The magnitude 7.1 Kyushu earthquake on Aug. 8, followed by warnings of a higher Nankai Trough megaquake risk, has reminded Japan that disaster preparedness should never be neglected. This month, On: Design highlights smart products engineered to help get you through disasters.
New bags of tricks
Disaster preparedness go bags are often so bulky or unsightly that people prefer to hide them in places that make them less accessible than they should be. To address this, Sugita Ace, a company well-known in Japan for its preserved food brand Izameshi, has launched Sonaete, a series of stylish emergency kits designed to look good on display.
Made in collaboration with Bob Foundation, a creative unit led by Mitsunobu and Hiromi Asakura, there are three Sonaete kits: a 28-liter backpack, an art book-sized box and a slim, cross-body pouch, all featuring a striking white exterior with an illustrated black, windowpane-check pattern.
The water-repellent Emergency Bag backpack (¥28,380) is packed with everything needed in a disaster, including a helmet, whistle, pocket radio, basic first aid items, toilet supplies, an aluminum thermal blanket, mobile battery, extension lead, Izameshi bottled water, food and other essentials.
For smaller spaces, the compact, boxed Emergency Kit (¥10,780) omits bulkier items such as a helmet but fits easily into a filing cabinet or shelf and includes a foldable rucksack. The smallest option — the Emergency Pouch (¥4,180) — is designed for daily carry and features a clear window for smartphone use. Its contents comprise an aluminum blanket, toilet kit, LED whistle and light, wet wipes and snacks.
Sonaete essentially repackages emergency products into a more aesthetically pleasing form, but if such design can make disaster response a few seconds faster, it’s worth it.
All items are available via the Sonaete website or Bob Foundation’s online store Daily Bob.
Whistle up
Last month, creative company H Concept’s online store Koncent began sales of the +d Canary Whistle (¥1,870), a playful idea that won its designer, Hayato Horie, a 2022 H Concept competition award.
Inspired by the canary companions once used by coal miners to warn them of danger, the +d Canary Whistle doubles as an attractive wall ornament, keeping it within easy reach. Available in a range of soft colors — pink, pale blue, yellow and gray — its minimalist bird form slots onto a small perch with a magnetic back, which can be attached to a metal thumbtack.
Though a petite decoration, Horie’s design maintains the power and range of an emergency whistle. One blow can produce a sound up to 90 dB (twice as loud as a nearby vacuum cleaner) at a frequency of 4,000 Hz.
Shed a little light
The Aqumo Candle is a compact LED light that operates on just 1 milliliter of moisture, making it ideal for power outages. Using fuel cell technology to generate electricity, the oxygen in water triggers a chemical reaction with magnesium to produce a charge. Most kinds of liquids work — tap water, rain, beverages, saliva, even urine.
Once its base is moistened for about two seconds, an Aqumo LED can remain lit for up to 168 hours. If unused and stored in a dry environment, it can also be kept in emergency kits for up to 10 years.
The company’s original design — a matchbox-sized block with bright labeling and orange lid — looks a little like a battery pack. However, for those who want to keep Aqumos visible but discreet in the home, the Angers Web Shop has released an exclusive custom-designed, minimalist Aqumo — an all-black version with a plain white label. It appears that such a subtle design change has made the torch more popular. Though only on shelves since early July, it’s already sold out. Keep an eye on Angers’ website for a restock or check other retailers for the original Aqumos.
A head start
There’s no shortage of safety helmet designs in Japan, but most take up a lot of space in an emergency go bag and are awkward to store. The Izano 2 is one of few that is foldable and still meets the Japan Industrial Standards for impact absorption and protection from flying and falling objects. It’s officially strong enough for construction workers as well as for use as a disaster helmet.
Developed by Toshiki Nakamura, Tetsushi Uegaki and Hiroyuki Yamamura for DIC Plastics, the first Izano won a Good Design Award in 2014. Since then, DIC Plastics have produced the Izano 2, which retracts to an even slimmer form of just 63 millimeters in height. To open it, simply push it out from the inside until the panels click into place to create a sleek helmet with a futuristic tiered form. Ergonomic in design, it’s lightweight, has an adjustable and cushioned headband, quick-release chin strap and replaceable inner parts. It also comes in a range of surprisingly cheerful vibrant hues, described by the company as “vitamin colors.”
Priced from around ¥5,000 the Izano 2 can be found at various outlets, such as Monotaro and Amazon.
It’s all in the name
The amusingly named PeePoo (¥3,220), a portable one-use toilet bag developed in 2021 by Japanese lifestyle goods company Seraphic, is another Good Design Award winner. It’s not the first PeePoo bag, which was conceived in Sweden by Anders Wilhemson and Camilla Wirseen in 2005, but it is different.
Unlike most emergency toilet bags, which require a container or a toilet seat to hold them up, the PeePoo is a stiff, self-standing polyethylene bag you can set up anywhere. The opening of the PeePoo is folded over into a double layer, which not only helps keep the bag stiff and in place, but also allows you to slide your hands under the top layer and unroll it upwards to secure waste inside. This prevents you from touching any bowl splash when sealing it.
Each PeePoo package includes a cardboard support strip to keep it open while you do your business, a sachet of coagulant to help solidify and sanitize waste, and a small garbage bag to wrap it all up for disposal. Should you need the toilet in a public space, there’s also a ¥3,880 version that includes a long cape for privacy.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.