Bousai Furoshiki: when disaster preparations meet sustainable design

Since Japan is an earthquake-prone country, preparing for disasters on a daily basis is something that every citizen is recommended to do. In Japan, September 1st is Disaster Prevention Day, which is observed to disseminate disaster prevention knowledge and to raise public awareness. Many stores across the country set up a section to sell goods such as emergency food, bottled water, batteries and flashlight around this time of the year. Like they say, “better safe than sorry.” One can never prepare too much for something unpredictable.

Preparation for disasters “at home” has become very common in Japan, especially after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. However, are people as resilient when they go out for work or shopping? Personally, a portable radio, a small flashlight and an emergency whistle are all I keep in my everyday use handbag since space-consuming goods are not practical to carry around. That may be why Planners, a community composed of Japanese directors, creators and communicators, produced a multi-purpose cloth called “Bousai Furoshiki” (‘bousai’ means disaster prevention, and furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) as disaster preparation goods.

The history of furoshiki goes back to the Nara period, which is more than 1,300 years ago, when they were used to wrap precious merchandise and goods. Then in the 14th to 15th century, during the Muromachi period, Daimyo (Japanese feudal lords) used wrapping cloths made of silk to tidy their kimono at public baths. The name “furoshiki” is said to be born from this, since ‘furo’ means bath and ‘shiki’ refers to rugs.

What’s great about this traditional wrapping cloth, furoshiki, is that not only can it be used for various purposes, but it can be folded and kept small to fit almost any bag without difficulty. Planner‘s Bousai Furoshiki has the same function, with some additional features.

For example, it can act as an umbrella replacement or as a bucket to carry water, because it is made of super water-repellent material. Of course, the furoshiki is also useful for daily use as a reusable and waterproof shopping bag. Furthermore, in case of emergency, it will turn into a thin blanket to keep people warm. What’s more, Planners uses an eco-friendly material so to make sure the product is sustainable.

Preparing goods like Bousai Furoshiki does not only benefit practically, but it raises the user’s awareness on the potential danger of disasters and the importance of preparation. Bousai Furoshiki is available to purchase online for 4,730 yen each.

If you live in Japan and haven’t yet built a grab-and-go bag, you can easily find a list of things to prepare by searching the internet. Preparing for the worst may not sound exciting, but this colorful and sustainable furoshiki can brighten up as your emergency kit or daily-use bag.