Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Regional Disaster Map Exercise
Use in normal times to explore disaster-response issues on a map, not to provide safety guarantees or live evacuation guidance.
- People
- 6–30
- Base procedure time
- 120 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Make a decision; Generate ideas.
English guide
Text acceptance is not approval of this rendered page, its media, or publication.
How this method works
In normal times, overlay resources, hazards and changing scenarios on a map to explore disaster-response issues. At the start, state that it is an exercise and identify the disaster, scale, reference date and confidentiality scope. Put sourced local resources, past disasters and hazard information on separate layers; do not depict unverified or conflicting information as current conditions. Open scenario cards one at a time and record the assumptions behind response options and the contacts for professional verification. Generalise the locations of households needing assistance, evacuees, stockpiles and vulnerable facilities to wider areas, or put them on restricted layers. The map does not provide a safety guarantee, damage prediction, professional judgement, statutory plan or official evacuation information. Stop for a real warning or disaster and switch to current information and on-site instructions.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
Use the arrow keys, Home or End while these controls have focus. The complete phase schedule remains below, including without JavaScript.
- Check exercise boundaries and map reference date0–15 minutes from the start (15 minutes)
Action: Check. Participation: Groups of 5–10.
Shared record
- Distinguish local resources from unverified information15–45 minutes from the start (30 minutes)
Action: Draw. Participation: Groups of 5–10.
Shared record
- Overlay past disasters and hazard information45–75 minutes from the start (30 minutes)
Action: Overlay. Participation: Groups of 5–10.
Shared record
- Reconsider responses as conditions change75–105 minutes from the start (30 minutes)
Action: Respond. Participation: Groups of 5–10.
Shared record
- Hand over insights and verification contacts105–120 minutes from the start (15 minutes)
Action: Hand. Participation: Groups of 5–10.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 15 minutes, check that this is an exercise, the disaster being considered, map scale, reference date and conditions for switching to official information.
- For 30 minutes, place local resources with sources and reference dates on the base map, separating unverified information into another layer.
- For 30 minutes, overlay past disasters and hazard information on transparent sheets without treating them as a guarantee of current safety.
- For 30 minutes, open the 3 scenario cards one at a time and write response options, assumptions and professional verification contacts.
- For 15 minutes, separate insights from matters to check, generalise sensitive locations to wider areas and hand the record to the update owner.
If something changes
If
A real warning, evacuation information or disaster is confirmed during the exercise.
Then
Stop the map exercise immediately. Switch from the map’s assumptions to official information from the local authority, Japan Meteorological Agency, fire service or other relevant bodies, and to on-site instructions.
If
At least one resource or hazard item does not have both a source and reference date, or conflicting information is present.
Then
Do not map it as current conditions. Move it to the unverified layer and record a verification contact and update owner.
If
At least one location would become more dangerous if disclosed, such as a household needing assistance, evacuees, detailed stockpile locations or vulnerable facilities.
Then
Do not put it on the public map. Generalise it to a wider area or separate it into a restricted layer handled only by authorised people.
Preparation
Materials
- One large map per group with reproduction terms checked, or an original abstract map
- Transparent sheets separating resources, hazards and unverified information: 3 per group
- Information slips showing source, reference date and update owner: one per item
- Progressive scenario cards: 3 per group
- One opaque envelope per group for sealing restricted layers
- Coloured broad-tip pens: 3 per group
Room and setup
- Display that this is an exercise, not a substitute for professional judgement, statutory plans or official evacuation information. Also display the disaster being considered, map scale, reference date, confidentiality scope and official information sources to consult if a real warning occurs.
Adjust for people and time
For 6–10 people, gather around one map. For 11–30 people, distribute participants into groups of 5–10 differing by no more than one person, using the same scenario and legend. Compare group insights, but do not merge sensitive locations or unverified information into a public map. For 31 or more people, use separate sessions that can be facilitated safely.
Safety and non-applicable situations
This exercise does not replace safety guarantees, predictions, professional judgement, statutory plans or official evacuation information. Stop immediately for real warnings or disasters and use official information and on-site instructions. Keep unverified/conflicting information separate and generalise or restrict sensitive locations; do not merge them into public maps.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Fire and Disaster Management Agency: Disaster Map Exercise DIG Implementation Guidelines, steps 1-3
https://www.fdma.go.jp/pressrelease/houdou/items/h21/2104/210413-2/4-1_dig.pdf
PDL-1.0 adaptation; changes made
- Conditions applying to PDL-1.0
https://www.fdma.go.jp/about/others/post3.html
PDL-1.0
Diagram, print, and video language
Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.
English video-library navigation. Original Japanese audio, subtitles and transcripts remain labelled Japanese resources. Their translations are separate later work. No remote player is embedded here.
The manual English phase controls are a navigation aid, not a live facilitation timer. Interactive diagram motion remains pending.
Editorial provenance
Japanese source status and logs are provenance only. They do not mean this English text or interface was field-tested. Historical fixed-text acceptance and hold records remain specific to their recorded versions; displaying them neither asserts current acceptance nor resolves source-specific restrictions.