Tokyo Ward Unveils System for Evacuation Shelter Info on Digital Boards; Aimed at Assisting Commuters Unable to Return Home

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:40 JST, February 8, 2024

The Chiyoda Ward Office and Mitsubishi Estate Co. unveiled Wednesday a system providing information on evacuation centers and such in the event of a disaster. It was the first time in Japan that the public and private sectors cooperated to create such a system.

Dubbed the disaster dashboard, the system assists commuters in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo who would be unable to return home in the event of a disaster.

The disaster dashboard provides information on the location of evacuation centers and their congestion status on about 100 electronic bulletin boards in buildings and via a QR code posted at 15 stations on 22 train lines in the Marunouchi area.

The area has a high concentration of large offices and commercial facilities, and about 42,000 commuters may not be able to return home in the event of a strong quake directly beneath the metropolitan area. If people begin moving simultaneously, there is a risk that roads may become congested, and accidents such as a stampede may occur.

Until now, there hasn’t been enough information provided to those affected to choose appropriate evacuation sites in the event they are unable to return home.

“As a pioneering model for countermeasures for those who find it difficult to return home from central Tokyo, we want to make sure that everyone can obtain information immediately after a disaster strikes,” said Chiyoda Ward Mayor Takaaki Higuchi on Wednesday.