How the Leisure Industry is Pioneering Community Disaster Preparedness with New Business Models

Innovative Collaboration Between Leisure Industry and Disaster Preparedness

As natural disasters increasingly threaten communities, innovative solutions are crucial for effective disaster preparedness. The Japan Mobile Architecture Association, led by its president, Toshinari Nagasaka, has championed a new approach—"social stockpiling"—through the integration of the leisure industry and disaster management. One standout project is the WOODPOD, a portable wooden unit developed by Masuda Construction, a member of the association. This exciting venture will be showcased at the upcoming Leisure & Service Industry Exhibition 2025, held at Tokyo Big Sight on October 22 and 23.

Introducing the WOODPOD

Designed with flexibility in mind, the WOODPOD serves dual purposes: it acts as a leisure accommodation during normal times and can be swiftly transformed into temporary housing units during disasters. This unique business model leverages existing leisure infrastructure for enhanced community resiliency. The initiative not only illustrates innovative disaster response strategies but also demonstrates how businesses can operate sustainably while benefiting their communities.

WOODPOD Exhibition Details

- Event: Leisure & Service Industry Exhibition 2025
- Date & Time: October 22 (10:00-17:00) & October 23 (10:00-16:00)
- Location: Tokyo Big Sight, West Hall 3 & 4, Booth LS-25
- Presentation: "New Standards for Facility Expansion: Quick Assembly Wooden Units for Accommodation and Retail"
- Presentation Date: October 22 at 13:00, Venue C

Why Focus on the Leisure Sector?

The rationale for targeting leisure and hotel businesses lies in the growing need for versatile, sustainable solutions that can immediately support disaster-stricken areas. Japan Mobile Architecture Association has previously partnered with local governments to deploy mobile buildings during emergencies—most notably after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, where member companies provided hundreds of temporary housing units and support facilities.

Masuda Construction's participation at the exhibition seeks to elevate the profile of social stockpiling, emphasizing its business viability by illustrating the demand for disaster preparedness among leisure operators.

The project underlines a strategic goal: to establish a sustainable disaster management model that encourages local construction firms to participate while benefiting their communities. By proving the economic feasibility of social stockpiling, it aims to create an accessible business opportunity that can engage more regional contractors in disaster management fields.

Three Key Values of WOODPOD

1. Business Value: Efficient and Flexible Deployment
- Installation complete in as little as 45 days.
- Units can be transported and installed using a crane.
- Capable of adaptation for varying uses—from individual lodgings to family-type accommodations.

2. Social Value: Concrete Contributions to Local Disaster Preparedness
- Promptly convertible into emergency housing as needed.
- Enables connections to larger-sized residential spaces and support facilities through unit interlinking.
- Enhances public safety through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

3. Environmental Value: Commitment to Sustainable Building
- Utilizes wooden construction methods, ensuring high insulation and seismic resistance.
- Easy to disassemble and relocate, minimizing construction waste.
- Promotes local forestry and economic revitalization efforts.

Experience the Quality of WOODPOD First-Hand

Exhibit visitors will have the opportunity to tour a live WOODPOD setup. Key attractions include:

- Luxurious wooden interiors featuring natural wood paneling and sophisticated lighting designs.
- Exceptional living standards meeting residential quality with high durability features.
- Simple installation and expandability, allowing for various spatial configurations and layouts.

Masuda Construction embodies the next generation of disaster preparedness in the local construction industry. By showcasing the WOODPOD as a viable solution for temporary housing, this exhibition aims to demonstrate how smaller, regionally-based construction firms can effectively contribute to disaster strategies, expand economic opportunities, and foster community resilience.

Message from the Japan Mobile Architecture Association

Since its establishment in 2021, the Japan Mobile Architecture Association has advanced the concept of social stockpiling, which allows movable wooden architecture to serve as a community resource during normalcy and as relief facilities during disasters. The association's ongoing collaborations with local governments involve implementing systemic enhancements, thereby elevating community safety.

Through this new business model validated by Masuda Construction, the association seeks to empower regional contractors to partake in social stockpiling endeavors and ensures a robust response framework when disasters strike.

Members of the leisure and accommodation sectors, disaster preparedness officials, and community development advocates are encouraged to visit the WOODPOD exhibit and engage in discussions aimed at fostering collaborative pathways towards disaster resilience.