Fifteen years after the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japan is seeing growing momentum behind “phase-free” design, a new approach to disaster preparedness that integrates emergency functionality into everyday items.
As major quakes have continued to strike various parts of Japan, Tadayuki Sato, representative director of the Phase Free Association, recognized the limitations of traditional disaster preparedness. Conventional approaches, led primarily by government bodies and focused on stockpiling specialized emergency supplies, were falling short.
Around 2014, he introduced the phase-free concept in a bid to seamlessly integrate disaster preparedness with everyday life and business operations. The association now oversees a certification system for products and facilities that embody this principle. As of February, about 200 items had been certified.
AloJapan.com