The 2nd anniversary of the catastrophic “Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami” that hit northern Japan is approaching (March 11). And I’d like to write about Earthquake kits which are very important in Japan, where massive earthquakes can hit at any time. When they do, like 2 years ago, there can be a loss of electricity, shortages of basic necessities such as clean water, exposure to the elements, etc.

A fun and convenient way for your kids to remember to grab their emergency earthquake kits is to make them out of a cute stuffed animal or toy. These are popular with parents and kids in Japan.

Rirakkuma is a great example of this. Rirakkuma is a combination of Japanese words for “relax” and “bear” and is a popular teddy bear product in Japan made by San-X. The earthquake kit version of Rirakkuma can be stocked with necessary emergency supplies and will be naturally close at hand for kids among their toys and in their beds.

There are other popular versions of this including “Hello Kitty” a cute cat for girls made by Sanrio.

The version pictured has the essentials: water, a jacket for protection against cold, a penlight, radio, whistle, basic food, etc.

If anyone knows of other versions of this idea or similar clever ideas, please let us know.