Exploring 'everyday-life preparedness': Three case studies from Japan

This paper aims to contribute to the conceptualisation and practice of 'everyday-life preparedness [seikatsu bosai]' (EP) initially proposed by Yamori. It reinforces existing community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) systems through embedding preparedness thinking and practice in communities' daily lives. International agencies, governments and experts promote CBDRR to engage 'all of society' and to achieve 'a culture of DRR'. At the same time, the challenges of how to engage communities in DRR actions and how to sustain them in the communities are also recognised. Drawing on three case studies from Japan, the paper suggests that EP could be one approach to respond to these challenges. A need for integrating DRR and community development has already been identified by some authors. Taking this position further, the paper proposes EP as one of the methodologies of integrated CBDRR approaches.