2026 Disaster Management Seminar (June 25)

The Disaster Management Seminar was held for officers in charge of disaster management at embassies, representative offices in Tokyo, with the aim to strengthen cooperation related to aiding foreign nationals in times of disaster. Information was shared on topics including measures implemented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) in times of disaster and the importance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and their use.

These seminars and question and answer sessions are held every fiscal year by the TMG. The first seminar of this fiscal year was held on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The seminar introduced the TMG's disaster management plans, disaster preparedness initiatives for foreign residents, the importance of initial response by foreign residents when an earthquake strikes, and other relevant information to 96 officers in charge of disaster management at 60 embassies and representative offices in Tokyo.

In addition, a presentation and training session given by the AED Foundation of Japan allowed attendees to not only learn about the importance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), but also to learn how to use the devices through a hands-on exercise.

The seminar served as a valuable opportunity to learn about disaster response and was positively received by attendees. Feedback collected through participant surveys included “(the seminar) deepened my understanding regarding disaster response” and “I appreciated the opportunity to be able to learn about the importance of AEDs and have the opportunity to engage in a hands-on exercise.” The TMG will continue working to deepen collaboration with embassies and representative offices in Tokyo for enhanced cooperation in times of disaster.

Details

■Date：Thursday, June 25, 2026

■Hosted by：the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG)

■Participants：96 officers in charge of disaster management from 60 embassies and representative offices

■Program (in order of presentation)：

1. Serving as the Contact Point for Embassies and Representative Offices in Tokyo
   International Affairs Division, Office of the Governor for Policy Planning, TMG
2. Disaster Preparedness Initiatives for Foreign Residents
   Citizens' Affairs Division, Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs, TMG
3. Importance of Initial Response to Earthquakes by Foreign Residents in Tokyo
   Tokyo Fire Department
4. Disaster Prevention Measures by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
   Crisis Management Division, Bureau of General Affairs, TMG
5. AED Training and Introduction to Initiatives by the AED Foundation of Japan
   The AED Foundation of Japan

Day of the seminar

Presentation by the International Affairs Division, Office of the Governor for Policy Planning, TMG (Left) and Presentation Slide (Right)

The International Affairs Division of the Office of the Governor for Policy Planning at the TMG gave a presentation titled “Serving as the Contact Point for Embassies and Representative Offices in Tokyo” that provided an overview of the coordination framework for information provision and collection between the TMG and embassies and representative offices in Tokyo, both in normal times and in times of disaster.

Presentation by the Crisis Management Division, Bureau of General Affairs, TMG (Left) and Presentation Slide (Right)

The Crisis Management Division of the Bureau of General Affairs at the TMG introduced various hard and soft measures being advanced by the TMG for disaster preparedness.

Presentations were also made by the Citizens' Affairs Division of the Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs at the TMG (Disaster Preparedness Initiatives for Foreign Residents) and the Tokyo Fire Department (Importance of Initial Response to Earthquakes by Foreign Residents in Tokyo), sharing information on the handling and importance of support for foreign nationals in times of disaster with those in attendance.

Presentation and Training Session by the AED Foundation of Japan (Left: Presentation on how to use an AED, Right: Hands-on training session using a chest compression training kit)

Through data presented by the AED Foundation of Japan, including that showing that the use of AEDs helps to improve survival rates, participants learned about the importance of AED devices. An animated segment on the steps to follow when responding to an emergency was also shown. This was followed by a hands-on training session using chest compression training kits that allowed participants to acquire practical knowledge and skills.