3.2.1. Elementary School A

At the time of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Elementary School A had 91 students and 17 teachers and staff members. It served as an evacuation shelter and remained open until April 16.

During the foreshock, the school opened an evacuation shelter under the direction of the Mashiki Town Board of Education’s superintendent, and some evacuees were asleep in their cars on the playground. In addition, they “informed parents of school closure in the middle of the night through safety and security emails” and “conducted safety checks on children and parents.”

When the main shock occurred, approximately 80% of the teaching staff were working on site. However, as the fire brigade and district chief were in charge of managing the evacuation center, the teaching staff only performed light work, such as distributing lunch boxes. Evacuees worried that nearby bridges might become impassable, so they moved to Eminence (a hotel) and Grand Messe (an industrial exhibition hall). Teachers and staff members were involved in activities such as “tidying up the school,” “visiting evacuation centers and homes to check that students were out,” and “writing down the evacuation locations and status of students on a large paper and sharing this information among themselves.”

The school’s post-earthquake initiatives included “sending out safety information to parents” and “holding a first-anniversary meeting to reflect on the earthquake.”

Future challenges raised and pointed out were “how to pass on the lessons to new teachers and staff as staff and principals are replaced” and “how to incorporate disaster prevention education.”

3.2.2. Elementary School B

At the time of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Elementary School B had 456 students and 32 teachers and staff members. The evacuation center that they set up remained open until August 18.

Although it was not designated as an evacuation shelter at the time of the foreshock, town officials opened a shelter, and a few families evacuated sought shelted there.

None of the teachers or staff members were called upon, but about ten school staff members gathered voluntarily. Concentrating solely on school matters, they cleaned the school, checked the students’ conditions and notined damage, such as cracks appearing in the ground and in the school walls.

When the main shock occurred, an evacuation shelter was opened in the school gymnasium; it was mainly run by town officials and housed about 400 evacuees, many of whom were sleeping in their cars. The principal discussed the division of roles for supporting the evacuation shelter with the official in charge. Seven teaching staff members toured evacuation shelters in the school district to repair damage, such as broken window glass, and to check the safety of the students. Furthermore, on April 18, all staff members helped with meal distribution and health checks at the evacuation shelters. They held an emergency staff meeting to review the status of all staff members’ injuries and to schedule an in-school response meeting to prepare for the school’s reopening. By the latter half of May, local residents had taken over management of the evacuation center.

When Elementary School B reopened, Junior High School G and the Fifth Nursery School moved in and shared the space; this arrangement continued until August 31. During this time, they faced a situation in which an elementary school, a junior high school, a nursery school, and an evacuation shelter were all located on the same premises. Their post-earthquake initiatives focused on mental health care, such as “evacuation drills without ringing the emergency bell” and “mental health care for children, parents, and staff.”

As future challenges, they pointed out “conducting joint evacuation drills with the local community” and “reflecting on the organizations that came to provide support and discussing the issues with the town and other schools,” showing an interest in working with the local community.

3.2.3. Elementary School C

At the time of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Elementary School C had 120 students and 13 teachers and staff members. The evacuation shelter remained open until May 19.

When the foreshock struck, the PTA general meeting had just finished around 9 PM, and approximately 4 or 5 staff members were inside the school. However, the emergency doors were closed, and the newly hired staff members were confused and did not know how to operate them. Subsequently, the superintendent of education contacted them and asked them to accept evacuees, but most of the bridges leading to the school were damaged and closed to traffic. During the foreshock, the focus was less on opening shelters and more on using parking lots so evacuees could sleep in their cars.

When the main shock occurred, staff members could not gather, and only faculty and staff who could confirm evacuees’ safety and handle immediate response tasks that day. Approximately 150 evacuees were housed in five classrooms used by first- through fourth-grade classes and the special support class. The school only operated the evacuation shelter for the first two or three days, after which the operation was handed over to the town hall and volunteers.

Starting on April 20, “C Aozora Classroom” was held to prepare children for their return to school. They practiced reading aloud and singing, and worked with evacuees and volunteers to prepare the classrooms for the school’s reopening. When the school reopened, the students promoted interaction between the evacuation center and the school community by singing songs they had practiced in “C Aozora Classroom” together with the people at the evacuation center. Because of the risk of flooding at the planned temporary housing site, temporary housing was constructed on the school playground, and a temporary school playground was set up on the planned site adjacent to the school. At this temporary playground, fire drills and sports were held with residents of the temporary housing, deepening their interactions.

After the earthquake, the school tried to “pass on to new staff members, who were assigned to the school after the disaster, what happened at the time, using presentation materials and other means.” The school also designates the 14th or 16th of each month as “Life and Disaster Prevention Day,” when disaster prevention activities and meetings are held. The school also points out that a future challenge is “how to pass on the story of the Kumamoto Earthquake to future generations in the school as faculty and staff members change over time.”

3.2.4. Elementary School D

During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Elementary School D had 712 students and 47 teachers and staff members. The evacuation center remained open until August 18.

At the time of the foreshock, about 10 staff members were preparing for the next day’s open class day for parents, but administrative staff were absent because they were attending vice-principal meetings and other reasons. The gymnasium was opened as a shalter, but because aftershocks continued, no one used it, and many people were asleep in their cars on the school playgrounds. Town officials also helped run the evacuation center, but it was primarily staffed by teachers and administration who were simultaneously cleaning up the school in preparation for reopening.

When the main shock occurred, schools and local governments were unable to keep pace with the response. Some said, “We could not decide whether to let evacuees out of the classrooms,” and “It was difficult to create a list of evacuees,” and stated that they would have to ask the local community for help. Following advice from Hyogo Prefecture’s Disaster and School Support Team, which visited on April 17, a shelter leaders’ meeting was set up. The principal and vice-principal attended daily meetings at 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, respectively, and other teaching staff began preparing to reopen the school. The management of the evacuation shelter gradually shifted from teachers and staff to the evacuees. For example, in May, the evacuees made an offer to help, saying “We also would like to do what we can.” Collaboration between schools, local residents, and evacuees is evident.

Efforts to reopen the school included “checking on the condition of students and parents,” “maintaining and inspecting facilities,” “inspecting school routes,” and “confirming and informing methods for commuting to and from school.”

Regarding post-earthquake efforts, teachers said they had conducted evacuation drills. Also, since the school coexisted with the evacuation shelter, they taught children that there is a “place for daily life” and a “place for education.”

Future challenges raised include “conducting emergency pick-up training and formulating manuals” and “passing on the story of the earthquake to teaching staff who are assigned to work here after the disaster.”

3.2.5. Elementary School E

At the time of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Elementary School E had 775 students, teachers and staff members. The evacuation shelter remained open until August 18.

At the time of the foreshock, about 10 teachers, including the academic director and head teacher, were at the school assisting the evacuees. Town officials later visited the school. However, an aftershock around midnight damaged mercury-vapor lamps in the gymnasium, prompting an evacuation. At this time, several evacuees were at the school, and approximately seven teachers and staff members stayed overnight.

When the main shock occurred, the gymnasium and first-floor classrooms were opened, and approximately 800 people were evacuated. Additionally, approximately 200 cars were on the school grounds.

There were fewer than 20 teachers and staff at the school, each staff member was assigned a task and worked in three shifts to address problems in the evacuation shelters. They encouraged the creativity and ideas of each teacher or staff member responsible for creating a bright atmosphere. The school was responsible for hygiene, improving the shelter’s comfort, accepting aid, and answering the telephone. At the same time, town officials were responsible for maintaining public order and liaising with the town headquarters. In addition, message boards were set up, and the school’s internal broadcasting system was used to collect evacuees’ voices and provide information. In addition, there was an opportunity to interact with the evacuees. The student brass band and alumni held a concert to encourage evacuees and interact with them.

Post-earthquake efforts included “creating a record book while the school had the teachers, staff, and students who experienced the disaster,” “providing psychological care to staff who were unable to take part in the operation of the evacuation center,” and “evacuation drills that do not use the emergency bell.”

Future challenges include “how to pass on the experiences of the earthquake” and “how to carry out emergency pick-up training, given the school’s large size.”

3.2.6. Junior High School F

At the time of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Junior High School F had 691 students, teachers and staff members. The evacuation shelter was not opened.

Although the school had not been designated as an evacuation shelter when the foreshock occurred on August 14, the town’s Board of Education instructed it to open its gymnasium, and the principal and several others gathered there. However, considering the danger, they advised evacuees to move to evacuation shelters and asked teachers and staff who had gathered there to return home after midnight. On April 15, 28 teachers and staff who were able to return to work checked on the safety of students and staff, the extent of damage to the area, roads, and the school buildings and grounds.

The main shock caused the rooftop walkway roof to collapse, misaligned the path to the gymnasium, and damaged school buildings. Seven teaching staff members, administrators, and those who were able to come to work went around, mainly visiting each evacuation center with class and grade rosters, while staff members who were staying at home made phone calls to check on students’ safety and the situation at each evacuation center. They also patrolled the local area, discussed future actions, rechecked damage to school facilities and equipment, and cleaned staff rooms and other areas. Starting on April 29, restoration work began, such as moving seven classrooms out of use, installing temporary toilets and simple water stations, and removing debris. They also stated that, because the school building was damaged, a temporary building was to be constructed; however, it was difficult to determine where to construct it. The new school building was completed in April 2021.

Measures taken after the earthquake included “a moment of silent prayer for the victims,” “mental care for students,” “evacuation drills,” and “placing disaster prevention hoods on each chair in the classroom.”

A future challenge was “to restore and improve the school education environment by incorporating life in temporary school buildings,” which was unique to Junior High School F.

3.2.7. Junior High School G

At the time of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, Junior High School G had 271 students and 36 faculty members. The evacuation shelter was not opened.

When the foreshock occurred, school staff checked the safety of the school community, and inspected and cleaned up the damage within the school.

When the main shock occurred, the area suffered extensive damage, including the collapse of a walkway, water pipe leaks, and the destruction of the gymnasium’s support structure. Consequently, an evacuation shelter was not set up in the gymnasium; however, some evacuees were sleeping in their cars in the schoolyard. School staff checked the safety of faculty, staff, and students, but were unable to contact about half of them because cell phone batteries ran out or they were out of service range. Therefore, staff made home visits and wrote down and shared information about students’ conditions on a large sheet of paper.

Due to damage to the corridor connecting the administration and classroom buildings, and because of safety concerns, Junior High School G reopened at Elementary School B. In May, the NPO “Katariba” began holding early morning and evening study sessions, offering support to students, such as introducing to work experience opportunities, providing counseling, and helping with preparations for sports and cultural festivals. The school reopened in its original building on August 22.

Staff stated that they worked on “counseling students” and “asking students to write about the disaster” after the earthquake. In addition, they implemented the “Reconstruction Starts at Junior High School G Project” with Kumamoto University and the Mashiki Town Board of Education, working with students and teachers from Junior High School G to film videos and pass on the memories of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes and the subsequent reconstruction.

Future challenges that were raised included “how to communicate what we learned from the earthquake,” “there is no guidance on where to incorporate disaster prevention education, how to secure time for it, or how to carve out some time,” “how to work with the local community,” and “though there is an emergency pick-up manual, it has not been thoroughly communicated to parents.”

3.2.8. Summary

Five elementary schools (Elementary Schools A–E) opened evacuation shelters. The shelters’ opening periods varied from school to school. Some schools kept their shelters open until May, whereas others kept them open until August. There was also variation in the duration of schools’ management of shelters. Initially, shelters were managed mainly by teachers and school staff, but the main management roles later shifted to town officials, local residents, and evacuees, allowing many schools to focus on reopening efforts. In addition, most schools were able to assess student safety and understand their situation through phone calls, home and evacuation centers visits. Two junior high schools (Junior High Schools F and G) did not open evacuation shelters and worked to reopen their schools (Fig. 5).

At Elementary School C, the playground was occupied by temporary housing buildings; however, interactions between the residents of the temporary houses and the school took place in a temporary schoolyard. At Junior High School G, the school building was damaged; therefore, the students rented space at Elementary School B, which is another example of cooperation between the local community and schools during a disaster.

4.2.1. Attributes of Each School’s Disaster Prevention Chief

The length of time that the participant disaster prevention chiefs have been employed at the school varies: two are in their first year, while others are in their second, third, fifth, and seventh years at the school. In terms of experience as disaster prevention chiefs, the majority (four people) were in their first year, followed by two in their second year. During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, five staff members were assigned to schools. The disaster prevention activities that respondents had been involved in before becoming disaster prevention chiefs were “planning disaster prevention and evacuation drill plans, etc.” (two people), “teaching in disaster prevention classes” (two people), “having been in charge of disaster-related matters in a previous job” (one person), and “none” (two people) (Table 1).

4.2.2. Connections Between the School and the Community

Table 2 shows the number of children, students, and classes at each school during 2016 and FY2024. The number of students has increased since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, and the number of teachers and staff has also increased in these six schools. Community schools were established in all schools, and all community schools involved the principal, vice principal, neighborhood association president(s), and members of the neighborhood association. All community schools, except Elementary School B, involved the PTA and parents. None of the community schools had a “disaster prevention chief,” and only two schools, Elementary Schools A and D, had a “voluntary disaster prevention organization” among their members (Table 3). When asked about school activities involving the local community, six schools reported “reading aloud activities,” “patrolling students’ commute to and from school,” and “study support volunteers” (Table 4). All elementary schools connect with local communities through “traditional folk games.” In terms of what schools are doing with the local community in anticipation of a disaster, five schools responded that they are “confirming contact methods in the case of an emergency.” Three schools conducted evacuation drills in their local communities (Table 5).

4.2.3. Disaster Prevention Chiefs

Regarding the challenges faced by disaster prevention chiefs, two schools pointed out that they were “not able to work with the local community” and “the disaster prevention chief does not have enough time for disaster prevention duties.” Other challenges included “it is difficult to get cooperation from those around us,” “there is a lack of disaster prevention education materials and programs,” and “we do not know who to consult with.” Additionally, one participant reported no issues at present (Table 6). All the schools responded that there were opportunities for their disaster prevention chiefs to learn about disaster prevention. When asked about the materials and facilities they would use, all schools answered, “the exhibition corner on the fourth floor of Mashiki Town Hall” and “the Futagawa Fault;” five schools answered “Nijiiro;” and four schools answered, “School Disaster Prevention Manual,” “School Disaster Prevention Education Instruction Guide,” “Disaster Prevention Education Training Seminar,” and “TSUNAGU: Toward Kumamoto’s Tomorroww” (Table 7).

4.2.4. Handover Among Faculty and Staff

Regarding recognition of STORIES, three schools, Elementary Schools B, C, and D, responded that they were aware of it, while the other four schools responded that they were not aware of it. The learned about it “from former teachers and staff,” “during disaster prevention education training,” and “because it was distributed to each school.” Additionally, when asked how they used STORIES, Elementary School D responded that they used it when preparing teaching materials. No other schools reported using it (Table 8).

All schools reported receiving a handover of disaster prevention education from the previous disaster prevention chief, but, in many schools, the handover method was “providing materials.” Elementary School D responded that “disaster prevention education training was conducted during its in-school training.” All schools reported that they conduct handovers of disaster prevention education and projects among teachers and staff. Junior High School F responded that it hands over “a memo of what was implemented during the school year” (Table 9).

At five schools, teachers and staff shared their experiences and lessons learned from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes. When which materials and facilities were used to pass on their stories, four schools answered that they used paper materials such as the “School Disaster Prevention Manual,” the “School Disaster Prevention Education Instruction Guide,” and the “Futagawa Fault Zone.” Three schools answered that they used Mashiki Town’s archive facilities, such as “Nijiiro” and the “exhibition corner on the fourth floor of Mashiki Town Hall,” and paper materials such as the “Kumamoto Prefecture Investigative Report,” the “Mashiki Town Investigative Report,” the “Mental Care Handbook,” and “TSUNAGU: Toward Kumamoto’s Tomorrow.” Three schools responded that they use “disaster prevention education training sessions” and “materials from other teachers.” Two schools reported using “STORIES” (Table 7). When asked which aspects of the disaster were shared, five schools answered “the situation at the time of the disaster,” followed by four schools that answered “cooperation and management of evacuation shelters” and “the process of recovery and reconstruction” (Table 10). Respondents reported passing on their stories during “staff meetings,” “new employee training,” “in-school training,” and “assembly activities” (Table 11). Regarding the frequency of passing on stories, three schools answered “once a year,” while the other two schools answered “two to three times a year” or “whenever the opportunity allows.” All five schools responded that they would continue to pass on the story in the future. When asked about the challenges of passing on the stories, three schools answered “lack of time” and “lack of storytellers,” while others also mentioned “lack of disaster prevention teaching materials” and “lack of interest among teachers and staff” (Table 11). However, the reasons given by Elementary School E for not passing on stories included “lack of time,” “not knowing how to pass on stories,” and “lack of storytellers” (Table 11).

4.2.5. Disaster Prevention Education and Disaster Prevention at Schools

The implementation status of disaster prevention education is presented in Table 12. Six items, including “Let us learn from earthquake disasters,” were implemented in all elementary schools. However, three items, such as “visiting natural monument faults,” were implemented by only two schools. Of the 18 items, two elementary schools implemented 17, whereas Elementary School A implemented only half (nine items). Elementary School B responded that instead of “visiting the natural monument faults,” they were “interviewing local residents.” In addition, Junior High School F only conducted “disaster simulations” for second- and third-year students and implemented only two of the nine items. It was found that disaster prevention education was provided through “homeroom,” “life environment studies,” and “moral education” in the lower grades of elementary school. In contrast, in the upper grades of elementary school, disaster prevention education is linked to subjects such as “social studies” and “science.” In Junior High School F, disaster prevention education was provided through “home economics” and “health and physical education.”

Regarding changes to disaster prevention education since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, four schools reported having “incorporated content from the Kumamoto Earthquake.” As references for disaster prevention education, they cited “websites” and “news footage from the time of disasters.” Other initiatives besides disaster prevention education included “listening to talks from the principal and vice principal at the time of the earthquakes,” “posting messages of support from all over the country,” and “posting panels and posters related to disaster prevention.” A challenge raised in disaster prevention education was “maintaining disaster prevention awareness on a daily basis.”

When asked about the materials and facilities they use for disaster prevention education, all elementary schools mentioned the “School Disaster Prevention Education Instruction Guide,” “Disaster Prevention Education Training Seminars,” and “Futagawa Fault Zone.” Three schools responded that they used “STORIES.”

Three schools reported that they had students in need of mental health care following the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes. On the other hand, one school answered that it did not know whether there were such students in need, and another said that it did not have any such students.