Tsunami Fears Fuel Sale of Mini Noah’s Arks

Japanese company finds market for yellow, ball-shaped survival shelters.

By Abby Ohlheiser | Posted Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, at 2:24 PM ET

(The disaster zone in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, on June 18, 2011, 100 days after the massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami.)

Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images.

The animals will once again go two-by-two into Noah's Ark, thanks to a Japanese company's reboot of the biblical ship. That is, if by "the animals" you mean "up to four adult humans." And even then, it'll be a bit crowded.

"Noah," a yellow, ball-shaped survival shelter built by Cosmo Power, is a response to the possibility of another tsunami in Japan. Although the company introduced Noah to the world four years ago, there wasn't enough interest in the product to actually sell it until the devastating earthquake and tsunami of last March, which left over 20,000 people dead or missing.

After the disaster, as ABC News oh-so tastefully writes, "Cosmo Power said it has been flooded with calls." The product went into production, and is now ready to sell to the public.

Not to be confused with this attempt to build Noah's ark, or the Noah's Ark theme park being built in Kentucky, "Noah" retails for about $4,000.

It's survived repeated crash tests and is made of an enhanced fiberglass that the company says is disaster-proof. It floats, has ventilation and a lookout window. They've sold 600 capsules already after the product was completed earlier this month.

Company president Shoji Tanaka hyped the product to the Associated Press, like so: "This is the only shelter that guarantees protection from any natural disaster."

You can check out a photo of it here.

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Comments

Amy Evans February 18, 2012 at 11:01pm

Not sure, but it does look promising :)
Cheryl Nelson February 18, 2012 at 3:43pm

How safe would it be floating in radioactive water, which is what surrounds Japan these days?
Kim B February 14, 2012 at 4:21pm

Looks like a big yellow tennis ball.
Tammy Fielder February 14, 2012 at 1:29pm

I would wonder about the ventilation holes too. Seems really tight for 4 people! Where can you store your survival gear? What about if you have to goto the bathroom? I know...ewwww... :)
Byron wilkins February 14, 2012 at 1:25pm

Looks pretty good for 300mph winds too.
Cheryl Nelson February 14, 2012 at 1:05pm

It is neat. I wonder, though, about the holes at the top. That would mean as waves wash over or it's turned upside, it would leak?
JAK February 14, 2012 at 12:59pm

Hmm? I would'nt want to be long in there. How is the air supply? I would check it out firsst over the Niagra falls.
Amy Evans February 14, 2012 at 12:47pm

Kinda neat little thing

This reply was deleted.

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