become
available. The Core House design quickly gained popularity, and ninety Core Houses
were built in Kasongan.

Fig. 43

2

Fig. 44

A house that can be extended flexibly according
to each disaster survivor’s circumstances
The defining concept of the Core House is “extendability” in three senses:(1) structural extendability that makes it easy to extend the house in any andall directions;(2) economic extendability that makes it easy to extend the house when funds
are available;(3) functional extendability that makes it possible to secure a minimum living
space in the interim and later extend it flexibly by adding other spaces.
After they were built, the Core Houses were extended in many creative ways,
oftentimes in scenarios that Ikaputra had not considered. The houses wereexpanded in various directions, and customized to meet the needs of individual
households, resulting in different sizes and designs.

IkaputraBorn in 1962 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Ikaputra is a Doctor of Engineering at Osaka
University and an Associate Professor at Department of Architecture & Planning, Facultyof Engineering, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. He experienced firsthand theGreat Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, the Central Java Earthquake in 2006, and theMount Merapi Eruption in 2010 (the latter two disasters both affected Yogyakarta),
and lent his support to the reconstruction efforts after these disasters.

72

Fig. 45

CORE HOUSE: LIVING POST-EARTHQUAKE

73

3

If you can continue to live in your area even aftera disaster, you can also maintain your community
One of the benefits of using a housing system like the Core House is that communities
are able to stay together. In Japan, survivors are often moved to temporary housing far
away from home if their homes are destroyed. When that happens, existing communities
are often lost, which has a strong negative impact on survivors. Core House helps
survivors stay within their communities and maintain support networks.

Creating things
together brings
about better
communication
than just talking
to each other.
Fig. 46

FLOATING WOMBS,
a healing project through the arts
— “heArts”
Alma Quinto

ArtistIn collaboration withresearcher Miho Nakanishi,
artist Soni Kum,and disaster survivor

TyphoonRemingTyphoonSendong
Philippines

Francis Basas
74

75

FLOATING WOMBS,
a healing projectthrough the arts
— “heArts”

1

Create a sustainable program
suitable for disaster survivors
As a high school student Alma Quinto did volunteer work in different marginalized
communities through student organizations. She went on to study art and art history
in college and, after graduating, got involved with the Philippines Art Educators
Association, organizing culture-based art workshops for children and teachers. She
started to work with various disaster-affected communities through the Artists for
Crisis Program, her own House of Comfort Art Project.
Quinto believes that when artists conduct workshops with communities, taking
on the role of educators, they must not act as “artists,” with the participants receiving
and following instructions. She argues that they should instead assume the role of“facilitator” and involve participants in the creative process, so that they can express
themselves freely. Quinto suggests that artists engage participants in the processof building workshops so that they can organize similar workshops on their own without
the artists’ assistance.

Fig. 47 Workshop organized andfacilitated by Alma Quinto
in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, 2007

2

Fig. 48 Workshop organized andfacilitated by Alma Quinto
in Davao City, 2006

Fig. 49 Workshop organized andfacilitated by Alma Quinto
in Naga City, Bicol Region, 2007

Key words:“liberation” and “solidarity”
The kinds of workshops that Quinto organizes for disaster survivors have two goals.
One is to help liberate survivors from negative experiences related to the disaster.
The other is to help them feel connected to other survivors. Participants are asked tocreate artwork related to their experiences in the disaster, as well as their dreams
for the future. They are then encouraged to talk about and share their experiences withothers, to build trust and connections.

Alma Quinto
Alma Quinto is an artist and art educator who encourages disaster survivors toheal through arts. Her goal is for people to get back on their feet through their individual
power and efforts. Since 2006 Alma Quinto has conducted workshops within
disaster-affected communities in the Philippines and Japan in collaboration withactivists, educators, artists, and NGO staff.

76

FLOATING WOMBS, A HEALING PROJECT THROUGH THE ARTS — “heArts”

77

3

78

Incorporating different creative activities
on a case-by-case basis
In December 2011, Quinto collaborated with the Puntod Barangay Council, a local
administrative council in northern Mindanao in the Philippines, to organize several
creative workshops for the survivors of Typhoon Sendong. These workshops included
various creative activities such as drawing, dance, sewing, and cooking. The activities
created opportunities for survivors to communicate and share experiences, andcooking and eating together also fostered a sense of unity.

79

Stepping Stones
Through Disaster:
A Summary of Parsons School of Constructed
Environments’ Collaboration with Hirokazu
Nagata, The Japan Foundation and the Zolberg
Institute on Migration and Mobility

Whether caused by natural or human-made conditions,or a combination thereof, disasters test our resilienceand humanity. In light of the increasing magnitude andfrequency of catastrophes capturing world headlines,
it is imperative that we better prepare ourselves,
across all ages and demographics, through design.
These pivotal lessons for twenty-first century
co-existence emerged from a three year collaborative
endeavor between Parsons School of Constructed
Environments (SCE) and The Japan Foundation, whoteamed up to create design solutions for surviving
natural and human-made disasters. Drawing
inspiration from the lectures and work of Hirokazu
Nagata, a leading expert on disaster preparedness
education from Kobe, Japan, over six hundred
students and faculty across Parsons SCE’s graduate
and undergraduate programs in architecture, interior
design, lighting design, and industrial design explored
New York City-centered catastrophe scenarios
through a carefully planned series of public lectures,
critiques, exhibits and design intensives.
These sequenced activities served as steppingstones, leading the SCE community from Mr. Nagata’s
spring 2017 lecture, This Could Save Your Life:
Creative Design and Disaster Preparedness, throughtwo school-wide design intensives, in 2017 and2018, and culminating in SCE’s exhibit, Disaster
Preparedness in the Constructed Environment,
installed at the Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
from September 17 – October 3, 2018. Featuring
products from SCE’s week-long disaster preparedness
intensive in Fall 2017, the installation of student work
fueled our Fall 2018 design intensive and intersectedwith the North American launch of the EARTH
MANUAL PROJECT: THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE,in the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery at
the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. In addition tostimulating design responses to regional disaster
scenarios, the three-year project also promoted

80

STEPPING STONES THROUGH DISASTER

81

collaboration within The New School, with SCE’s
students utilizing design briefs and case study
ethnographic research provided by students fromThe New School’s Zolberg Institute on Migrationand Mobility on the impacts of Hurricane Sandy, theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks, and the 1977 and2003 blackouts in New York City, to focus on
catastrophes related to climate change, terrorism,
and infrastructure collapse. Parsons SCE wasthrilled to support the ongoing, unfolding project of
the EARTH MANUAL PROJECT, and to contribute
New York City-centric examples of disaster
preparedness for its future travels.
Robert Kirkbride
Dean, Parsons School of Constructed Environments
Associate Dean, Parsons School of Design
February 25, 201982

STEPPING STONES THROUGH DISASTER

83

Timeline of EMP
Activities in the U.S.
1

2

3

4

November 3
2016

November 4
2016

February 23
2017

September 11—15
2017

Presentation atWorld Tsunami
Awareness Day eventat United Nations
Headquarters(New York):

Lecture:“This Could Save
Your Life: Creative
Design & Disaster
Preparedness” by
Hirokazu Nagata at
Japan Society(New York):

Lecture:“This Could Save
Your Life: Creative
Design & Disaster
Preparedness” by
Hirokazu Nagata at
Parsons School of
Design (New York):

A public talkcoinciding with World
Tsunami AwarenessDay and the Fourth
Anniversary of
Hurricane Sandy(2012).

This talk was held as
one of the steppingstones leading up to
the EARTH MANUALPROJECT exhibition.
Mr. Nagata introduced
his work, and a panel
discussion with
Parsons professors
followed.

“Earth Manual
Project: Disaster
Preparedness& Constructed
Environments,”
a school-wide,
weeklong Intensiveat the Schoolof Constructed
Environments,
Parsons School of
Design (New York):

The Japan
Foundation, together
with Mr. Hirokazu
Nagata, presented
activities and sample
items produced byPlus Arts on disaster
preparedness
education.

Students considered
what role design canplay in preparing fordisaster, drawing
from research results
provided by theZolberg Instituteon Migration andMobility. Students
looked into three
types of New Yorkspecific disasters:
1) Hurricane Sandy,
2) Blackouts in 1977
and 2003, and
3) September 11
terrorist attacks.

84

TIMELINE OF EMP ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S.

85

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

September 16
2017

November 1
2017

February 22
2018

February 23
2018

February 25
2018February 27
2018

September 25
2018

September 26
2018“Emergency! Kaeru
Caravan!” Workshop
at Aozora Gakuen(New York):

Presentation forWorld Tsunami
Awareness Day event
at Japan Society(New York)

Talk by Masashi
Sogabe at Schoolof Constructed
Environments,
Parsons School of
Design (New York)

Talk by Hirokazu
Nagata andMasashi Sogabe
at the Rhode Island
School of Design(Providence, CT):

“How to Craft
Safety” Workshop
at Children’sMuseum of the Arts
(New York):

Mr. Sogabe, theexhibition designer
for the inaugural EMP
exhibition in Japan,
gave a lecture on his
design philosophy
to aspiring students
at Parsons.

Mr. Nagata and
Mr. Sogabe visited
the Rhode Island
School of Design topresent their works
to students fromvarious departments.

“How to Craft Safety”
Workshop at PS147
The Isaac Remsen
Elementary Schoolfor Environmental
Engineering(New York):“How toCraft Safety”
Workshop #2
at PS147
The Isaac Remsen
Elementary Schoolfor Environmental
Engineering(New York):

Global Guest Lecture:“On Emergency
Preparedness
Solutions by Hirokazu
Nagata and Bumpei
Yorifuji” for the MFA
Design for Social
Innovation program,
School of Visual Arts
(New York)Workshop washeld for community
leaders on how to
conduct disaster
preparedness
education programs.

A workshop forchildren and families
was held on how
to make paper plates
and how to makerain ponchos fromgarbage bags.

Mr. Nagata visited
second gradersin the Japanese
Dual Language
Program at PS 147
to conduct a disaster
preparedness
workshop. Students
learned about
preparation throughemergency drills andlearned skills likecrafting paper cups
and plates.

On this occasion,
students in grades 1-5
have participated in
Mr. Nagata’s lecture
and learned aboutsome survival skills intimes of disaster.
This assembly washosted by Principal
Sandra Noyola,
and was joined by
Ms. Akie Abe
the spouse of thePrime Ministerof Japan and District
Superintendent
Alicja Winnicki.

Mr. Nagata, alongwith Mr. Yorifuji, who
created the graphic
identities for the
EARTH MANUALPROJECT, as well
as some of the
projects featured
in the exhibition,
gave presentations
on their work.

In addition, 5th gradestudents participatedin a workshop using
Tossa no Hitokoto,teaching material
co-produced by Plus
Arts and Save theChildren Japan.

86

TIMELINE OF EMP ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S.

87

13

14

15

16

September 27– December 12
2018

September 28
2018

November 13
2018

November 14
2018

Lecture:“Bumpei Yorifuji
on Illustration”
at School of Arts,Media, Technology,
Parsons School of
Design (New York)

Lecture:“Tackling Disaster
Issues Creatively:
Cases in Indonesia
and Thailand” atZolberg Instituteon Migration andMobility (New York)

Lecture:“This Could Save
Your Life - Collective
Wisdom for Disaster
Response” at Japan
Society (New York)

Exhibition:“EARTH MANUALPROJECT —This
Could Save Your Life”(New York)
Venue: Anna-Mariaand Stephen Kellen
Gallery, Sheila C.
Johnson Design
Center/Parsons
School of Design.

Mr. Yorifuji
presented his design
work on disaster
preparedness andpublic services.

Prof. Ikaputra, thearchitect behind Core
House in Indonesia,
and Ms. Ruttikorn
Vuttikorn, Design
Director of Club
Creative in Thailand
gave lectures on theirwork dealing withdisasters.

Speakers:
Hirokazu Nagata,Ikaputra, Ruttikorn
Vuttikorn
Moderator:
Robert Kirkbride,
Dean, Schoolof Constructed
Environments andAssociate Professor,
Architecture andProduct Design,
Parsons School of
DesignMr. Nagata,Prof. Ikaputra,
and Ms. Vuttikorn,
along with
Dean Kirkbride
discussed theimportance ofcollaborative
efforts in tackling
disaster issues.

88

89

90

91

EARTH MANUAL PROJECT—THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE exhibition report
Edited by Tomomi Tanikawa, Lisa Wong, Christiane Paul, Kristina Kaufman,
Design and Creative Center Kobe (KIITO), Plus Arts, Parsons School of Design /The New School, The Japan Foundation New York, and The Japan Foundation
Center for Global Partnership, New York
Graphic design by Bunpei Ginza
Report design by Manuel Miranda Practice
Published by The Japan Foundation, New York
1700 Broadway, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10019© 2019 The Japan Foundation
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part,without written permission from the publisher.
Photo credits:© Ayumi Sakamoto pp 4–5, 6–7, 8–9, 20, 22, 26 (right), 30, 32, 35, 39, 45, 48, 54, 57, 60, 68,
70, 76, 77 (right), 78, 79, 85 (photos 2 & 4), 88 (photos 13 & 16), 89, 90, 91© Marc Tatti pp 2–3, 10–11, 23, 24, 26 (left), 27, 34, 38, 44, 49, 52, 53, 56, 58, 64, 69, 77 (left)© George Hirose p 87 (photos 9 & 10)© Robert Kirkbride p 83
© Mari Nakano p 86 (photo 5)© Benjie Cruz p 46 (Fig. 22–24)© NHK World -Japan p 36 (Fig. 10–12)
Courtesy of Plus Arts pp 23 (Fig. 1–3), 28 (Fig. 4–6), 31 (Fig. 7–9)
Courtesy of The Japan Foundation pp 49 (Fig. 25–27), 50 (Fig. 28), 85 (photos 1 & 3), 86(photos 6–8), 87 (photos 11 & 12), 88 (photos 14 & 15)
Courtesy of Roo su Flood pp 65 (Fig. 36–38), 66 (Fig. 39)
Courtesy of Ikaputra pp 72, 73 (Fig. 43–45), 74 (Fig. 46)
Courtesy of SPREAD pp 39 (Fig. 13–15), 40–41, 42 (Fig. 16–21)
Courtesy of Ayala Museum p 54 (Fig. 29–31)
Courtesy of Nobuaki Furuya pp 61 (Fig. 32), 62 (Fig. 33–35)
Courtesy of Osamu Tsukihashi p 69 (Fig. 40–42)
Courtesy of Alma Quinto p 77 (Fig. 47–49)
Every effort has been made to seek permission to reproduce the images whose
copyright does not reside with the publisher, and we are grateful to theindividuals and institutions who have assisted in this task. Any omissions are
entirely unintentional and the details should be addressed to the publisher.

92

EARTH MANUAL PROJECT—THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFENEW YORKSEP 27–DEC 12, 2018
EXHIBITION REPORTWWW.EARTHMANUAL.ORG