
PROJECT
THE SECOND AID
Post-disaster Tohoku emergency kit incorporating OLIVE insights. One box unites survival tools and information while creating regional industry.

WHY
Is a new industry possible
in the area stricken
by the world’s largest disaster?
Number of human victims of the
Great East Japan Earthquake

Evacuation life for 203 days until water supplies returned

HOW
A disaster prevention kit
to create a new industry
in the Tohoku area.

Upon collaboration with Kohshin Trading Company in Sendai Japan, we designed the disaster kit “THE SECOND AID.” This disaster kit reflects “OLIVE,” a wiki-style web page launched just 40 hours after the Great East Japan Earthquake. It shared tips and knowledge useful in the event of a disaster. “THE SECOND AID” is designed with a white background and red font—an image of a first-aid kit that would save lives during an emergency.
The “O” in OLIVE represents the emblem of Japan’s national flag, using this with the word “live,” to reflect our wish, “Live on, Japan.” We collected various ideas on how to efficiently and effectively utilize items in affected areas where there may be a lack of resources. Upon voluntary contribution, the website is translated into English, Chinese, and Korean, still expanding as a database that utilizes collective wisdom. There is now an “OLIVE BOOK,” a paperback book consisting of information collected on the OLIVE website. All useful information during disaster situations is described with illustrations, making it easy to understand. An abridged version of “OLIVE BOOK” is included in an A4 size notebook format in “THE SECOND AID.”






WILL
A best-seller
disaster preparation kit,
spreading the idea
throughout Japan.
Although we developed this project with a company affected by the disaster holding little experience in this field as of yet, it gradually increased its sales and resulted in selling tens of thousands of sets. It became a best-selling disaster preparation kit, quickly becoming popular all over Japan. Acclaiming new positions with design awards worldwide, the lineup of orders is gradually increasing. However, this is all still insufficient to build a disaster preparation industry. As the memory of the earthquake is slowly disappearing, it is especially important and necessary now to develop further for the future.

INFORMATION
- What
- THE SECOND AID
- When
- 2014
- Where
- Sendai, Japan
- Client
- Scope
- Branding / Logo / Packaging / Illustration / Book cover and inner page design / Photograph
- Award
- Design for Asia Award: Bronze & Red Dot Award(2015)
- iF DESIGN AWARD & Design Intelligence Award: Top 12(2016)
- D&AD Award(2016)
- JPDA Gold, Topawards, & German Design Award(2017)
- SDGs
CREDIT
- Art Direction
- NOSIGNER (Eisuke Tachikawa)
- Graphic Design
- NOSIGNER(Eisuke Tachikawa, Toshiyuki Nakaie, Kaori Hasegawa)
- Photograph
- NOSIGNER (Takeshi Kawano)