Detouring: A theory of fun in disaster preparedness

The article draws on ethnographic fieldwork in Japan (and partially Chile) and it argues that disaster preparedness education is increasingly delivered through playful, fun activities — and that taking "fun" seriously as an analytical category reveals a distinct social mechanism the author calls "detouring" (or yorimichi in Japanese). Rather than disciplining citizens into preparedness through fear or top-down governance, educators use fun as a gentle, temporary distraction that nudges people to briefly engage with disaster skills before returning to ordinary life — hopefully carrying small behavioural changes with them.

The findings show that most people worldwide, including in disaster-prone Japan, do not actively engage with preparedness in their daily lives. In response, organisations like Plus Arts developed playful events such as Iza! Kaeru Caravan, where children earn points through disaster preparedness games. City officials in rural Japanese towns described the goal not as measurable behavioural change, but simply as creating a kikkake — a catalyst or opportunity — for people to briefly think about preparedness. The author distinguishes "fun" from "play": fun is what participants feel and what produces the detour, while play describes the structural "as if" framing of activities. This "logic of fragility" — accepting that life is brittle and disasters inevitable — contrasts with dominant frameworks of risk mitigation and securitisation.