Lessons from Mabi:
Five Years of Recovery

from the 2018 Western Japan Flood

THE TEAM
Sangita DAS
Mikio ISHIWATARI
Sakiko KANBARA
Takeshi KOMINO
Rajib SHAW

Independent Consultant
The University of Tokyo
Kobe City College of Nursing
CWS Japan, JCC-DRR
Keio University

PUBLISHED BY
Church World Service Japan
Room 25, 2-3-18 Nishiwaseda,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0051 Japan
http://www.cwsjapan.org
Tel: +81-(0)3-6457-6840

July 2023

Cover photo source: MLIT Mabi Bureau

The contents of this publication may be copied, distributed, anddisplayed alike and with attribution only for non-commercial purposes.

Please refer to this publication as follows:
Das S., Ishiwatari M., Kanbara S., Komino T., Shaw R.; (2023) “Lessons from Mabi: Five Years of Recovery
from the 2018 Western Japan Flood”; 32 pages, CWS Japan, Tokyo, JapanTABLE OF CONTENTS
4
4
4
5
7
9
9
10
10
11
12
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
21
24
26
27
29
30

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSLIST OF FIGURESLIST OF PICTURES
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND
CHAPTER 2: RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE
ABOUT THE RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION PROJECTRESTORATION OF THE ODA RIVER LEVEESRIVER CHANNEL EXCAVATION WORKSTRENGTHENING OF THE LEVEESRELOCATION OF THE ODA RIVER CONFLUENCENEW FACILITIESFUKKO BOSAI KOEN OR RECOVERY AND DISASTER PREVENTION PARKKASEN BOSAI STATION OR RIVER DISASTER PREVENTION STATIONINFRASTRUCTURE MEASURES ALONE CANNOT ENSURE “SAFETY”
CHAPTER 3: RECOVERY OF PEOPLE’S LIFE AND PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE
RISK COMMUNICATIONEARLY WARNINGEVACUATION BEHAVIORIMPORTANCE OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONSHEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT – IMPORTANCE OF DATA CONNECTIVITYOVERALL GOVERNANCE
WAY FORWARDPERSONS CONSULTEDDOCUMENTS CONSULTEDLIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
GEJE
MLIT
NGO
NPO
SDF
SFDRR
TEC-FORCE

Great East Japan Earthquake
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Non-Government Organization
Non-Profit Organization
Self Defense Force
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Technical and Emergency Control Force

LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 8

Map showing the inundated areas of Mabi town in Kurashiki cityduring the 2018 flood.
Map showing overview of the infrastructure reconstruction project.
Relocation of the Oda River Confluence (Source: Website of Kurashiki Tocotoco)
How the infrastructure measures will help reduce flood risk
Checklist for understanding the risk and preparing “My Timeline”
The revised warning system
My Timeline Guide “Nigekid” published by MLIT Mabi Bureau
How information was collected for Mabi Care

LIST OF PICTURESPICTURE 1
PICTURE 2
PICTURE 3
PICTURE 4
PICTURE 5PICTURE 6PICTURE 7
PICTURE 8PICTURE 9PICTURE 10PICTURE 11
PICTURE 12

The temporary levee
Excavation of the river channel to increase flow capacity
Levees along Oda River after completion
Image of the planned Recovery and Disaster Prevention Park
Image of the River Disaster Prevention Station(Source: Document published by MLIT Chugoku Regional Bureau)
Example of blue line (showing the height of water during the 2018 flood)
Example of orange line (showing the maximum height of water the levees can stop)
Example of other graphics showing the maximum height of water
during the 2018 flood
My Timeline Guide published by MLIT
SOUL Visiting Nurses
Cover of “Ima-kara” diary
Image of the planned Recovery and Disaster Prevention ParkLESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY

4

CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND
In early July of 2018, successive heavy rainfalls battered western Japan causing
devastating floods in many prefectures including Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime.
Mabi town in Okayama prefecture was one of the most affected areas, as it stands
on two rivers – the Takahashi and the Oda – both of which overflowed and flooded
one-third of the town. As many as 52 people were killed, and 5,977 houses weredamaged, partially and fully in Kurashiki city, where Mabi is located. Over 20,000
people were displaced and were forced to live away from their homes for months.

FIGURE 1: Map showing the inundated areas of Mabi town inKurashiki city during the 2018 flood (compiled from a map
provided by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.).

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERYOKAYAMA

5

CWS Japan responded to this disasteralong with its partners during the firstmonth, then decided to publish a reportsummarizing the important lessons. The
report “Six Months since Western Japan
Flood – Lessons from Mabi”1 (hereinafterreferred to as “the Six-month report”)
was published in January 2019, about
six months after the disaster, where
issues such as risk communication,
early warning, infrastructure measure,evacuation behavior, shelter andvolunteer management were discussed.
A second report titled “Towards Mabi’s
Recovery – Lessons One Year On”2
(hereinafter referred to as “the Oneyear report”) was published in July 2019,a year after the disaster, which mainly
focused on the recovery process. In
July 2023 it will be five years since theflooding that took so many lives anddisplaced so many people. While the firsttwo reports captured many importantlessons regarding the immediate
response and the early stages of therecovery, a large part of the process canonly be studied after a certain period has
passed. This is the reason the team went
back to Mabi in April 2023, to capture themost important lessons learned throughthe recovery process of five years.

over the last five years. According to
the city officials, more than 90% of theaffected families have already rebuilt
their houses. To see beyond these visible
changes, the team talked to city officers
and stakeholders, as well as membersof the affected communities and localorganizations.
This report is not an account of all thatwas done during the recovery process of
the last five years. It simply attempts tolook into the main issues, most of whichwere discussed in the previous reports,
and tries to understand the lessons thatwere learnt in the process of addressing
those issues. The authors hope thatthe essence of the lessons captured inthis report will, in some way, help the
preparedness as well as the recovery
process of future disasters in and outsideof Japan, especially of water-related
disasters like heavy rain and floods,
which have become more frequent in
the recent years because of the effects
of climate change.3

The first thing that one can notice, arethe roads and embankments constructed1

Das S. (2019): “Six Months Since Western Japan Flood: Lessons From Mabi”, 28 pages, CWS Japan, Tokyo.
Alexander J., Das S., Ishiwatari M., Kanbara S., Izumi T., Komino T., Sakurai A., Shaw R. (2019): “Towards Mabi’s
Recovery—Lessons One Year On”, CWS Japan, 25 pages, Tokyo, Japan.
3
According to the 6th Assessment Report by Working Group 1 of United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), the climate has warmed at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2000 years, and this isalready resulting in changes such as extreme heat, heavier rainfall, drought, and ocean warming across the globe.
2

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY

6

CHAPTER 2: RECONSTRUCTION AND
RESTORATION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE
The reconstruction and restoration of the flood protection infrastructure damagedby the 2018 Western Japan flood encompasses vital interventions along the Oda
River, including modifying the confluence point between the Oda River and the
Takahashi River, reinforcing the levees, and excavating riverbeds (FIGURE 2). While
it would have been a challenge to complete such a large-scale project within thetargeted five years even during normal times, three out of five years of the construction period coincided with a global pandemic, and the last two years coincided withsignificant price hikes because of a war in Europe and its consequences. Yet, when
the authors visited the construction sites in mid-April of 2023, nearly 80% of theconstruction was complete, and the progress was on track for the work to be doneby the expected date of March 2024.
Project Area
ats
em
Su

Takanashi R.

Kurashiki City
Mabi

uR
.

Levee failure point

Special project
conducted by
Okayama Pref.

Suemasa R. 1.37km

aR
am
Tak

Moving confluence point
Raising and strengthening of levees
Excavation
Inundated areas

.
Oda

R.
ani
Mat

Matani R. 1.21km

r
Rive

Moving confluence point

Takama R. 0.78km

Large-scale disaster project by national government 7.9km
Special project by national government 10.6km

FIGURE 2: Map showing overview of the infrastructure reconstruction project.

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY7

To make this possible, quick steps weretaken right from the initial stages. The
TEC-FORCE (see right) as well as the
local government, used drones and open
GIS to determine estimated flood heights
and the extent of total inundation, which
dramatically reduced the time required
to survey the damage. According to a2022 MLIT document on TEC-FORCE4,
the number of personnel deployed ona single day after the 2018 flood (607persons on July 13), exceeded that after
the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake(maximum 521 persons on a single day).

Technical and Emergency Control
FORCE or TEC-FORCE, establishedin April 2008 by MLIT, supports local
governments by quickly assessing
the damage situation to prevent the
expansion of damage after a large
disaster. They also provide technicalsupport to quickly restore theimportant functions of the affected
area. TEC-FORCE started with 2,500
personnel all over the country.
However, in April 2022, the numberof personnel was increased to 15,074
amid growing concerns of Tokyo
Inland Earthquake and a megaquake
along the Nankai trough in westernJapan (Fukushima et.al., 2023; MLIT
website).

PHOTO CREDIT: THE YOMIURI ONLINE (HTTPS://WWW.BOSAI.YOMIURI.CO.JP/FEATURE/1069)

4

See page 28 of this MLIT document: https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/bousai/pch-tec/about/pdf/overview.pdf

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY8

ABOUT THE RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION PROJECTThe Takahashi is a Class-A River5, and its management of the main channels is doneby the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Therefore, thismassive reconstruction work was led mainly by the MLIT, with Okayama prefecture
managing the work along the three tributaries of Oda River. The comprehensive
initiative to protect the river from flooding has a budget of 61 billion JPY(approximately 0.43 billion USD)6, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2024.
The reconstruction and restoration project has the following main focuses:

RESTORATION OF THE ODA RIVER LEVEESThe Oda River levees that failed due to the heavy rain in July 2018, were temporarily
repaired by stacking sandbags. This was done to prevent further damage andto create a temporary and alternate levee. The work progressed quickly, and analternate levee was ready by July 21, 2018, around two weeks after the flood. The
sandbags were then removed and the areas were refilled with soil and reinforced
with concrete. This process was completed on June 14, 2019, in less than a year
after the flood.

PICTURE 1: The temporary levee (source: MLIT Mabi Bureau)
5

The term “Class A River” is applied to rivers and waterways deemed to be important to the economy of the nation asa whole, as well as those deemed important to the conservation of nature within Japan
6
According to city officials, the budget will be revised soon because of inflation.
LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY9

RIVER CHANNEL EXCAVATION WORK
Channel excavation works aimed at increasing the flow capacity of the Oda River
commenced in fiscal year 2018 and were concluded by June 2021. Approximately
300,000 cubic meter of excavated soil was used to strengthen the Oda River levees.

PICTURE 2: Excavation of the river channel to increase flow capacity (source: MLIT Mabi Bureau)

STRENGTHENING OF THE LEVEESSpanning a length of 9.5 kilometers, the top width of the levees along the Oda
river was expanded from 5 to 7 meters, accompanied by a gentle inclination(approximately 30%) of the slopes. In addition, provision for drainage was created forquick drainage of excessive water. These enhancements were initiated in fiscal year
2019 and achieved completion by fiscal year 2021 (PICTURE 3).

PICTURE 3: Levees along Oda River after completion (source: MLIT Mabi Bureau)
LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY10

RELOCATION OF THE ODA RIVER CONFLUENCE
The primary focus of this large project is on relocating the confluence of the Oda
River and the Takahashi River downstream. By constructing a new dike at the current
confluence, the flow of the two rivers will be separated, while creating a newchannel for the Oda River will shift the confluence point 4.6 kilometers downstream(FIGURE 3). To construct the new channel, the 76-meter-high Nanzan Mountain was
excavated using dynamite blasting and huge heavy machinery.

FIGURE 3: Relocation of the Oda River Confluence (Source: Website of Kurashiki Tocotoco)

These measures will mitigate the impact of backwater from the Takahashi River on
the Oda River during flooding and significantly reduce the water level in the Oda
River, thereby enhancing flood resilience (FIGURE 4). Moreover, the downstream
movement of the confluence will reduce the flood risk in the Kurashiki downtown
area along the Takahashi River.

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY

11

Beforeproject

Water level before project

Water level before project

Previous
confluence point

Oda R.

current
level

current level
shi
aha
k
a
T

After project

Separate Oda R.
from Takashi R.

Water
level
after
project

current level

Oda R.

decreasecurrentlevel

R.

decrease
Level after
project

shi
aha
Tak

R.

Level after
project
Water level
after project
Level after project

FIGURE 4: How the infrastructure measures will help reduce flood risk.

NEW FACILITIESApart from the restoration of the flood protection infrastructure, several new
facilities are being planned on the open space along the rivers. Two of the mostimportant new facilities will be a Disaster Prevention Park and a River Disaster
Prevention Station.
For centuries the rivers have been a part of lives of the people living on their sides.
They have brought devastating floods, but they have also been a source of strengthand inspiration. The new facilities, therefore, are aimed to create a good connecting
space that integrates the rivers and local landscapes with the town and it’s history,
culture, tourism infrastructure, as well as the creative “wisdom” of the region. They
will also create a space where the local residents and private business operators
can learn about disaster preparedness, and cooperate directly with the riveradministrators in building disaster resilience.

FUKKO BOSAI KOEN OR RECOVERY AND DISASTER PREVENTION PARK
Along the Oda River in the Yata district of Mabi town – an area that was severely
damaged by the flood – a “Recovery and Disaster Prevention Park” is going to bebuilt. Designed by architect Kengo Kuma and others, the 4.5-hectare park will be
used as an emergency evacuation site in the event of a disaster. The Six-monthreport mentioned about the lack of emergency shelters (3 out of 6 emergency
shelters were inundated)7, as well as of open spaces where temporary shelters
7

See page 16 of the Six-month report.

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY

12

could be built. Providing enough open space for several hundred cars to park at thesame time, where families can spend the emergency hours in the privacy of theirown cars, the Park will offer a solution to the residents who reported of “evacuation
hesitance” because of reasons such as having a member with disability or havingpets.
In addition to the open space, there will be a 480-square-meter building in thecenter of the park, which will have a warehouse for storing emergency food andblankets, and a glass-enclosed multi-purpose room. Playground equipment withslides and athletic facilities will be installed at the open space, so that it can be used
as a park by families during normal times.
Apart from the above, the Park within this facility will be used as a base forcommunity exchange activities. A panel focusing on flood disaster prevention
awareness will be displayed inside the Center, so that it can be used as a place tolearn about disaster prevention. The “Recovery and Disaster Prevention Park” isscheduled to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2023.

PICTURE 4: Image of the planned Recovery and Disaster Prevention Park
(source: KSB news article)

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY13

KASEN BOSAI STATION OR RIVERDISASTER PREVENTION STATION
The “River Disaster Prevention Station”
located in Yanaihara District will work incooperation with the existing disasterprevention related facilities as a stockpile
base to make up for the drastic shortageof flood control materials and restorationmaterials over a wide area. This facility
will store emergency materials suchas earth and sand necessary for flood
prevention in advance, and also tosecure the work area necessary forcarrying in and out of materials andtaking off and landing of helicopters.
In the event of a flood, it will support
the flood prevention activities ofmunicipalities, and in the event of otherdisasters, it will serve as a base for swiftly
carrying out emergency restoration.

“We wanted to give the residents
more than the restored infrastructure.
When the river channel excavation
work was progressing, a hugeamount of river-bed soil needed tobe disposed. After discussing thematter with all the stakeholders, it
was decided that the soil will be used
to create a park, whose construction
was manageable within a period offive years.
For the reconstruction of Mabi, we
had two clear objectives. First was tobuild a stronger Mabi – stronger than
how it was before the flood (i.e., to“Build Back Better”). The second was
to build a system where not a single
affected person will be left behindduring a disaster (i.e., “No one left
behind”). Based on these two ideas,
we decided to build the new park.
Through the construction of thispark, we wanted to provide the local
residents with an open space where
they can safely evacuate by their carsin the event of a flood.”- MR. HARA TAKASHI,
DEPUTY MAYOR,
CITY OF KURASHIKIPICTURE 5: Image of the River Disaster
Prevention Station (Source: Document
published by MLIT Chugoku Regional Bureau)

It will also serve as a base for
implementing river management
and conservation activities in orderto minimize the damage that may becaused by future floods.
LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERYIn addition to the above, cycling roads
will be constructed along the Oda River
as a part of the Kawamachi-zukuri orRivertown Planning project, in order tocreate an environment for interaction as
well as to develop a space for enjoying
the river.
14

INFRASTRUCTURE MEASURES ALONE CANNOT ENSURE “SAFETY”
Since the people of Mabi town have been witnessing the large-scale construction
using very advanced technology right in front of their eyes, it is very easy to assume
they are entirely safe from any kind of floods now. It is true that the levees aresafer than they were in 2018, but this does not guarantee full protection against
future floods – especially if the scale of the flood is larger than 2018, which may
become a reality amid the changing climate. At the end of the day, it is their own
action that will protect the residents. The City of Kurashiki as well as the MLIT has
been promoting this message and the importance of early evacuation throughtheir website and printed materials. They are also trying to give a real sense of thelimitation of the levees by drawing blue lines on structures to show the height ofwater during the 2018 flood (PICTURE 6), and orange lines to show the maximum
height of water the levees can stop (PICTURE 7).

PICTURE 6:
Example of blue line (showing
the height of water during the2018 flood)

PICTURE 7:
Example of orange line (showing the maximum height ofwater the levees can stop)

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERYPICTURE 8:
Example of other graphics
showing the maximum heightof water during the 2018flood.

15

CHAPTER 3: RECOVERY OF PEOPLE’S LIFE
AND PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE
The Six-month report mentioned thatthe initial Recovery Plan for Mabi town
had four main focuses: reconstruction of
infrastructure, rebuilding the damaged
houses, rebuilding of small industries,
and restoration of agriculture.

subsidies were provided to help theresidents rebuild their lives. The Sixmonth report mentioned about thedifficulty of online applications, because
many residents did not have or could
not use smartphones or computers. For
paper applications they had to travel
The previous chapter presented the latest to the town’s office, which was not
status of the infrastructure. According to possible for many, as they were living
city officials, about 90% of the affected
in temporary houses outside the town
residents have already reconstructed
and did not have the means to travel. It
their houses. The government provided
appears that the government’s support
different types of subsidies and offered
eventually reached all the residents
soft loan schemes to help these families. who were willing to return to the town,
The schools that were functioning as
which is why about 20,000 of the 22,000
designated emergency shelters, resumed residents who left the town, are now
regular classes after September ofliving in Mabi.
the same year. The schools that wereinundated, like the Kawabe Elementary
When a family starts rebuilding its home
School, held their classes in temporarythat was damaged by a disaster, it starts
structures till their buildings were fully
to put the fearful experience behind andrebuilt. In terms of small industries andslowly move forward. Unfortunately, theagriculture, different types of loans andpossibility of a disaster – large or small

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY16

– remains in a disaster-prone country
like Japan. It is, therefore, necessary tosave the key lessons and apply themin preparedness for the next disaster.
The authors looked into the changes
and improvements that were made on
the issues focused on in the Six-monthreport, regarding both the preparedness
and the management of future disasters.

Checklist for creating “My Timeline”
Check from Flood Hazard Map or Inundation Estimation Area Map

What is the estimated depth ofinundation in your area?

<5m

Check here for Inundation
Estimation Map
Okayama Flood Risk
Display System

Kurashiki city FloodLandslide Hazard Map

RISK COMMUNICATION
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction or SFDRR’s Priority 1emphasizes that understanding disasterrisk is essential for prevention andmitigation of a disaster, and it ensuresproper preparedness and response
measures. The Six-month reportmentioned about the new developmentson the low-lying areas near the rivers,
and how the residents were not aware of
the risk8. Hazard maps were distributed,
but they were rarely carefully checked.
Since the 2018 Western Japan flood, it
has become clear that more than onethird of Mabi town is at risk of severe
flooding. The new challenge now is tocommunicate with the residents about
the risk that still remains. Although theflood protection infrastructure has
been made stronger, the rivers may
still overflow if the water level is higher
than what the levees were designed for.
As mentioned in the previous Chapter,the city of Kurashiki as well as the MLIT
has taken this matter very seriously, andhas been trying to communicate the
8>5m

Check family condition
Yes (

Car

No

Pet

No

Yes (

No

Yes (

Medicines

Family member needing help to evacuate (elderly, disabled, pregnant etc.)
No

Yes (

Let’s find out
several options

Check evacuation destination
Your emergency shelter
Emergency shelter mentioned in the Harard Map(Travel time: Aboutmin.)(Travel time: Aboutmin.)(Travel time: Aboutmin.)

Relative/ Friend’s house
Other (any place witout inundation risk)

FIGURE 5: Checklist for understanding the risk
and preparing “My Timeline” (source: MLIT
website)risk through their websites and printed
materials. In addition to the hazard maps,
the residents now have a one-pagechecklist that helps them understandthe potential risk very easily (Figure 5).
Some city officials, however, expressed
concern about not being able to reachthe residents who do not have accessto websites. Some also worry thatthe residents may start forgetting theexperience of 2018 with time and may
not take the necessary precaution for
future floods.

Das S. (2019): “Six Months Since Western Japan Flood: Lessons From Mabi”; page 8.

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY17

FIGURE 6: The revised warning system

EARLY WARNING
As noted in the One-year report, about ayear after the 2018 Western Japan flood,
the warning levels were revised, and the
new levels were put to effect(FIGURE 6). The new levels have better
indication of what to do at whichlevel, and thus has helped in reducing
confusion.
In case of the 2018 flood in Mabi andthe nearby areas, the audibility of theannouncements was an issue many
residents reported of. Over the last five
years, the government has collaborated
with more and more cell phonecompanies and social media services tosend the warnings as push notifications
on smart phones. This solved the
problem to a great extent for people who
LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY“We could not hear the warning
because of the heavy rain. My
husband, who was a member of thelocal residents’ Board, took his small
truck and the portable microphone todrive around the neighborhood andwarn everybody about the upcoming
danger. I think the announcements
should reach practically to eachdoor like this. The city’s microphoneannouncements do not reacheverywhere. And not everyone cancheck messages on smartphones.”- MS. EDAMATSU FUMIKO,RESIDENT OF SOJA CITY18

own and can operate smartphones. The issue still remains for people who do nothave smartphones or other mobile devices, many of whom are elderlies and persons
with disabilities. Since hearing becomes difficult with age for many, and since houses
are built with more sound insulation in the recent years, delivering the warnings to
all the residents through microphone announcements during heavy rain will remaina challenge. The city officers mentioned that the number of microphone towers has
been increased all over the town, although they recognize that this may not entirely
solve this issue.

EVACUATION BEHAVIORThe Six-month report listed some of the main reasons for people’s reluctance toevacuate, including physical inability of self or family member, underestimation ofdanger, not knowing where or how to go, worry for pets, and lack of emergency
drills. Similar cases were observed in other parts of the country, including during
typhoon Hagibis in 2019 and during the Kumamoto flood in 2020. Following some
important steps taken by the government to help people understand the importanceof early evacuation, the MLIT, in cooperation with the city of Kurashiki and Okayama

PICTURE 9: My Timeline Guide
published by MLIT

FIGURE 7: My Timeline Guide “Nigekid”
published by MLIT Mabi Bureau

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY19

Prefectural Citizens Bureau, prepareda set of guidelines9 specifically for the
residents living near the Takahashi andthe Oda rivers. The guidelines, whichwere created based on evacuation
preparation tools for elementary andjunior high school students, focused on
the following experiences from the 2018flood in Mabi:• What kind of problems the residents
faced during evacuation – true
experience of the affected residents
was considered.
• Considering these problems, whatkind of preparation the residents needto take.
• What kind of things they should bringwith them while evacuating.

CREATING “MY TIMELINE”“My Timeline” is a disaster prevention
action plan recommended in Japan foreach resident of a disaster-prone areain the event of a disaster, especiallywater-related disaster. When the waterlevel of a river rises due to heavy rain,
the standard disaster prevention actions
taken by a resident or a household need
to be arranged in a chronological orderto help with evacuation actions in orderto protect their own lives10. The concept
originally came from the application of“Timeline” by the state of New jersey
in the United States when the country
was preparing for Hurricane Sandy in2012. The MLIT started preparing a
9“I did not hear the warning. The
rain was too heavy. But I saw fromthe balcony that the water was
rising. It was too late to evacuate,
so we somehow moved to theroof from our balcony. Many of
our neighbors had also evacuatedto their rooves. Our neighborhood
was fully inundated by morning. My
husband and I had to be rescued
from our roof by the Self Defense
Force (SDF) after several hours. First,
we were taken to the Mabi Memorial
Hospital, where we spent the night.
We moved to a designated shelter
the next day, where we spent threeor four nights. We changed sheltersa couple of more times before
finding a “Minashi” house where we
stayed for two years. We rebuilt ourhouse during these two years. It wasa difficult time for all of us.
Next time I see heavy or continuous
rain, I will take early action. I know
where to evacuate. I know exactly
what to take with me.”- MS. SUWA REIKO,RESIDENT OF MABI TOWN

All the guidelines and tools are available online: https://www.cgr.mlit.go.jp/takaoda/mytimeline/nigekid.html
From MLIT website: https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/bousai/main/saigai/tisiki/syozaiti/mytimeline/index.html

10

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY

20

guideline based on this concept a few
years later, and in June 2020, two years
after the 2018 Western Japan flood, asimple guideline to examine “My (one’s)
Timeline” was published11. Since then,cities and towns all over the country
have adopted their own versions basedon these guidelines. The MLIT website
also provides guidelines on how to holdworkshops to help residents prepare
their “My Timeline”.

IMPORTANCE OF MUTUALASSISTANCE, LOCALVOLUNTEERS AND
ORGANIZATIONS
The role of fellow community
members during a disaster in providing
with immediate help and support isrecognized globally. Local volunteers
and NPOs play an important role in the
management of any disaster, startingfrom the early emergency response to
the long-term recovery. Especially inJapan, a large part of the initial response
is covered by spontaneous individual
volunteers and local organizations,many of whom are residents of theaffected communities. Some of theseorganizations already exist when thedisaster occurs, some form during theearly days of the emergency out of somespecific need. They work closely withthe residents and the government, side
by side with the NGOs that come fromother parts of the country. The authors
were interested in seeing how theseorganizations’ activities have changed
over the last five years.

MABI SHARE AND THE ROLE
PLAYED BY OKAYAMA NPO
CENTERThe One-year report mentioned how
the Okayama NPO center ran regularcoordination meetings which were an
opportunity to aggregate and share
information on the status of shelters andhome evacuations, and to identify thelocation of activities and distributions in

The guideline can be downloaded for free from this website:
https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/bousai/main/saigai/tisiki/syozaiti/mytimeline/pdf/kentouguide.pdf

11

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY21

the affected areas. They played an important role in providing and coordinating all
kinds of emergency support during the first 10 months.
When the Volunteer Center was closed the following year after providing monthsof emergency support, the local organizations and volunteers needed a place
where they could work and hold important meetings and events, as most of thecommunity centers and commercial facilities were damaged by the flood. With
the help and support from within and outside of the country, and in collaboration
with Peace Boat Disaster Relief, Okayama NPO Center created a space called “Mabi
Share” to support the long-term recovery process. Mabi Share, which was openfrom May 2019 to March 2021, provided this much needed space. In less than two
years, this space was used for 260 meetings and workshops, and the volunteers
were able to respond to over 1200 requests and inquiries12. Okayama NPO Center
decided to close this shared office when the commercial facilities and community
centers were rebuilt and started functioning again. They, however, kept one person
as a desk officer by borrowing space from one local organization called “Otagaisama
Mabi Labo”.

NPO “SOUL VISITING NURSES”

PICTURE 10: SOUL Visiting Nurses (photo courtesy of Ms. Kataoka Natsuko)

Ms. Kataoka Natsuko, the founder of “SOUL Visiting Nurses”, who herself lost
everything to the flood of July 2018, started reaching out to the residents andoffering help from the emergency shelter where she was staying. With time, and
12

Source: Website of Okayama NPO Center: http://www.npokayama.org/【ご報告】
まび復興ボランティア団体・npoシェア/

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY22

with support from various agencies and foundations, SOUL not only resumed
its services, but also started providing mental support by organizing community
gatherings. These gatherings were organized once a week from 9 AM to 5 PM
till 2020, after which they take place once a month for two hours. With a small
participation fee of 100 yen, the residents share their personal experience of therecovery process over some drink and light snacks. Five years after the flood, SOULand its activities have become broader, stronger. Ms. Kataoka has even written abook on how disaster nursing should be integrated in Town Planning.

FROM MABI CARE TO MACHI CARE AND BEYOND“Mabi Care” was an initiative by nurses, healthcare practitioners and volunteers
to map and share with residents the status of emergency assistance, pharmacies,
restaurants, convenience stores, and restroom openings from the perspective of
rebuilding lives and maintaining health in the affected areas. The Six-month reportmentioned about this initiative set up as a website a week after the flood (Figure8), and the important role it played in providing the vital information the residents
needed at the time of emergency. In 2019, after typhoon Hagibis, a similar website
was set up for the affected cities of Tateyama in Chiba prefecture, Nagano andSendai, and it took the name “Machi Care”. In 2020, Machi Care provided similar
information for the flood-affected towns of Kumamoto.

FIGURE 8: How information was collected for Mabi Care

As a next step towards helping disaster affected communities with information,
Machi Care now plans to come up as a physical space, where residents, especiallychildren, can come and learn about disaster preparedness and safety. Plans are
LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY23

underway to establish Machi Care as asocial business, which aims to eventually
spread all over Japan.

over several towns in and around Mabi.
While the city kept record of thesefamilies and their locations, they could
not ensure the healthcare and support
Apart from organizations and initiatives
all of them needed. On the other hand,mentioned or above, there were cases
healthcare professionals and volunteers
like Kanbara Gofukuten, a community
wanted to access these families to offer
store located on a higher land, who
help, but they did not have access toopened their space to house thetheir whereabouts. The city could not
numerous relief goods coming from allopen the data because of Personal
over the country. They also provided
Information Protection Law, even thoughaccommodation for two families who
the law suggests that the information
lost their houses. The families had stayed can be shared in case of emergency. This
there for almost a month. The remaining compelled the local organizations andrelief goods were moved to the nearest
healthcare volunteers prepare a separate
emergency shelter after almost two
map with assistance from private
months since the flood, as the evacuees companies. Some kind of link with thestarted moving into temporary shelters.
data protected by the city office could
Asked whether they considered starting
have ensured much better and quicker
an NPO after this experience, the owners healthcare for the affected residents,
replied they were happy providing ansome of whom were under treatment
informal space during the followingof chronic conditions. According to ayears, where the residents could simply
local NPO, the number of disaster related
come over and talk about their problems. deaths among the residents of Mabi
crossed 20 within the first year after thedisaster.
HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT– IMPORTANCE OF DATACONNECTIVITY
One of the biggest challenges inproviding healthcare to the affectedfamilies was that most of them were
living in Minashi shelters13, whichbasically means houses and apartments
rented with government subsidy. Over3,300 families were living in these
temporary shelters that were scattered

Since most of the affected families
have returned to the town, it may be
an opportunity to do a detailed survey
and list down the challenges they had
faced living in the Minashi houses,
including the healthcare challenges. It
is also important for the city authorities
to recognize the vital role healthcare
volunteers play in providing healthcare
support during both the early and

13“Minashi Shelters” refer to houses and apartments rented with government subsidy. They are usually allocated by thegovernment upon application.

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY24

the recovery stages, and thus create
pathways within the provision of the law
to help them with the necessary dataand information.

them avoid secondary damage to theirhealth16.

IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING AHEALTHCARE LOGBOOK DURING
THE EMERGENCY
The Six-month report mentioned how
keeping a logbook helped the residents
keep track of their health conditions
while they were forced to live awayfrom their homes14. The concept of“Ima-kara” diaries or logbooks was animportant innovation that came outof the need to reduce “assessment
fatigue15” of the people staying in theemergency shelters. Developed by Prof.
Sakiko Kanbara, the then Professor of
University of Kochi, and designed by ateam of Tama Art University’s Product
Design Department, the logbooks
helped the survivors adapt to uncertain
health risks by recording their healthstatus after the disaster. The diaries
also provided responsive knowledge
based on the seasonal and the disaster’s
characteristics. CWS Japan supported
the printing and distribution of theselogbooks. A 2023 study conductedon the people who used the Imakara diaries suggests that writing andreflecting in these logbooks assisted thesurvivors restore their lives and helped

PICTURE 11: Cover of “Ima-kara” diary

Since the 2018 Western Japan floods,“Ima-kara” diaries were distributed at
emergency shelters after several otherdisasters, including the 2018 earthquake
in Hokkaido, and the 2019 super typhoon“Hagibis” that caused heavy rain anddamages in a large part of the country.
“Ima-kara” diaries can be downloaded forfree from this website: https://mabi-care.
com/uploads/files/imakaratecho.pdf

14

Das S. (2019): “Six Months Since Western Japan Flood: Lessons From Mabi”; page 21.
“Assessment Fatigue” refers to a kind of fatigue caused by answering repeatedly to similar questions during
interviews by various healthcare services.
16
Miyamoto J., Hatakeyama N., Kanbara S. (2023): “Communication for self-care and the role of a logbook on healthrisk during a flood disaster”.
15

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY25

OVERALL GOVERNANCE
Managing disaster risk and response requires strong governance, including
coordination and cooperation within and across sectors, as well as participationof relevant stakeholders. The SFDRR’s Priority 2 recognizes the need for the public
and private sectors and civil society organizations to work more closely together
and to create opportunities for collaboration. The One-year report talked about theimportance of strengthening the “citizen interface” for better coordination during
emergency management. Efforts need to be made, especially on the public side, tocreate a stronger link to ensure a healthy two-way exchange. The previous reports
pointed out that this link was very weak, even if it existed. It did not appear that there
was much improvement in this area. Strong collaboration between the government
and the NPOs need to be systematized prior to the disaster, to ensure a morecommunity driven disaster response and recovery process.
Since 2018, government offices across the country have widely adopted the use of
websites and social media platforms to send across important messages including
those related to disaster preparedness. As discussed in section 3.2, the early
warnings are now issued mostly through platforms like LINE and Twitter. It is truethat the number of users of these platforms is increasing, although it will take sometime before all the residents can comfortably use these tools. It is also importantto create a pathway for the residents to send inputs from their side. During
disasters like heavy rain and floods, they can provide important information for thegovernment to take quick action.

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY26

WAY FORWARD
Climate Change projections indicate thatcrises like the 2018 Western Japan floods
can be expected with greater intensity
and more frequency, not only in Japan,
but globally. Due to the 2018 disaster,
the general awareness of people waselevated in and around Mabi, and there
is a change of mindset when it comesto the need to prepare for disasters. The
government offices have also introduced
new tools to help preparedness. To what
extent they will lead to action among theresidents during the next emergency, is

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY

something that remains to be seen. The
restored flood protection infrastructure
has been a source of sense of security,
but at the same time, it has also createda concern of overreliance. It is extremely
crucial to continue conveying theimportance of personal evacuation plansand periodic drills. It is also important tocreate opportunities for various sectors
to work closely together at times of
emergency.

27

To summarize, the five years of recovery process of Mabi has taught us many
significant lessons, including the following:
In governance and infrastructure management, progress has been made touse infrastructure recovery as a risk communication tool with the residents. A
more proactive and participatory decision-making process has been gradually
implemented, keeping in mind the advancement of technology. Inclusive
recovery has become the key to the future sustainability.
In terms of technology and innovation, citizen-based approach has been
incorporated, both from the government side and the civic tech group side,
thanks to their strong leadership. Innovation in data management, dataprocessing and gradually brining the concept of the open data and open
governance will be the key focus in this regard. Co-ownership and sharedownership of data is the new evolution in this matter.
In terms of awareness, capacity and social capital enhancement, Mabi’s recovery
has set a new example and benchmark. In case of Voluntarism (both internal andexternal, specialized and non-specialized volunteers) several important lessons
were learnt, which are in the process of being recorded as institutional memories.
Strong social bonding and bridging, as a part of building social capital, was theessence of community-based recovery of Mabi.
The Lessons from Mabi are still fresh in people’s memory. It is, therefore, the best
time to put these lessons into action. In a disaster-prone country like Japan, the endof a recovery process should really be seen as the beginning of preparation for the
next disaster.

PICTURE 12: Image of the planned Recovery and Disaster Prevention Park
(source: KSB news article)
LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY28

PERSONS CONSULTED
The authors are grateful to the following persons for their time:
Mr. Hara Takashi
Mr. Hamada Yasuhiko
Mr. Morita Hiroyuki
Mr. Hamada Jin
Ms. Oshima Masami
Ms. Shikanae Junko
Ms. Kataoka Natsuko
Mr. Kanbara Kazuyoshi
Ms. Kanbara Mitsuyo
Ms. Suwa Reiko
Ms. Edamatsu Fumiko

Deputy Mayor, City of Kurashiki
Director, MLIT Bureau of Emergency Flood Protection
Construction along the Takahashi and the Oda river
Chief Director, Disaster Recovery Planning Department,
City of Kurashiki
Director, Disaster Recovery Planning Department,
City of Kurashiki
Chief Director, Data Cradle
Okayama NPO Center
Chair, SOUL (Okayama-based NPO)
Owner, Kanbara Gofukuten
Resident of Mabi town
Resident of Soja city

LESSONS FROM MABI: FIVE YEARS OF RECOVERY29

DOCUMENTS CONSULTED
1. Das S. (2019): “Six Months Since Western Japan Flood: Lessons From Mabi”, 28
pages, CWS Japan, Tokyo. Available online:
https://www.cwsjapan.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Lessons-From-Mabi.pdf

2. Alexander J., Das S., Ishiwatari M., Kanbara S., Izumi T., Komino T., Sakurai A.,
Shaw R. (2019): “Towards Mabi’s Recovery—Lessons One Year On”, CWS Japan, 25
pages, Tokyo, Japan. Available online:
https://www.cwsjapan.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Towards-Mabis-Recovery.pdf

3. Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). 2021. Climate Change
2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the
Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Cambridge University Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/#SPM
4. Fukushima, Y., Nishikawa, T. & Kano, Y. High probability of successive occurrenceof Nankai megathrust earthquakes. Sci Rep 13, 63 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26455-w

5. Miyamoto J., Hatakeyama N., Kanbara S. (2023): “Communication for self-careand the role of a logbook on health risk during a flood disaster”. Available online:
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/hedn/10/1/10_2022-0001/_pdf/-char/en

6. MLIT online resources:(i) TEC-FORCE: https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/bousai/pch-tec/about/pdf/overview.pdf(ii) My Timeline guide: https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/bousai/main/saigai/tisiki/syozaiti/
mytimeline/pdf/kentouguide.pdf(iii) Nige (escape) kid: https://www.cgr.mlit.go.jp/takaoda/mytimeline/nigekid.html(iv) Document published by MLIT Chugoku Regional Bureau:
https://www.cgr.mlit.go.jp/kisha/202103/210319-1top.pdf

7. Website of Okayama NPO Center:
http://www.npokayama.org/【ご報告】
まび復興ボランティア団体・npoシェア/
8. Website of SOUL Visiting Nurses: https://soulmabi.com
9. Website of Kurashiki Tocotoco: https://kuratoco.com/odagawa_construction_202202/

This knowledge sharing document was written with a view to capturing the key lessons from theearly response to the long-term recovery of Mabi town. CWS Japan hopes that these lessons will
be helpful for professionals, practitioners, and the civil society around the world.

Published and distributed by
CWS Japan
Room 25, 2-3-18 Nishiwaseda,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0051 Japan