数時間で設置可能な“インスタントハウス” 熊本地震の被災地で設置要望拡大 開発のきっかけは…東日本大震災で出会った子どもたちの言葉

Support also from the Tokai region to the Kumamoto earthquake-stricken areas. (Professor Keisuke Kitagawa, Nagoya Institute of Technology, July 31, Chubu Airport) "They told me, 'You're the instant house guy, please build one right away,' so I'm taking all the materials with me now." Professor Keisuke Kitagawa of Nagoya Institute of Technology flew from Chubu Airport to Kumamoto on July 31. Specializing in architectural design and disaster prevention engineering, he has delivered his self-designed instant houses to disaster-stricken areas both domestically and internationally. (Kiyoshi Tanaka, Reporter, August 1, Hikawa Town, Kumamoto) "Across from where the instant house is being built, the houses have completely collapsed; every house on this street has collapsed." Professor Kitagawa went to Hikawa Town, which experienced a magnitude 7 earthquake. "The damage is worse than 10 years ago." After air was pumped in, the structure took shape in just a few minutes. (Professor Keisuke Kitagawa, Nagoya Institute of Technology) "Let's all decide on the location and orientation." The surrounding houses were severely tilted, with roof tiles and materials scattered everywhere. About half of the houses in this area, of which there are around 40, were completely or partially destroyed. On this day, some townspeople were sheltering in tents, while others continued to sleep in their cars… (Noriko Kimizumi, 45 years old) "The first and second earthquakes (10 years ago) didn't cause that much damage, but the third one was shocking; things fell over everywhere, and it happened so quickly. The damage is worse than before." Ms. Kimizumi lived in this family home with her mother, Akiko (64). (Noriko Kimizumi) "I'm sleeping in my car now. Since I don't have air conditioning at home, it's inconvenient, and sometimes I'm in the car for more than an hour (even during the day)." What was the reason for setting it up in Hikawa Town? Professor Kitagawa's reason for delivering the instant house to this location in Hikawa Town is… (Professor Keisuke Kitagawa, Nagoya Institute of Technology) "Seeing the disaster area this time, I saw people worried about what would happen to their homes, resting under tents in the heat and sleeping there at night. As someone specializing in architecture, that was incredibly frustrating for me." Professor Kitagawa conducted an on-site survey the day after the earthquake and received permission to install the house in this vacant lot. (Noriko Kimizumi) "Being able to lie down on a futon is the greatest joy." The inspiration for the development… The words of children he met after the Great East Japan Earthquake Professor Kitagawa's inspiration for developing the instant house came from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The words of local children he met at an evacuation center in Ishinomaki City, Iwate Prefecture, deeply resonated with him. (Professor Keisuke Kitagawa, Nagoya Institute of Technology) "When I visited the Ishinomaki Junior High School evacuation center, two boys, a third-grader and a fourth-grader, asked, 'Why does it take three to six months for temporary housing to be built?' and then they said, 'If you're a university professor, you can build one next week!' That was the moment my life changed 180 degrees." He began research immediately after the earthquake. He also installed approximately 250 instant houses after the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. After inflating with air pressure, insulation is sprayed from the inside, and it's completed in about three hours. "It's reassuring," "It's very helpful," residents said, expressing their joy. Residents of Hikawa Town, seeing it for the first time, said… (Resident) "It's reassuring to have this." "When I heard that instant houses could be made, I wondered, 'Can it really be done?' But if it has air conditioning, you can stretch your legs and rest, it's very helpful." The interior is a spacious area about 5 meters in diameter and 4 meters high. Thanks to the approximately 4-centimeter-thick insulation, a comfortable environment can be maintained year-round with the air conditioner on. (Noriko Kimizumi) "It's spacious. It seems like I can shout loudly without disturbing the neighbors. I'm glad it was completed so quickly. Sleeping in a car is expensive because of the rising gas prices. I want to stretch out and lie down comfortably." Professor Kitagawa installed five shelters in this vacant lot and five more on the properties of surrounding houses in two days. Currently, there are requests for installations from Yatsushiro City and Uki City, and the plan is to install around 150 shelters throughout the disaster-stricken areas of the prefecture. "I want to dedicate my life to doing my utmost for the people." The costs are covered by a fund raised by Nagoya Institute of Technology for installation support, with each shelter costing around 450,000 yen. (Professor Keisuke Kitagawa, Nagoya Institute of Technology)...