Event Name: Ushioni Conference 2025, 3rd Workshop

Theme: [Protecting Lives, Protecting Livelihoods] "Disaster Recovery Roadmap" ~What to Prepare? Where to Seek Advice?~

Organizer: Uwajima NPO Center, Ushioni Conference Core Members

Supported by: Uwajima City

Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location: Uwajima City Hall, 2nd Floor, Large Conference Room

Target Audience: Companies/organizations involved in disaster relief, welfare staff/government officials, students, individuals interested in disaster prevention and relief activities

The "Protecting Lives, Protecting Livelihoods" series is a workshop focused on community "mutual aid" during disasters, where citizens, NPOs, businesses, and government agencies come together to discuss disaster prevention and relief strategies across boundaries.

This time, we focused on post-disaster recovery. Through discussions on dealing with insurance companies during a disaster, experiences from the July 2018 heavy rains, and group work among participants, we specifically considered "what to prepare" and "where to seek advice."

Speaker: Mr. Sadayoshi Takeno
Manager, Regional Strategy Office, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd. Ehime Branch

In the first lecture, Mr. Sadayoshi Takeno explained the role of insurance companies and the basics of earthquake insurance. The core of his talk was that insurance companies are not merely payers of insurance claims but also play a role in reducing damage in peacetime and supporting rapid recovery after a disaster.

He also introduced how insurance companies' disaster response systems have evolved through experiences with the Great East Japan Earthquake and typhoon disasters. He shared that mechanisms are being developed to avoid making disaster victims wait, such as accident reporting via smartphones and the introduction of damage prediction systems.

In the latter half, he explained the mechanism and necessity of earthquake insurance, citing actual costs required for recovery. In particular, the significant gap between the costs needed for housing reconstruction and public assistance left a strong impression on the participants.

He also pointed out essential facts to know, such as that fire caused by earthquakes is not covered by standard fire insurance, earthquake insurance is added on top of fire insurance, and the received insurance money can be used not only for housing but for overall livelihood reconstruction.

• Fire caused by an earthquake is not covered by fire insurance.
• Earthquake insurance is purchased as an add-on to fire insurance.
• Insurance payouts can be broadly used for livelihood reconstruction.
• Public assistance alone may not be sufficient to cover reconstruction costs.
• The earthquake insurance penetration rate in Uwajima City is lower than the prefectural average.

Speaker: Mr. Takeshi Sato
Uwajima City Council of Social Welfare Yoshida Branch / Former Manager, Regional Support Center

In the subsequent case study presentation, Mr. Takeshi Sato spoke specifically about how life deteriorated after the July 2018 heavy rains and what kind of support was needed, based on his experience.

First, he presented the scale of human casualties and housing damage. He shared that the damage was particularly concentrated in the Yoshida area, and the quiet impact on local life behind these large numbers was conveyed.

Particularly striking was his testimony about the prolonged water outage. Due to damage to water facilities, the Yoshida area experienced a water outage for over a month, and the Mima area for over two months.

From this story, it is clear that post-disaster recovery is not just about rebuilding homes but a long process involving hygiene, care, work, and community life itself.

Mr. Sato also introduced the establishment of the disaster volunteer center and the subsequent role of the community support center. He reported on the implementation of a system that continuously supported the lives of disaster victims through individual home visits for monitoring and consultation, connecting them to systems, and reaching out to those who had not applied for assistance.

• Listening to living conditions through individual home visits by teams of two
• Assessing health status and difficulties
• Connecting with relevant organizations and support systems
• Holding tea parties and salons in temporary housing and communities
• Preventing missed opportunities for system use through visits to unapplied individuals

Even if systems exist, they cannot be used if people don't know about them. Mr. Sato's presentation conveyed that for livelihood reconstruction, not only the systems themselves but also accompanying support to deliver them to those in need is indispensable.

Facilitator: Mr. Takahisa Omoto
Associate Director, Ehime University Regional Collaboration Center Nanyo

The latter half of the workshop featured group work, presentations, and a Q&A session, facilitated by Mr. Takahisa Omoto. The theme was "Disaster Recovery Roadmap." Participants, having listened to the lectures and case studies, considered and shared from their respective positions what they should prepare and where they could seek advice.

While the provided transcript doesn't contain many detailed statements from the group work, this session served as an opportunity for participants to organize the knowledge gained in the first half and relate it to their own fields and communities.

During the lecture, it was also mentioned that Mr. Omoto is involved in organizing disaster narratives and developing disaster recovery card games, sharing the perspective of not letting learning end with a single event but continuously applying it within the community.

What became clear through this workshop is that livelihood reconstruction does not begin "after a disaster occurs," but rather is an extension of knowledge and relationship building that should be prepared for beforehand.

• Knowing the basics of insurance and support systems
• Imagining where to seek advice after a disaster
• Fostering supportive relationships within the community
• Having the perspective of not leaving behind those who cannot access support systems

Protecting lives and protecting livelihoods are interconnected. Taking this learning back to the community and building up small preparations in each respective field will contribute to our resilience for the next disaster.

▲ Lecture by Mr. Sadayoshi Takeno

▲ Case study presentation by Mr. Takeshi Sato

▲ Group work and presentation

"Protecting Lives, Protecting Livelihoods" is a dialogue-based workshop of the Ushioni Conference, held with the aim for each of us living in the community to "think together and prepare together."

Past themes (video recordings only):

• Protecting Lives, Protecting Livelihoods #5 | The Power of Evacuation Shelter Support ~Aiming for Places Supported by Connections~ [Ushioni Conference Workshop] (November 18, 2025)
• Protecting Lives, Protecting Livelihoods #4 | Thinking about Life Careers and Disaster Prevention [Life Career Design Talk x Ushioni Conference Workshop] (June 2025)
• Protecting Lives, Protecting Livelihoods #3 | Disaster Prevention with People with Disabilities [Ushioni Conference Workshop] (February 2024)