Roger OngAt the point of writing, the Japan Meteorological Agency has announced the highest-level heavy rain emergency of level 5, to Toyko and Shizuoka, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures. This level implies the danger to lives, and the Japanese are advised to take all precautions to safeguard themselves. Record breaking wind speeds and storm surges are also expected.
In times of disasters, there is a high possibility for the failure of communication networks. In order for anyone to access the latest disaster information, Japan will open the free Wi-Fi service 00000JAPAN through the local area networks in affected areas.
This Wi-Fi service will accessible by anyone, regardless of provider or smartphone type. This is important because it allows access to communication regardless of technology or language barriers. Therefore, even foreign travelers and non-tech savvy individuals will be able to access disaster related information.
How to use 00000JAPAN free Wi-Fi, and a few precautions
To access the free Wi-Fi, users just need to locate the Wi-Fi network SSID named “00000JAPAN” (usually under Settings > Network Settings). The SSID is named with five zero’s in front to ensure that it will be the first network identified at the top of available networks, thus removing the need to search. No password will be required.
Security notices comes along with the instructions, however. Firstly, the network is not encrypted, so users are advised not to send sensitive information through this network. Also, to prevent accessing fraudulent networks, makes sure there are five zero’s in the network name 00000JAPAN.
It is important to note that upon determining that communication networks go down, the service will be released within 72 hours, which borrows its significance from the “72-hour barrier”, a time period critical to rescuing survivors from disaster struck regions.
Additional resources
Japanese mobile service providers have additional Wi-Fi points of access. For users who are able to read Japanese, they can be extra resources to tap on.
For travelers in Japan who need assistance, you can call JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline at 050-3816-2787. The calls will be available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is providing the latest updates and forecasts of Typhoon Hagibis. Multiple languages are available. Here is an additional link to information on disaster mitigation, available in 12 different languages.
NHK World Japan is also providing live updates from various affected regions in Japan, including live TV and Radio. Multiple languages are also available for their live TV subtitles.
[Reference] Instructions and precautions to using free Wi-Fi “00000JAPAN” in times of disaster
