LIFULL ArchiTech and Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture Sign Comprehensive Partnership Agreement for Disaster Housing Support and Regional Revitalization

LIFULL ArchiTech Co., Ltd. (Ryfuru Arkitekku), a group company of LIFULL Co., Ltd. dedicated to solving social issues through business, has signed the 'Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on the Supply of Instant Products during Disasters' (hereinafter, 'the Agreement') with Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture, on July 13, 2026.

Under this Agreement, both parties will collaborate and support each other in disaster response and regional disaster prevention, as well as regional revitalization, urban development, and the creation of relational populations. Through this partnership, they aim to enhance the effectiveness of supplying instant houses—enabling rapid deployment of comfortable living spaces during disasters—and instant rooms that improve evacuation environments. Additionally, they will contribute to regional revitalization by attracting tourists during normal times and expanding exchange populations.

(Left: Tsukasa Yamanaka, Director and COO, LIFULL ArchiTech; Right: Soichiro Ueda, Mayor of Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture)

Background

Preparing in advance to provide essential living spaces immediately after a disaster is a critical challenge for many local governments amid chaotic post-disaster conditions. LIFULL ArchiTech aims to establish a supply system to rapidly deliver instant products—such as 'instant houses' that can be set up within hours and create comfortable spaces anywhere, and 'instant rooms'※1 that protect privacy and livability during collective evacuations—to local governments nationwide through agreements during normal times.

In Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture, 'Torumu Glamping Kochi,' owned and managed by the city, utilizes instant houses as lodging facilities. Thanks to their unique design and comfortable interiors, they function as a 'regional hub' that attracts visitors. During normal times, 'Torumu Glamping Kochi' contributes to regional revitalization by appealing to tourists and expanding exchange populations. In the event of a disaster, it serves as a new option to supplement shortages of evacuation centers and support hubs, providing spaces that meet diverse needs from the moment of disaster onset and protect the health and dignity of evacuees and responders. Given these successful implementations, the effectiveness of instant products has been proven, leading to the signing of this Agreement.

※1 LIFULL ArchiTech Begins Sales of 'Instant Room' to Protect Privacy and Livability in Collective Evacuation Settings

Overview of the Agreement

LIFULL ArchiTech and Muroto City, Kochi Prefecture, will collaborate to support disaster response and regional disaster prevention, while advancing regional revitalization, urban development, and the creation of relational populations, with the goal of mutual cooperation and support.

LIFULL ArchiTech will rapidly supply instant products during disasters to support the swift establishment of living environments for citizens. Additionally, during normal times, it will support disaster education and training for students in local elementary and junior high schools, as well as for autonomous disaster prevention organizations in each district, and promote disaster awareness. The company will leverage its private-sector expertise to deliver comprehensive regional support.

Main Initiatives

(1) Support for the supply of instant products during disasters

(2) Regional disaster prevention support through the utilization of instant products

(3) Implementation of disaster drills and disaster education using instant products

(4) Regional revitalization through the utilization of instant products

(5) Creation of relational populations through the utilization of instant products

(6) Revitalization and effective use of vacant houses using instant house technology and private-sector know-how

Examples of Instant Products

・Instant House

The instant house can be set up in just a few hours even immediately after a disaster, creating a comfortable space anywhere. It can be used for various purposes, including evacuation spaces for those unable to reach designated shelters or in need of support, medical isolation rooms for infectious diseases, support hubs for emergency supply management and accommodation for administrative staff and operations teams, safe play areas for children without worrying about onlookers, and pet-friendly evacuation.

▼ Product usage image

・Instant Room

The instant room leverages a multi-layered cardboard structure to achieve high performance in insulation, soundproofing, and privacy protection, providing each evacuee with a safe and comfortable private room. It enhances psychological safety for evacuees, enabling them to change clothes and sleep securely, while also preventing the spread of infectious diseases through its isolation function. This significantly reduces physical and mental burdens in harsh evacuation environments and contributes to preventing disaster-related deaths.

▼ Product usage image

※ Image source: 5 Days, 5000 Mats Promise. (URL: https://tataminoyakusoku.net/)

Comment from Tsukasa Yamanaka, Director and COO, LIFULL ArchiTech / Research Fellow, Nagoya Institute of Technology

In recent years, many local governments face common challenges, including disaster preparedness, population decline, increasing vacant houses, and revitalizing regional communities. We believe it is crucial for regional development to view these challenges not in isolation, but to create initiatives that deliver value both in normal times and emergencies.

This agreement marks a new step in implementing that vision together with Muroto City. We believe that by utilizing instant houses and instant rooms not only for disaster prevention but also for tourism and disaster education in everyday regional development, we can create new value for the region.

Through this agreement, we will work hand-in-hand with the people of Muroto City, building initiatives one by one, to contribute to sustainable, community-centered regional development.

About the Instant House (URL: https://instantproducts.lifull.net/house/)

The instant house is a new structure developed through joint research between LIFULL and Nagoya Institute of Technology's Graduate School, based on research by Professor Keisuke Kitagawa of the same institution, initiated after providing disaster relief following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

Since it is not fixed to the ground, it is treated as a non-structure※, freeing it from the constraints of traditional buildings and allowing installation on various types of land. The tent sheet is inflated with air, and rigid urethane foam insulation is sprayed and applied from the inside.

Thanks to its simple construction method, each unit can be set up in just a few hours. It also excels in insulation and durability, and possesses both earthquake and wind resistance, making it suitable for use as workspaces, lodging spaces, medical relief rooms in evacuation centers, community rest areas, and insulated storage warehouses for emergency supplies.

※ Interpretations may vary depending on administrative judgment.

About LIFULL ArchiTech Co., Ltd. (URL: https://lifull.com/company/group/lifull-architech/)

LIFULL ArchiTech develops and operates solutions that address key challenges: ① lodging shortages due to increasing inbound tourism, ② effective use of vacant houses, and ③ housing supply during disasters, based on research by Professor Keisuke Kitagawa of the Department of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology's Graduate School. 'ArchiTech' is a coined term combining 'Architecture' and 'Technology,' reflecting the company's mission to revolutionize the world through architectural technology.