Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center 池袋防災館

The Life Safety Learning Center or bosaikan in its original version, is a risk prevention and first aid center, located in Ikebukuro , Tokyo. You will learn all the good reflexes to have in case of various and varied natural disasters in a good mood and in total safety, the center being managed by the firefighters. Several two-hour tours are organized throughout the day: the first starts at 9:30 a.m. and the last starts at 3 p.m. No need to book, but be on time : if the group has already left and is full, you will have to wait for the next visit. In addition to the informative aspect, you can participate in several fun activities related to natural disasters:

• A smoke simulator : it triggers in a room and a corridor from which you must escape as quickly as possible.
• A fire extinguisher simulator : a real fire extinguisher is filled with water and you have to put out a fire projected on a screen. The Japanese arcade game rooms are not far away!
• First aid training: on a dummy, of course.

You are now ready!

The earthquake simulator

The earthquake remains the most feared and unfortunately the most common disaster in Japan. The Life Security Learning Center has planned everything so that you leave feeling as reassured as possible: the part dedicated to earthquakes is the most complete and the most important. First, several documentary films on the earthquakes of 1923 and 2011 , the most important that the country has known, are screened. These videos recall the historical importance of these earthquakes, but also their consequences. These videos are in Japanese, but English subtitles are available. The other videos that punctuate the visit do not have subtitles but they use manga characters and are ultimately not so difficult to understand. The real highlight of the visit is the earthquake simulator . It is also possible to do only this activity, apart from the complete guided tour. It is a platform placed on jacks, on which you can climb (four people maximum). You can select the earthquake you want to test : that of Kanto in 1923, Kobe in 2005, or Tohoku in 2011. The objective is to make you experience the earthquake in real conditions so that you acquire the right reflexes in the event of a real disaster : the most important thing is to take refuge under a table and cling to one of the legs. Children over the age of three can also enter the simulator, but it can be quite impressive, so beware.

After this afternoon where you will have learned how to fight fires and survive earthquakes (all for free!), do not hesitate to opt for a quieter walk to discover the treasures of the Ikebukuro district.

To read: Yurekuru Call, the application that warns of earthquakes