Koshimizu Town Disaster Prevention Center Complex Government Building "Watashi-no" conducted a disaster prevention drill to verify phase-free functions on January 26th

Disaster prevention training at a Phase-Free certified multi-purpose facility attached to a town hall is the first of its kind in the country.

Watashino, the Koshimizu Town disaster prevention center complex in which NOMURA is a partner company, will conduct its first-ever disaster prevention drill involving a building-wide power outage on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
This is also the first disaster prevention drill in the country to be held at a Phase-Free certified multi-purpose facility attached to a town hall.
"Watashino" is a hub for community revitalization and disaster prevention, a public-private partnership that aims to "create a place to stay both in everyday life and in times of disaster, to revitalize the town and create a sustainable city."
Our company participated as a collaborating company and was in charge of planning the lively area, spatial/VI concept design, and opening PR.

The seven participating organizations and companies are as follows:

NPO Groundwork Koshimizu
Renaissance Co., Ltd.
OKULAB Co., Ltd.
Atelier Bunku Co., Ltd.
NOMURA Co., Ltd.
Calorie Inc.
Ebase Solutions Co., Ltd.
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"Watashi-no," a disaster prevention base complex in Koshimizu Town, Hokkaido, which is being developed through a public-private partnership, will hold its first-ever disaster prevention drill involving a full-scale power outage on Sunday, January 26, 2025. This will also be the first disaster prevention drill in Japan to be held at a phase-free certified multi-functional facility attached to a town hall.

Watashino will open in April 2023, aiming to create a place for residents to stay both in daily life and in times of disaster, and to promote the town's liveliness and sustainable development. In response to the blackout caused by the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, the town was born out of the idea that it was more important than ever to create a disaster-resistant town where residents could live safely and securely. The town hall incorporates the concept of "phase-free," and features functions that enrich daily life and bring people together (lively areas: community space, cafe, laundry, fitness gym & studio). In times of disaster, the town hall can serve as a disaster prevention base, disaster response headquarters, soup kitchen, laundry, shower, and temporary evacuation shelter. It is the first phase-free certified facility in the country as a multi-functional facility attached to a town hall.

In this training, the entire building will have a power outage, and through confirmation of the facility's operation method in the event of a power outage, initial response as a temporary evacuation shelter, and evacuation training, the functionality of Phase Free in an emergency and whether evacuees can use it without stress will be verified. Issues that emerge during the training will be improved by Koshimizu Town, the NPO that operates the facility, and partner companies, leading to the creation of a safe and secure town.

In addition, it is said that efforts to reduce disaster damage through "mutual aid," such as helping neighbors, are necessary during disasters and during recovery and reconstruction. "Watashi-no" creates opportunities for interaction between town hall staff and townspeople, and among townspeople themselves, through daily use of the bustling area and participation in seasonal events. In the year since it opened, the number of facility users (town hall and bustling area users) has increased 25 times compared to the number of users of the town hall before it opened, and progress is being made in creating a face-to-face community. Through this training, we will also foster a culture of mutual aid.

*"Phase-free" is the idea that the things and services around us can be made phase-free (societal states) between "everyday life" and "emergency life," making them useful in both everyday life and emergency situations.

Disaster prevention training implementation overview
Venue: Disaster prevention base complex "Watashi-no" (2-1-1 Motomachi, Koshimizu-cho)
Date and time: Sunday, January 26, 2020, 8:00-11:20
For interview inquiries, please contact the General Affairs Division of Koshimizu Town Hall at 0152 (62) 4470.
 

Disaster prevention training schedule (planned)

*If there is a high possibility that a weather warning will be issued for Koshimizu Town, the training will be canceled. The decision to cancel will be posted on the website by noon on Saturday, January 25th. In addition, the content may be changed, canceled, or postponed without notice.

Phase-free support for "Watashino"
Phase-free concept
Facilities that are used on a daily basis will serve as temporary evacuation shelters and disaster response headquarters in the event of an emergency. The fitness gym and studio will accommodate evacuees, the community space and cafe will serve food, and the laundry's emergency water and power supply will be used to maintain hygiene by washing clothes. In addition, underfloor heating using hot spring heat will keep you warm in the unlikely event of a power outage. Their usual places will reduce the stress and burden of evacuation life for evacuees, ensuring their safety and security.
 

List of affiliated companies and roles