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Professor Tsuboi of Faculty of Economics conducted disaster response training for the Nagano Prefecture Earthquake Countermeasures Strengthening Regional Liaison Council (Kami-Ina/Kiso region)Utsunomiya Campus

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Teikyo University Faculty of Economics Department of Regional Economics Professor Tsuboi Shoutarou conducted a disaster response training course, "How to Support Disaster Victims through Community and Government" in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture.

In recent years, with disasters occurring frequently throughout Japan, the limitations of government-led disaster response have become apparent, and collaborative efforts involving diverse stakeholders, including general volunteers, NPOs, and private companies, are increasingly needed. The Kamiina and Kiso regions of Nagano Prefecture have steep mountainous terrain and large fault zones, and urban areas are located in valleys through which the Kiso and Tenryu rivers flow, resulting in a high risk of disaster. Therefore, training and drills are conducted there every year.

In this training program, approximately 60 people participated, including staff from the administrations and social welfare councils of 12 municipalities in the Kami-Ina and Kiso regions, as well as NPO personnel and private companies. They created an organizational timeline that outlined inter-organizational collaboration in response to the disaster, following a timeline from the time of the disaster.
Furthermore, a training session was held to conduct an information-sharing meeting simulating a scenario one week after the disaster. Participants discussed countermeasures for issues such as "volunteer shortages" and "responding to isolated communities," and concrete support plans were formulated.
Participants shared comments such as, "I was able to understand how other organizations act during disasters," "I realized the importance of NPOs and private sector efforts," and "I would like to try this in my own local government."
We will continue to work towards contributing to improving regional disaster prevention capabilities and disaster response capabilities through surveys, research, and practical field work.

Click here for information about Professor Sotaro Tsuboi.
Click here for the Department of Regional Faculty of Economics Department of Regional Economics

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