Play space for children set up at Kumamoto quake shelter

In the city of Yatsushiro, which suffered significant damage from the 7.1-magnitude quake, the second-floor space of a gymnasium at a city-run junior high school serving as a shelter is being used as a play space for children.

In the space, equipped with games and cardboard beds, children ranging from elementary school age to high school age gather to chat and play Uno, a card game.

"I feel like things have returned to normal (when I'm here)," a 15-year-old high school girl said.

A male high school student of the same age said that people are smiling more.

At the shelter, high school students are volunteering to look after younger kids.

The play space was created with support from Tokyo-based nonprofit Chance For All, which supplied playing cards and board games, after evacuees called for an area for kids to relax to be created.

Kanta Kojima, 27, a member of the nonprofit, said he is worried about the trauma that children are experiencing.

He saw preschool children and young elementary school students engage in pretend play over earthquake, such as knocking over building blocks to simulate damage and saying phrases including "call an ambulance" and "give artificial respiration."

"They may have seen actual scenes of emergencies," Kojima said.

He said that playing may help kids sort out their emotions as young children often struggle to express their feelings in words.

"People often say that there is no time to play in times of emergency, but playing is important now," Kojima said.