The Akashi Newsletter (Koho Akashi) is a newsletter published by Akashi City. It releases on the 1st and the 15th of each month. There are many announcements in each issue of the Akashi Newsletter. We have selected five of the most important or useful announcements and translated them into English.
Announcements in the January 15th Issue
Are You Prepared for an Earthquake?
On January 1st of 2024, the “2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake” struck in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. The areas affected by the earthquake were devastated. It is thought that in the near future the massive “Nankai Trough Earthquake” could hit Japan. If it does, Akashi City could be devastated as well. We simply don’t know when an earthquake will happen, so we should take steps so that we are prepared for when it does.
- Make sure your sleeping area is safe.
Don’t put anything near your bedroom door or the entrance to your home that can fall over easily and block the exit. Refrigerators, bookshelves, and other tall furniture can easily fall over during an earthquake. There are special fixtures and tools you can get to help keep tall furniture from falling over, so please use them.
- Please check that you know how to access information about earthquakes or floods.
If you register to “Disaster Network Akashi” ( 防災ネットあかし, Bosai Net Akashi), you can check important disaster information. Send an e-mail to akashi@bosai.net . There’s no need to write any message in the body of the e-mail. You will get a response from Disaster Network Akashi telling you how to register. You can also register using this site code:
- Be familiar with the Hazard Map.
The “Hazard Map” is a map that shows the places around Akashi City that can potentially be hazardous during a disaster. Please check where you live on the Hazard Map. Check on the map to see where the best place is to evacuate, as well as what roads are safest to use if you need to evacuate. Talk with your family and decide how you will contact each other if you happen to be in separate places when a disaster occurs. If you check this site code, you can see the Hazard Map for yourself.
- Don’t wait. Prepare what you’ll need in case of an earthquake or flood now.
For more details on what you will need, please check the Hazard Map.
Think About How to Stay Safe During an Earthquake
If an earthquake happens, here are the first things you should do:
If you have any questions about this article, please contact the General Safety Planning Office. Their phone number is 078-918-5069. Their fax number is 078-918-5140.
On January 17th, there will be a “ShakeOut Disaster Drill”
The “ShakeOut Disaster Drill” is a drill in the local area to prepare people and help practice what to do in case an earthquake occurs.
On January 17th, from 10:00 am, the speakers at various schools and parks will play an announcement. This is the announcement for the earthquake drill. In some cases, your smartphone may make a sound to notify you of an earthquake too. This is all part of the drill.
If you hear the speaker announcement or notification from your phone about the earthquake, please drop to the ground and protect your head by covering it. Please stay in that position for one minute without moving.
Please participate in the earthquake drill if you can. That way, when a real earthquake occurs, you will be able to calmly follow the steps you need to so you can stay safe.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact the General Safety Planning Office. Their phone number is 078-918-5069. Their fax number is 078-918-5140.
Let’s Work Together to Help Conserve Water
The water that flows through your pipes comes from water that is stored in various lakes and ponds all over this area. However, from September of 2023, there has been a lack of rain, and so the current amount of stored water may not be enough. That’s why we want to work together to conserve water!
- Don’t run the sink or other water sources more than you need.
- Use the leftover water from your bath to do cleaning or laundry.
- Wash vegetables and dishes by cleaning them in a sink filled with water instead of running water from the faucet as you clean.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact the Bureau of Waterworks Planning Department. Their phone number is 078-918-5064. Their fax number is 078-911-4066.
