Mynavi Sendai Ladies held a WE ACTION DAY event "Connecting the past and the future" on March 12th. The players took the initiative in planning the event with the hope that it would be a learning opportunity for the children, who will be responsible in the future. The event took place at an event space in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture with about 80 students in third year of high school along with their guardians. On the day after the 12th anniversary of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, we hosted a hands-on event where participants enjoyed learning useful knowledge about disaster prevention while interacting with the players.
The event, which was inspired by school festivals in Japan, exhibited booths with the three themes of "health," "disaster prevention," and "people." It was devised so that participants could easily experience and gain knowledge that would be useful in times of disaster, preparations that can be done now, and things to keep in mind in our daily lives. The children seemed to enjoy themselves while interacting with the players.
「At the "health" booth, Chinese cabbage curry and dishes using Sendai miso that can be easily prepared even in the event of a disaster was introduced. In cooperation with local food manufacturers and Sendai University affiliated Meisei High School, participants were able to try the Chinese cabbage curry and Meisei High School replicated rice flour cookies that Ayaka Saito usually makes to give away to the guests. There was also an exhibition for food education using photographs of the meals that the players usually eat.
At the booth with the theme of "disaster prevention," the players in charge attended an online seminar from the Japanese Red Cross Society Miyagi Prefecture branch in advance and gave a lecture to the guests. Using a card, they simulated what kind of things should be prepared in the disaster prevention kit. The children were very engaged, suggesting "how about something like this?" and pointing out that “there’s a lot that’s needed.” The players carefully introduced daily necessities that are useful for disaster preparedness and displayed cardboard beds as well.
At the booth with the theme of "people," there was a quiz of guessing the player by looking at the pictures when they were younger, and a mini-game using English words by Sladjana Bulatovic. They enjoyed communicating, which is an important tool especially in times of disasters.
In the outdoor area, as part of the "Let's play with a ball!" they kicked a soccer ball toward a large dart-shaped target. Manager Takeo Matsuda and the cheered everyone on as they hyped up the crowd. The children showed a lot of engagement at each booth without getting bored.
Risako Kamata, who participated with her father said, "I started playing football because I liked how Mynavi Sendai plays. Today, I was able to talk to a lot of players such as Miyuu Takahira and Emi Nakajima – who I love. It very useful to learn how to evacuate and what to do in case of an actual disaster."
At the "People" booth, a stamp rally was held where the players gave out cards that were designed by the players themselves like Rin Sumida’s drawing of Myviy. Leader Akane Nishino commented, "Although 12 years have passed since the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, as a team from Miyagi Prefecture we believe that we will never forget. We designed the stamp rally cards to be colorful and entice people to want to decorate them. We also made sure to create a lot of space for many players' signatures. I hope that every time they look at the card, they will remember the knowledge they gained here."
7-year-old Asahi Nouzumi said, "All the players were kind and I learned a lot about disaster prevention, so I want to go home and utilize it. I want to prepare my disaster prevention kit and make sure to take it when I evacuate. My highlight was taking a picture with Hinata Miyazawa, who I am a big fan of."
Various activities such as "Disaster prevention quiz," "demonstration of moving with the stretcher," "how to make Chinese cabbage curry" and others took place on the stage. In the "Let's Speak in Different Languages" activity, Sladjana Bulatovic appeared as a coach for Spanish and Phornphirun Philawan as a coach for Thai.
The players have been working on their own ideas and have been preparing for about four months since November last year.
Captain Nana Ichise, who has been the leader of the event, said, "Since the event will be held the day after March 11, I wanted to make the theme 'disaster prevention.' We thought about what we could do to connect it to the future. The most important thing is to have fun while interacting with people and learning. We would be happy if something left an impression and become a good memory."
The venue was decorated with bright colors, creating an atmosphere that lifts your spirits the moment you enter. The 2-hour event was fruitful, with the players taking the initiative in planning, cooperating, and being supported by many companies and schools. From the beginning to the end, the audience was filled with smiles as they enjoyed learning about disaster prevention.
