“Inamura no hi” (“the rice bale fire”), its evolving story and global relevance: the politics of tsunami preparedness in Japan

What is it about?

The most renowned tsunami mitigation tale in Japan called, “Inamura no Hi,” (“The Rice Bale Fire”). This paper aims to to demonstrate its many virtues that have made it a cross-cultural pedagogical catalyst for tsunami preparedness education internationally since 1896. The story reminds us that the most educational, globally relevant tsunami-preparedness narratives are those that complement and extend the latest of what we know about these destructive ocean waves to keep vulnerable citizens safe and alive. This study reveals that as important as the story is the politics of its delivery to provide the best first line of defense against tsunami amnesia which in Japan and other countries has historically taken too many lives.

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