[Faculty of Architecture & Arts] Pre-reconstruction town planning event "Bocchi de Nagashi Somen" held in Kuki-cho, Owase City

The "Literature Form Research Group," a group whose main research fields include town development and urban planning and Lecturer Motoki Shimoda of Faculty of Architecture & Arts Otemae University (Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture) is a member of, held an event utilizing "Bocchi" in the Kuki district of Owase City on August 13th, following on from last year.
"Bocchi" is a water tank made of stones, and is generally called "mizugame" or "water jar" in fishing villages all over Japan, but in the Kuki region, it has been called "Bocchi" since ancient times. Although "Bocchi" are no longer in use, they were once used to draw water by connecting bamboo gutters, and the research group thought that they could be used to secure water in the event of an earthquake or tsunami, and planned the Nagashi Somen event to demonstrate this and to foster disaster prevention awareness among local people.
This year, the "children of Kuki" made advance preparations, and the "children of Kuki" played an active role in taking walks around the town to get a new perspective on the town of Kuki, mopping the old Kuki Elementary School, which also serves as a local evacuation shelter, making bamboo gutters for flowing somen noodles, and making the traditional Kuki soup.
Although it was extremely hot that day, the occasional breeze from the mountains was cool, and children with ties to Kuki who had come home from all over the country enjoyed a fun day playing nagashi somen noodles and catching toys in a bamboo gutter that was drawn from the mountains. At the end, all participants carried out a bucket relay to carry water stored in a bucket to the old Kuki Elementary School, imagining how to secure water in the event of a disaster and learning about the importance of water. This initiative, including the situation on the day, was also broadcast on the evening news of NHK Tsu Broadcasting Station. "Pre-reconstruction town planning". I think that by participating in advance preparations and on the day, it was a good opportunity for children with ties to Kuki to pass on to the next generation the preparations for disasters that may occur someday.

(Source: School Public Relations)