Meteorological company ramps up ‘tsunami flag’ consciousness efforts

The Meteorological Agency is ramping up its efforts to lift consciousness about “tsunami flags,” that are used to alert beachgoers to tsunami warnings.

This comes after a big earthquake in August, which registered a decrease 6 on the shindo Japanese seismic depth scale within the metropolis of Nichinan in Miyazaki Prefecture, the place the flags facilitated a easy evacuation. However, the company acknowledges that consciousness of the flags stays low, presenting a problem for public security.

Tsunami flags are deployed at seashores and coastal areas to tell the general public of tsunami warnings. First launched in June 2020, the flags characteristic a purple and white checkered sample, mirroring the worldwide sign flags used to indicate “hazard is approaching” between ships.