Fukuoka: Circus Elephants Join Firefighting Drill at Shopping Mall in Kitakyushu

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:39 JST, April 12, 2025

KITAKYUSHU — Two circus elephants joined local Kitakyushu firefighters in a drill on March 24.

Kinoshita Circus Co. is performing shows on a specially prepared stage at The Outlets Kitakyushu, a shopping mall in Yahatahigashi Ward, through June 30. The circus event is organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and Fukuoka Broadcasting System Corp. (FBS).

The firefighting drill was jointly conducted by the circus company and Yahatahigashi Fire Station at the shopping mall. About 70 circus members and about 20 members of the fire station participated in the drill.

Imagining a scenario where a fire started at a vendor stall inside the mall and had spread to nearby tents, a volunteer firefighting team comprising of circus members simulated conducting initial extinguishing efforts and guiding visitors to evacuation points.

The firefighters took part in training to use a drone to assess the situation.

The two elephants sucked up water from buckets with their trunks and then sprayed it, cheered on by 33 pupils from a nearby nursery school.

“We want to maintain our disaster prevention mindset,” said Kinoshita Circus President Tadashi Kinoshita.