U.S. and Japanese military and civilian emergency responders participated in Big Rescue Kanagawa 2026 at Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, Sept. 1, 2026. The exercise focused on disaster response capabilities, including patient assessment, triage and mass-casualty response, while strengthening interoperability and coordination between U.S. and Japanese forces. Japan’s frequent exposure to natural disasters makes realistic training essential to maintaining readiness and ensuring responders can rapidly coordinate lifesaving efforts during large-scale emergencies.