ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the evolution of Japanese disaster education since the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake and in the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami by applying a disaster risk reduction (DRR) framework. In 2010, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation identified three priorities for addressing global sustainable development challenges through education for sustainable development – climate change, biodiversity and disaster risk reduction and preparedness. Even though the Japanese education sector has been making efforts to strengthen DRR, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami caused substantial damage to the education sector. In the evolution of Japanese DRR in the educational sector, one common theme is the importance of enhancing collaboration between schools, households and the community to localise DRR efforts within each school context. The Japanese experience reveals the importance of reviewing the education sector's DRR policies and practices based on lessons learned from major disasters.
