The Aichi Prefectural Government — which has been holding the ShakeOut earthquake drill since fiscal 2013 — plans to draw a million participants to a session to be held this year on Sept. 1, the Disaster Prevention Day.
Since the prefecture is expected to suffer massive damage if a major earthquake occurs in the Nankai Trough off the Pacific coast, the prefectural government is calling on companies and schools to participate in an effort to increase disaster prevention awareness.
The quake-survival drill was first developed in California in 2008 as a preparedness activity that anyone can participate in. In the drill, participants are urged to "drop, cover and hold on" — meaning to get down on hands and knees, protect their heads under a sturdy desk or table, and hang on until the shaking stops.