Disaster alerts for FGs to be in 'easy Japanese'

[Mulboyne]

Japan Times: Disaster alerts to be in 'easy Japanese'

Local governments and radio and television stations might broadcast disaster warnings and information using children's-level Japanese so that foreigners can understand. "There is still a myth that English should be the means of communication. But in the event of a disaster, there is no time for translation," said Kazuyuki Sato, of Hirosaki University in Aomori Prefecture. "Easy Japanese is more effective."
The announcements have been printed in a manual that will be distributed mainly to the disaster preparedness departments of prefectural governments and broadcasters. The manual, written in Japanese for elementary school second- and third-graders, was compiled by a group led by a professor of sociolinguistics.
Tsunami warnings, for example, will be broadcast as: "Tsunami wa totemo takai nami desu. Umi no chikaku wa abunai desu." (Tsunamis are very high waves. It is dangerous near the sea). And instead of "hinansho" (shelter), the term "nigeru basho" (place to flee to) will be used.

[FG Lurker]

That's pretty damn funny.

It's like people who think if they speak English slowly enough (and/or loudly enough) people who don't speak a word of English will understand.

Simple Japanese is not going to help a large number of people who don't speak Japanese at all.

[AssKissinger]

Tsunami wa totemo takai nami desu. Umi no chikaku wa abunai desu

Well that's exactly how I talk so good.

nigeru basho

Oh I'd've been fucked. What the Hell's nigeru? Splash. Instead of using grade school kids they should use real life FG's. I can always understand FG JPN better than kids. "Tsunami ima kimasu! Haiyaku takai basho ikimashou"

[goldenboy_ge]

Japan Times: Disaster alerts to be in 'easy Japanese'

Local governments and radio and television stations might broadcast disaster warnings and information using children's-level Japanese so that foreigners can understand. "There is still a myth that English should be the means of communication. But in the event of a disaster, there is no time for translation," said Kazuyuki Sato, of Hirosaki University in Aomori Prefecture. "Easy Japanese is more effective."
The announcements have been printed in a manual that will be distributed mainly to the disaster preparedness departments of prefectural governments and broadcasters. The manual, written in Japanese for elementary school second- and third-graders, was compiled by a group led by a professor of sociolinguistics.
Tsunami warnings, for example, will be broadcast as: "Tsunami wa totemo takai nami desu. Umi no chikaku wa abunai desu." (Tsunamis are very high waves. It is dangerous near the sea). And instead of "hinansho" (shelter), the term "nigeru basho" (place to flee to) will be used.

I can't believe what I just read....

[Andocrates]

Holy shit, I understood that.

[Bongo]

Yeah, and what scares me the most is, the Japanese authorities are too fucking stupid to create various patterns of warnings before hand, have them translated and on hand in the event of such an emergency.
Just what could these idiots do after an earthquake in Tokyo of the magnitude of the Sumatra one? First thing Ishihara would probably do would have the police and SDF kill thousands of Chinese and Koreans! AGAIN!
There are still thousands of bodies of those killed by police and the Imperial Jap army buried along the banks of the Sumida river from the great Kanto genocidal earthquake.

[vir-jin]

When we had that remarkable earthquake two months ago I was attending a concert in Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. The lighting equipment was swinging in an expanse of 2 meters forth and back. The Japanese audition began to mutter but nobody moved. The performing singers had some fear on their faces(singing beyond the whole lighting equipment) but went on with their show. I always thought in case of emergency I would do like the Japanese do, but after that experience...

[Charles]

Yeah, and what scares me the most is, the Japanese authorities are too fucking stupid to create various patterns of warnings before hand, have them translated and on hand in the event of such an emergency.

But they DO have pre-translated emergency warnings, it's just that when an actual emergency comes, the last thing on their mind is to save a bunch of worthless foreign devils.

[FG Lurker]

[...] a bunch of worthless foreign devils.

Speak for yourself Charles...

[FG Lurker]

Just what could these idiots do after an earthquake in Tokyo of the magnitude of the Sumatra one?

That's easy to answer! Nothing has changed since the Kobe quake 10 years ago. You can expect things to happen in much the same way:

- main government will do nothing for several days at least

- gas company won't turn off the gas and therefore gas-fed fires will rage out of control throughout the city. *

- most electric lines are above ground. A lot of these will fall in the quake and make roads impassible. Of course they will take out power to most of the city too. Impassible roads means the fire trucks can't get through to fight the fires.

- because the power is out hospitals will need a *lot* of generator trucks. About half the available trucks are of course in Western Japan and designed for 60Hz power. They can't power 50Hz hospital equipment and are therefore totally useless.

- large areas of the city will be without water. Fire trucks that somehow manage to make it through the downed power lines won't have water available to fight the raging fires.

With a bit more time I could go on and on... I think the picture is clear though, and rather depressing.


* The gas company didn't turn off the gas in Kobe because if they turn off an area of the city they have to visit *each house* individually to turn it back on again. Eventually they turned off the gas but by then the fires were totally out of control.

[DJEB]

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Tokyo to use grass-roots foreign media to spread disaster info
To ensure foreign residents are not left out of the loop when natural disaster strikes, the Tokyo metropolitan government plans to disseminate key information through media outlets that operate in languages other than Japanese...There are about 80 publications in the metropolitan area that target non-Japanese. Many have circulations of 50,000 or less as well as their their own grass-roots distribution routes. Some are sold at restaurants and grocery stores where foreigners gather...An advisory panel to the metropolitan government on internationalization is mapping out the details of providing the disaster plan information to the foreign media. By summer, the government will set up a council to liaise with the foreign media. Initially, about 30 entities are expected to join.

[omae mona]

Asahi: Tokyo to use grass-roots foreign media to spread disaster info
Many have circulations of 50,000 or less as well as their their own grass-roots distribution routes. Some are sold at restaurants and grocery stores where foreigners gather

Cool! So when the Big One hits Tokyo, all I have to do is take a train to Roppongi, and wait somewhere like Gas Panic for the next issue of Metropolis to arrive, and then I will know where to get emergency supplies, etc. That's a relief.

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo via Crisscross: Fukuoka to provide disaster info in English via cell phones

Fukuoka Prefecture will start providing disaster information in English to residents with foreign nationalities via cell phone emails while informing their families abroad of their safety also through email, prefectural government officials said Thursday. The introduction of the new system next Tuesday follows a powerful earthquake that hit the prefecture in March last year, after which some foreign residents were confused about where to evacuate, the officials said. Those who want to receive the information in English about weather and evacuation alerts are required to register their email and home addresses.

[Taro Toporific]

Kyodo via Crisscross: Fukuoka to provide disaster info in English via cell phones

This afternoon will be: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Web sites add info on beers, ice creams, UV rays to summer weather forecasts
MSN-Mainichi Daily News---August 12, 2006
.....Yahoo Japan's online weather service is providing four extra "indexes" during the summer months this year: a "beer index," a "heat-exhaustion index," a "sweat index" and a "UV ray index."
The beer index covers 138 points across Japan, rating the best days to drink beer on a 10-level scale. Among the suggestions are, "90: It's sweltering! Don't forget to cool the beer," and "70: It's hot! Beer will probably go down well today."....more....

[Mulboyne]

[omae mona]

[IparryU]

well... if you are going to live in a country learn its fucking language number 1. you dont really need to read because the japanese put retarded looking pictures to instruct you how to do shit... but then again, the pictures are so retarded, you cant figure out why the little doe eyed character is trying to do.

i had a FG friend who went to an all girl uni and she told me that their earthquake drills were just... retarded. one of her points was that they told everyone to make sure to put their shoes on when they get out of the building and not to put them on before they get out the window/broken wall/etc... she asked how there were expected to walk over the broken glass, rubble, and slippery or burning floors while barefoot, and the teacher said not to get off topic...

ask your co-workers or inlaws what you should do if an earthquake or fire were to start and watch the confusion on thier faces. made my Saturday the greatest in a while...

[AML]

That's easy to answer! Nothing has changed since the Kobe quake 10 years ago. You can expect things to happen in much the same way:

- main government will do nothing for several days at least

- gas company won't turn off the gas and therefore gas-fed fires will rage out of control throughout the city. *

- most electric lines are above ground. A lot of these will fall in the quake and make roads impassible. Of course they will take out power to most of the city too. Impassible roads means the fire trucks can't get through to fight the fires.

- because the power is out hospitals will need a *lot* of generator trucks. About half the available trucks are of course in Western Japan and designed for 60Hz power. They can't power 50Hz hospital equipment and are therefore totally useless.

- large areas of the city will be without water. Fire trucks that somehow manage to make it through the downed power lines won't have water available to fight the raging fires.

With a bit more time I could go on and on... I think the picture is clear though, and rather depressing.


* The gas company didn't turn off the gas in Kobe because if they turn off an area of the city they have to visit *each house* individually to turn it back on again. Eventually they turned off the gas but by then the fires were totally out of control.

Jeezuz. thats so fucked up! If something did happen I would run for the embassy.
I bet there would be thousands of hot chicks outside, BEGGING us to take them with them

Another option would be a nearby military base. Maybe get an airlift out.

[Mr Doricar]