Today is the anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the 1995 disaster that killed 6,434 people in the Kobe area. The heavy damage inflicted by the earthquake reminded the Japanese that even very modern countries with strong buildings can be quite vulnerable to large earthquakes, so every year around this time disaster drills are held.

One such drill was a special event held in Tokyo yesterday, which was aimed at teaching foreigners how to prepare for earthquakes. TokyoMX has a video report on the event, and the Japan Times has an article up:

The drill scenario started out with a strong earthquake hitting northern Tokyo around 8:55 a.m., destroying much of the capital’s critical infrastructure, including power, gas and water lines.

The volunteers first spoke over cell phones with the foreign participants, providing information on evacuation procedures and answering their questions. In a real disaster, the government would set up an emergency telephone hotline.

The foreigners then practiced various disaster drills with the translators in a park in Ikebukuro, including one involving an earthquake simulator that can shake up its occupants as strongly as the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake pounded Kobe and its vicinity.

“This is very good (experience),” said Modrzyk Nicolas of Malaysia, who added he has not experienced a major earthquake in his own country.

The interpreters also practiced helping foreigners communicate with ambulance crews, using medical terms and phrases that would likely be needed during an actual disaster.

The languages handled were English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Arabic.