Tenrikyo Disaster Relief Hinokishin Corps (TDRHC) in Taiwan, which is Tenrikyo's only formally organized overseas corps, conducted its second training camp at a recreational facility in Taipei Prefecture on October 10-11. There, 29 local members, mostly corps leaders, were joined by four Disaster Relief Hinokishin Headquarters supervisors, who had been sent from Japan to provide instruction in basic skills such as using submersible drainage pumps and chain saws.

Following a major earthquake that hit Taiwan in 1999, TDRHC in Taiwan was organized in the spring of 2001. In the fall of the same year, when a powerful typhoon struck Taiwan, the corps was mobilized to carry out relief activities in disaster areas.

Since then, the corps has been holding monthly meetings, attended mainly by its leaders. Last spring, the corps announced its slogan for the next two years: "Strengthening the infrastructure and upgrading the activities of TDRHC through daily acts of hinokishin." In June 2002, the corps conducted its first training camp in order to heighten the members' awareness and morale as well as to provide them with fundamental skills required for relief activities.

The second training camp placed emphasis on strengthening the corps's infrastructure. The site for the training camp was a recreational facility called Yin Xiang Zhi Lu, located in the mountains about 60 kilometers southeast of Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters in Taiwan. The training exercises conducted at the facility's campsite transformed it into a mock disaster area.

On the afternoon of Day 1, participants gathered at the Mission Headquarters in Taiwan, where an opening ceremony was held prior to their departure for the camp. Arriving at the campground, they pitched six tents and prepared for the exercises scheduled to begin at 8:00 on the morning of Day 2.

The training exercises on Day 2 focused on learning how to use submersible pumps to drain water and chain saws to cut down standing trees. Practical training in handling the submersible pumps was conducted in the creek that runs through the campsite, and each member was given the opportunity to operate the equipment. During the relief activities for the typhoon disaster two years ago, there was a serious shortage of members who were capable of operating the pumps but, thanks to the instruction provided by the supervisors sent from Japan, the participants are now fully prepared to use this equipment for relief activities.

Next, the participants were given hands-on training in operating chain saws. Though they had received similar instruction at the first training camp, Corps Head Yoshiyuki Tanada told them: "It's difficult to learn everything in just one training session, so we are going to go over this again so that you corps members will be confident of your ability to operate this kind of machinery in actual disaster relief activities." One of the supervisors first demonstrated how to use a chain saw and showed the members various techniques for felling trees in a desired direction. After thus learning how to make front notches and back cuts to control the direction of fall, they practiced these techniques by actually felling dead trees in the woods.

At the end of the camp, Corps Head Tanada said: "There are many natural disasters in Taiwan, such as typhoons. Leaders of this corps, therefore, need to be able to respond promptly, and I believe that the fundamental skills we acquired through this training camp have better prepared us for that. Hereafter, we envision having the corps leaders go on to share this training with the members in each district."