Disaster Prevention Experience Learning Facility (Sona Area Tokyo) — Attraction in Tokyo

I recommend coming here for the (1) 20-minute educational "disaster simulation" tour, (2) watch the 15-minute anime showcasing emergency services after a fictional earthquake on Odaiba, and (3) read through the practical tips for what to do after a disaster.

The Rinkai Disaster Prevention Education Centre is just east of the Kokusai-Tenjijo Station (国際展示場駅）, the same station you use to get to Tokyo Big Sight. If you're coming to Odaiba for the big shopping malls, why not also pop by the educational tour?

The simulation tour is very fun. While the staff aren't fluent in English, they will give everyone an iPad Mini with the option of Japanese or English, so you can still follow along for the games and videos!

Head upstairs for the anime as well. It follows the story of a brother and sister who came to Odaiba, but an earthquake hit. It follows their lives as they navigate through different hardships and utilize emergency services, until they finally get home. (The ending had a twist, think of the movie The Sixth Sense...)

There's also a ton of other exhibits on the second floor, including a wall with tips from actual survivors of prior earthquakes, including 3/11.

I strongly recommend...

For anyone who might experience an earthquake or other disaster that disrupts everyday living, this is an important place to visit periodically.

The only reason for not awarding all five stars is a previous experience with the retail concession on the ground floor. They sell specially branded emergency supplies, many of which could be replaced by less expensive, ordinarily branded items. But my beef with the vendor was paying in advance for some shoes they did not have in stock; these came cash-on-delivery to my workplace. Thus, a colleague who did not know that this was pre-paid merchandise paid again, and we had to waste time arguing with the vendor, eventually getting a refund.

That said, the Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park is administratively separate from the ground-floor retail concession. It is convenient to Tokyo Big Site and other attractions, so I hope others will take up my habit of not shopping, but definitely...

I discovered this place by chance, particularly the 72-hour tour. Even though my Japanese is very limited, the staff were incredibly polite and kind, taking the time to explain everything in a way I could understand. The tablet interface is also available in English, which was very helpful. The experience of “living through” an earthquake and then navigating the first 72 hours, including staying in a shelter, was fascinating.

The exhibition itself is not only highly educational but also teaches essential survival basics in a very interactive and engaging manner. I learned a lot, not just about earthquakes but also about aspects of life in Japan that became much clearer to me.

I sincerely thank the staff for making my visit so informative...