Dentsu Inc. and Zenrin DataCom Launch "National Evacuation Shelter Database" Covering Approximately 120,000 Locations

Dentsu Inc. and Zenrin DataCom will begin providing the "National Evacuation Shelter Database" starting December 22nd. This database excels in accuracy, update frequency, and comprehensiveness.

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, disaster prevention awareness has heightened nationwide, with both public and private sectors making concerted efforts to provide disaster information to citizens. However, insufficient or underdeveloped areas remain evident.

Particularly crucial is information on evacuation shelters, indispensable for evacuation actions during large-scale disasters. While the revised Disaster Management Basic Act of June 2013 clearly distinguished between "emergency evacuation sites" and "evacuation shelters," these are still managed in unique formats at the ministry and local government levels. Consequently, there is currently no database that seamlessly and accurately covers the entire nation, reliably updates information, and offers extremely high reliability.

In light of this situation, Dentsu Inc. and Zenrin DataCom, Japan's largest digital map information provider, have collaborated to develop and provide the "National Evacuation Shelter Database," ensuring the accuracy and comprehensiveness of information on approximately 120,000 evacuation shelters nationwide.


This "National Evacuation Shelter Database" has the following three key features.

First, "Accuracy." Beyond obtaining latitude and longitude data from addresses, it employs unique, detailed corrections honed through map creation, making it more accurate than other currently available evacuation shelter information.

Second, "Updatability." Information is updated multiple times a year through proprietary surveys, enabling the provision of consistently up-to-date information.

Third, "Comprehensiveness." It covers 12 essential items required for disaster shelter information, including name, municipality, capacity, usage conditions, elevation (Approval No. Heisei 26 Jyo Fuku, No. 628) from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan's base data, and coordinates.

The roles of the two companies in this service are as follows: Dentsu Inc. is responsible for planning and specification development, while Zenrin DataCom serves as the operational and sales contact point. Zenrin DataCom will actively provide this "National Evacuation Shelter Database" to companies and municipalities, including content providers and media companies.

The overview of the National Evacuation Shelter Database is as follows.

■ Overview of the "Nationwide Evacuation Shelter Database"

・Number of entries: Approximately 120,000 evacuation shelter entries

・Publicly Available Fields: 12 fields

Name, Furigana, Local Government Code, Address (Prefecture Name, City/Town/Village Name, Lot Number), Phone Number,

Usage Conditions (Flood/Storm, Earthquake, Tsunami, etc.), Shelter Type (Wide-Area Shelter, Tsunami Evacuation Building, etc.), Capacity, Vulnerable Person Category (For Local Residents/For Those Unable to Return Home, etc.), Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude), Elevation from Geospatial Information Authority of Japan Base Data (Approval No. Heisei 26 Jyo Fuku, No. 628), Other (Special Notes, etc.)

・Information Provision Methods: Two methods are available: importing database information into the customer's server, and providing database information directly to users.

Dentsu Inc. News Release

http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2014/1222-003907.html