雪国北陸の雪かき・雪下ろし方法と道具。地元の人も移住者も役立つ自衛隊の教えとは

2021.01.11

vol.1

The art of snow shoveling

Based on Article 83 of the Self-Defense Forces Law, the Governors of Fukui and Toyama prefectures have requested the Self-Defense Forces for disaster dispatch (as of the time of writing).

When I saw the Self-Defense Forces vehicles heading for the Hokuriku region on TV, I felt like a knight in shining armor had appeared.

A simple question, however, hit me. How do Self-Defense Forces personnel shovel snow in devastated areas with heavy snowfall? They must also have professional know-how to rescue suffering victims or devastated places.

If ordinary locals in the Hokuriku region could learn their techniques, our lives in the snowy region would become more comfortable. It would also be helpful for us to build a giant igloo or slide that kids would go crazy over.

Throw a cube-shaped mass horizontally to the ground.

When I started researching the Self-Defense Forces with the above idea, I soon realized that the Self-Defense Forces actively transmitted information about helpful survival techniques in daily life.

For example, the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces have published the Disaster Prevention Book (published by Magazine House). As part of public relations activities, they also have released the “Self-Defense Force LIFEHACK CHANNEL” on YouTube.

You can find information sets that are immediately helpful for living in a snowy region, such as the art of shoveling snow.

In rescue operations in heavy snowfall areas, Self-Defense Force members require speedy, efficient, and sophisticated snow shoveling. They naturally have hacks about the tools and methods for shoveling snow.

In the video embedded in the Hokuroku article, at least two types of shovels used by Self-Defense Forces appear.

A small shovel with a pointed tip for breaking up frozen or hard snow
A Large square shovel used for throwing snow away

The way of shoveling with a square shovel is as follows:

Punch a shovel into the snow four times to create a square snow block.
Scoop up the cube-shaped mass.
Throw it horizontally to the ground, aiming 2m ahead.

I put this into practice by clearing snow from my parking lot and securing a route for taking my children to a large park in the neighborhood.

Scooping small snow cubes and throwing them required less strain on my legs and back and allowed me to continue working more quickly.

This Self-Defense Force-style snow shoveling is more suitable for aged people or people with physical problems.

Dividing snow into cubes can also avoid the breakage of a less-strong plastic shovel.

It works not only on fresh snow but also on heavy, compacted snow, such as snow piling up on the boundary between parking lots and sidewalks, snow piling around houses that have fallen from roofs, and snow absorbing much water.

From the next page, we have summarized information on each helpful technique, so read and try it.

(A comment from the deputy editor of Hokuroku: We will introduce the details about the Self-Defense Force style shoveling and how to tie a lifeline, which is necessary when shoveling and removing snow from high places such as roofs.)

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