KUMAMOTO, Japan - Lessons from powerful earthquakes a decade ago helped a British man overcome his initial panic when a magnitude 7.1 quake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday.
Andrew Mitchell, a 41-year-old assistant professor of sociology at Kumamoto University, said he was in his apartment when dishes and other items scattered as the quake struck at 4:27 p.m.
"I had learned from past experience what to do during an earthquake, so although I panicked a bit, I was able to calm myself down and take action," Mitchell said, referring to back-to-back quakes with magnitudes of 6.5 and 7.3 that rattled the area in 2016, claiming the lives of over 270 people.
It is difficult for people from countries where earthquakes are rare to act quickly when one strikes, Mitchell said during an interview with Kyodo News at the university in the city of Kumamoto on Friday.
A decade ago, when he was a doctoral student at the university, Mitchell did not understand what was happening, but he knew he had to protect himself so he rushed to cover his head with a mattress.
"I didn't understand the Japanese word for evacuation. So I couldn't understand when a Japanese student said, 'Let's evacuate quickly.' I felt the fear of being ignorant about earthquakes," he recalled.
On Tuesday, he instinctively hid under his desk, put on thick socks to protect his feet from broken glass and turned off the gas.
As soon as the shaking stopped and safety was confirmed, he started sharing disaster information in an online group with over 400 members, including international students and foreign residents.
He said that he and other international students struggled to obtain disaster information during the 2016 earthquakes due to language barriers and misinformation.
"I realized everyone needed reliable information, so I gathered and shared official information from local governments, such as about evacuation shelters, as well as news reports from the media," he said.
While watching news reports on the damage from the quake, he felt distressed but continued to share information on social media, believing it is important for people to understand the situation and prepare themselves.
After the 2016 quakes, he and four other international students at the university launched the Kumamoto Earthquake Experience Project to share their experiences.
The members of KEEP gathered accounts from people who had gone through the 2016 earthquakes and shared useful lessons not only on social media but by speaking at events organized by local governments and disaster prevention organizations.
The group members have given lectures across Japan, including in Tokyo and Kobe, which was struck by a massive earthquake in 1995, and have exchanged stories with disaster survivors in each region.
Through the activities, Mitchell realized that even Japanese people feel anxious about earthquakes.
"I used to think Japanese people were used to earthquakes," Mitchell said. "But I realized that it's actually quite difficult for anyone to truly think about it as something that could happen to them personally, or to deeply consider how they would react if an earthquake struck while they're busy with work or school."
While the other members of the group have returned to their home countries after graduating, Mitchell is continuing to share the lessons he has learned.
"It's vital to prepare for earthquakes with the awareness that you, too, might one day be affected by one, which is the key to saving lives. That's why I feel I must keep sharing my experiences," he said. "We can't predict, we can't prevent, but we can prepare."
Mitchell said his group had another important message: "Let's keep together."
"Whether Japanese or foreigners, we are all in this together, facing the same challenge of earthquakes. We must join hands and help one another toward Kumamoto's recovery," he said.
