In September 2025, the annual National Conference for the Promotion of Disaster Risk Reduction (Bosai Kokutai) took place in Niigata, Japan, co-hosted by the Cabinet Office and other organizations.

About 19,000 participants gathered in Niigata City, a site of both the 2004 Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. The conference hosted around 470 programs on-site and online, which brought together students, researchers, private sector actors, civil society representatives and the public.

The Japan CSO Coalition for Disaster Risk Reduction (JCC-DRR), which SGI belongs to, hosted an online discussion titled “Rethinking Evacuation in a Super-Aged Society: Insights for Mutual Assistance Across Generations.” Speakers from academia, faith communities and local networks explored how to assist evacuation and protect those most at risk, including the elderly, people with disabilities and international migrants.

Professor Yugo Shobugawa of the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences at Niigata University highlighted that some communities in Niigata were able to respond effectively to past disasters thanks to strong social ties. His research shows that regular, everyday interaction among neighbors helps sustain good health, lower mortality rates and prevent post-disaster depression.

Nobuyuki Asai of SGI emphasized the important role of faith-based organizations in supporting community safety through building trust and demonstrating compassion. Referring to a survey by the Soka Gakkai Shikoku Youth Division, he proposed a intergenerational approach that encourages young people, who often have good access to information through social media, to help older residents stay informed during emergencies.

Representing JCC-DRR, Harumi Endo shared efforts in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, to engage international migrants in local disaster preparedness. With more than 40,000 international migrants in this ward, many people face language and cultural barriers. To reach those less familiar with DRR, a summer festival on multicultural coexistence and disaster preparedness featured a booth where visitors could learn about emergency situations through interactive games and quizzes. Endo reflected that the initiative helped raise awareness of all participants.

Having personally experienced the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Midori Ona, Vice Chapter Chief of the Niigata City Disaster Prevention Specialists Association’s Central Ward Chapter, shared insights from her relief work at evacuation shelters. She described how difficult it can be for elderly residents to leave their homes during emergencies and noted the challenges women face, such as gender-based expectations as to the roles women should play and the lack of secure spaces for breastfeeding. Ona also introduced Niigata Bosai Joshi, a network of female disaster-prevention professionals, and spoke about her involvement in Niigata’s gender equality council.

Takeshi Komino, General Secretary for CWS Japan, concluded the event by sharing good practices from other countries, underscoring the importance of frameworks where residents, scientists and government officials work together to sustain community-led initiatives. He shared that a concrete evacuation plan has been developed in a frequently flooded area of Indonesia and emphasized the importance of building systems that recognize and nurture local community leaders through a whole-of-society approach.

Around 50 people joined the session online. Their reflections captured their practical ways they had been inspired to take action:

• “There’s a community disaster drill coming up, so I’ll make good use of what I learned today.”
• “I live alone and usually have no contact with my neighbors, but I realized that community ties are essential for preparedness. I now want to join local activities like sports classes or volunteering.”

The session highlighted that building inclusive and resilient communities requires everyone’s involvement and sparked new ideas for local efforts.