Title:
Providing embassies and consulates a powerful tool to contact with their people in disaster-stricken areas
Background:
In Kansai area, there are many foreign tourists, students and workers. Once big disaster happens, embassies and consulates will try to contact with their people for their safety, but the way is limited.
Embassies and consulates will upload information about disaster on their website for their people. However, it is difficult to collect all information and inform them updated website. Not all of the people ever know the website. If there is a way for the embassies and consulates to directly contact with the people, the citizens could be guided to the website and get essential information.
“Disaster Information Cloud Platform (DICP)” has been on a trial basis from this March. It is a platform which enables embassies, consulates, foreign communities, public transportations, schools and local governments to push notification in their languages. This platform will prevent foreign people from being isolated from important information because of their lack of Japanese.
About the field test:
The management office of this project is going to have the field tests this April. Embassies and consulates send messages directly to their own people who download the APP, “Portable News” (Android version at the moment). They will get push notifications in their smart phones.
Foreigners staying in Japan must rely on information from embassies and consulates under disaster situations. It is the embassies and consulates that can provide them reliable information for returning home, which is not available on television news. The embassies and consulates can send message to their people when they get the authority of sending message on the platform (DICP). Wherever APP users stay in Japan, they get push notifications from the embassies and consulates.
Compared to other areas in Japan, there are many general consulates in Kansai.
However, there are still many countries that have no consulates there. The jurisdiction of the embassies and consulates varies depending on the county. Wherever disaster happens in Japan, however, they all will work to protect their people from hazards. For this reason, we will offer the chances for using the platform to all embassies and consulates in Japan. It is available for free.
In the third week of April, we are going to have the field tests for embassies and consulates. In the tests, the participating embassies and consulates can send test messages all at once. As the field test preparation, we will hold briefing session beforehand to explain details about giving the authorities of sending message, the rule of sending, and how to use the platform.
We hope many of embassies and consulates join the briefing session and field tests. Please feel free to contact us.
e-mail address: motenasystem@ml.soumu.go.jp