On November 10, 2019, the forth “Disaster Risk Reduction × Treasure Hunting Game” was held by the Katahira community development association, cooperated by Prof. Takeshi Sato of IRIDeS. This event is both for children and adults, and also both for Japanese and non- Japanese residents, who would like to walk around the Katahira community of Sendai, learning about local disaster risks as well as its history and geography in the manner of a treasure hunting game. This article is a report written by a member of the IRIDeS Public Relations Office who participated in the event.

I was in a group with seven international students residing in Katahira and studying automobile maintenance at the Kadan Automobile Collage. The students came from countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. The students had a lifestyle different from that of the locals, spent their days in different locations, and barely had any opportunities to interact with the locals. However, with the cooperation of the College, the students were able to participate in this event, which also provided an opportunity to get to know their local community. 
 
We deciphered the first code, together with two guides, Mr. Masahiro Horino from the Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association, and Mr. Kazuhiko Nagato, the head of the Otamayashita Neighborhood Association. The first destination, rojin ikoi-no-ie (community center for elderly people), was specified and we departed for it.

It was a cloudless day in Sendai. The air was cool, but walking warmed us up. Ten minutes after we started out, we were walking along the Hirose River, when our guides stopped the group before a levee and sluice and explained: “This is one of many levees in Sendai. Usually, this sluice is open so that you can go down to the river beach. But when the water level is rising, this gets closed. This sluice was closed when Typhoon 19 arrived.” “When the typhoon of August 1950 struck, the Hirose River flooded, causing widespread damage. The water level at the time was the same height as the ground you are all standing on the road. This levee was built after that.” I was not aware of this fact beforehand.

After walking for another 10 minutes, we arrived at the first destination point, a community center for the elderly. We learned that the place is also a disaster evacuation facility that is opened and run by the Katahira community when necessary. Such disaster evacuation facilities run by local communities of Sendai contribute to avert overpopulation in disaster evacuation centers designated by the City of Sendai, and thus are considered as disaster reduction solutions developed progressively in Sendai.
 
We found the next code here: “A place for a bridge of the past, present, and future. The clue is in the past.” From this, we deduced that the next destination is Hyojogawara Bridge. The bridge was a 10-minute walk from where we were and is one of the bridges that span the meandering Hirose River.

When we got to the foot of the bridge, we looked in the direction indicated by our guides. We saw the ruins of an old bridge, just as the hint had mentioned. Here, we learned that constant flooding during the Edo and Meiji eras washed the Hyojogawara Bridge away, illustrating the river’s strength when the water levels rise.

“Now, the river beach that you all are standing on, and the street too, are so dangerous when there are heavy rains that they cannot be used,” our guides said. Both the guides grew up in Katahira and are well versed in the geography and history of the area. They gave detailed responses to our many questions about the region. They showed us landmarks such as where the banks of the Hirose River collapsed due to a past disaster and where a bomb shelter was once located.

We continued to decipher one code after another, advancing from one destination to the next, including the Katahiracho Elementary School which is an evacuation center designated by the city, Ryokakuincho Park which is another district evacuation facility, and Sendai City Museum, with our guides providing explanations along the way.

It was past noon when we returned to the starting point. All the clues gathered from the treasure chests at each location were assembled, and they read: “Report places of refuge from heavy rains to the chief.” This was the secret order of Lord Masamune, and it was about the evacuation places we visited on our walk today. We reported the results to the chief, and everyone was certified as a ninja for disaster risk reduction.

 I asked other participants about their impressions. Mr. Gonzales Yancy Dionet Pille from the Philippines said, “Solving the riddles was fun.” Mr. Nguyen Tien Tam from Vietnam said, “I have lived nearby but didn’t know about this area. It was interesting to learn about the differences in the town between the past and present.” I also began to see Sendai differently, after I walked around the town helped by the guides. After the event, I bought historical maps of Sendai and often enjoy walking by myself, exploring changes over the years of Sendai.

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