SAKIGAKE管理人 Introduction — Why Emergency Shelters Must Change
“Going to the evacuation shelter made things even worse.”
This phrase, heard after every major disaster including the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, encapsulates the structural challenges facing Japan’s emergency shelters. The Japanese government is working toward the launch of the Disaster Prevention Agency in November 2026, building a unified command structure that will oversee everything “from pre-disaster preparedness through recovery and reconstruction.” Improving living conditions in evacuation shelters and advancing Disaster Prevention DX are explicitly identified as key responsibilities of the new agency. Japan’s disaster prevention framework is now at a major turning point. It is at precisely this moment that SAKIGAKE JAPAN Corp. and Panasonic EW are working together on a design project for a “world-standard next-generation emergency shelter.”
Project Overview — What Is a “Next-Generation Emergency Shelter”?
This project does not aim for a mere “improvement” of existing shelters. It represents a fundamental shift in thinking: advancing the digitalization and activity transformation (AX) of facility spaces, and realizing wellbeing in facility spaces that continues from normal times. There are two keywords.
① Transforming the Field through DX / AX
In the January 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Disaster Prevention DX was deployed in actual disaster response — consolidating and managing evacuation shelter data, deploying satellite communication services in areas where power and communications had been cut, and tracking evacuee information using transit IC cards. However, all of these were responses that came after the disaster struck.
What we are aiming for is a “DX shelter infrastructure that operates from normal times” — functional before a disaster ever occurs. Our design premise is to digitally consolidate every process of shelter operations — from check-in and supply management to care for people with special needs and information sharing — and to operate this system continuously in normal times so that it functions seamlessly when disaster strikes.
② Pursuing “Wellbeing” That Continues from Normal Times
Conventional emergency shelters have been designed as temporary holding facilities for use in emergencies. As a result, problems such as lack of privacy, poor living conditions, and psychological stress have recurred again and again.
In this project, our goal is to redesign shelters not as “spaces used only in emergencies,” but as spaces where people can feel comfortable — spaces that function as community hubs even in normal times. From the physical design of facilities — lighting, air conditioning, acoustics, layout, and communications infrastructure — to digital operations support, everything will be designed in an integrated manner from a wellbeing perspective.
※ Excerpt from the Results Presentation Materials for Panasonic EW, March 18, 2026
Why Panasonic, and Why Now?
Panasonic EW is a company with world-class expertise and a proven track record in spatial design, facility environments, and energy management. By combining SAKIGAKE JAPAN’s specialization in disaster prevention with Panasonic’s leadership in spatial and environmental design, we are able to build a next-generation shelter model unlike anything that has existed before — one that fuses disaster prevention functionality with human-centered spatial design.
And this very moment is the most critical timing.
The Disaster Prevention Agency Establishment Bill was approved by the Cabinet on March 6, 2026, and submitted to the National Diet. The agency operates under the principle of “realizing a disaster-resilient nation with the highest priority on human life and rights,” and will serve as a unified command structure overseeing everything from normal-time preparedness through recovery and reconstruction. The agency has expressed its policy of advancing improvements to evacuation living conditions and promoting Disaster Prevention DX, and has indicated a commitment to strengthening collaboration with local governments.
Establishing a proof-of-concept model for a next-generation shelter in the year the Disaster Prevention Agency launches is a project that is perfectly aligned with the transformation of Japan’s disaster prevention policy. We regard this timing not as coincidence, but as inevitability.
※ Excerpt from the Results Presentation Materials for Panasonic EW, March 18, 2026
Our Progress So Far — What We Have Learned from Many Voices
The project is already in motion. We have conducted repeated interviews with local government officials, frontline staff, and experts, carefully gathering the real challenges and expectations from those on the ground. The voices from these interviews can be distilled into three key themes.
“The burden on shelter operators has reached its limit.” Shelter operations rely heavily on local government staff and community volunteers, and the human burden reaches its absolute limit in the chaos immediately following a disaster. Automating and streamlining operations through digital technology is an urgent necessity.
“The dignity of evacuees as human beings is not being protected.” Sleeping en masse with no privacy, poor sanitary conditions, lack of transparency in information — these constitute what can only be described as “secondary damage” during shelter life. The physical design of the facility spaces themselves must be reconsidered from the ground up.
“Because it’s not used in normal times, it doesn’t function when it’s needed most.” Cases frequently arise where shelter equipment and systems, never used in normal times, are unfamiliar even to the staff responsible for them when disaster strikes. Design that incorporates “use starting from normal times” is indispensable.
Every one of these voices has been reflected in the design philosophy of the project. Words cannot fully express our gratitude to all those who contributed through interviews. We have not yet been able to adequately repay your trust, but we will absolutely see this through to completion.
※ Excerpt from the Results Presentation Materials for Panasonic EW, March 18, 2026
Official Continuation Confirmed — Following Approval by Panasonic EW
On March 18, 2026, at the Panasonic Tokyo Shiodome Building, we presented our results to the President and executives of Panasonic EW, and received formal approval for the continuation of the project this term.
Presenting to the top leadership of a major corporation was a high-pressure moment, but we are truly delighted that the on-the-ground voices gathered through our interviews, and the vision of a next-generation shelter that we have been building together, were recognized and valued.
This is not the finish line. It is the starting line toward the proof-of-concept phase.
We Are Looking for Collaborative Partners — A Message to Local Governments and Facilities
This year marks a major turning point in Japan’s history of disaster prevention — the year the Disaster Prevention Agency is established. At this moment, SAKIGAKE JAPAN is seeking local governments and facilities that would like to collaborate with us through a proof-of-concept experiment. The type of partners we have in mind includes:
- Local government officials who feel challenged by the need to digitalize and streamline shelter operations
- Local governments and facilities interested in improving shelter environments and enhancing wellbeing
- Regions and organizations that want to take a pioneering approach to building next-generation disaster prevention infrastructure
- Local governments that want to advance initiatives aligned with national policy ahead of the Disaster Prevention Agency’s launch
Participation in the proof-of-concept experiment is not simply cooperation in a test. It is participation in a historic project to change the standard of emergency shelters across Japan. We are seeking partners who will bring their on-the-ground perspectives and work with us to build a world-standard next-generation shelter together.
If you are interested, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to start with a conversation about your current situation.
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