Fuji Television Network, Inc. (Fuji TV) has announced that it has launched a data broadcasting service for earthquake and tsunami information in English, starting from March 31, 2016.
Fuji TV provides viewers with useful information around their daily lives on TV screen via non-linked data broadcasting service. (The information can be displayed on screen anytime by clicking on the d-button of a TV remote control.) The information available includes current news, traffic reports, weather forecasts, as well as supplementary information that are closely tied to the on-air programs. Along with these contents, Fuji TV also offers real-time disaster information on tsunamis and earthquakes of over level 3 on the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale. However, these disaster-related information were displayed only in Japanese, therefore they were not understandable to non-Japanese speakers. With the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics coming in 2020 and the current trend, the number of foreign tourists and residents in Japan is expected to increase even more. Under such prospects, Fuji TV has started offering earthquake and tsunami information in English via its data broadcasting service in an effort to help improve safety of non-Japanese speakers.
Fuji TV began making preparation since the summer of 2014 and achieved development and implementation of an automatic real-time translation system of disaster-related information announced by Japan Meteorological Agency. Fuji TV aims to offer this service in languages other than English in the future and will strive to further improve its quality.
Following disaster-related information is available in English:
When an earthquake of level 3 or above on the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale of 7 has occurred:
-Regions with earthquakes of level 3 or above on the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale of 7
-Map with the epicenter and the intensity level of the earthquake
-Information archive for the latest earthquake
When tsunami advisory/tsunami warning/large tsunami warning is issued:
-Tsunami Advisory/Tsunami Warning/Large Tsunami Warning
-Regions with possible risks of tsunami, estimated arrival times and wave heights
-Arrival times and wave heights of tsunami
*Note: This service is currently available only in the broadcasting area of Fuji TV, which includes seven prefectures of the Kanto region (Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa).