Tokyo Gas Teaches Children Power and Benefits of Fire

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The number of children who have never handled fire has increased in recent years. Adults tend to keep children away from it, believing it to be unsafe. One reason may be that with the changing times, number of opportunities for children to see and handle fire in their daily lives has declined sharply.

From 2012, Tokyo Gas has been providing fire education to elementary school children and above as part of a next generation education. The purpose of the education is to foster children’s abilities to survive disasters and to enrich their daily lives by teaching them proper uses of fire and the benefits it can bring.

Tokyo Gas conducts various experimental learning programs that include fire education. Of these, the disaster management program seems particularly interesting.

Tokyo Gas takes various measures in preparation for major earthquakes. In such events, children may be required to start fires by themselves. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, people have come to appreciate the true value of fire. While lifelines such as electricity and gas will be temporarily suspended, fire as an alternative energy source will provide warmth and light, as well as a means for cooking food.

Tokyo Gas provides fire education at its Gas Science Center at many local events, and approximately 2,800 children participated in 2014. The company will continue to actively promote fire education to children in the future.