Dentsu Inc. and Zenrin DataCom begin offering the "National Evacuation Shelter Database" free of charge and providing new solutions to local governments nationwide and foreign embassies in Japan.

Dentsu Inc. and Zenrin DataCom, Japan's largest digital map information provider, will offer their nationwide "National Evacuation Shelter Database"—containing 120,000 locations and available since December 2014—free of charge to local governments and foreign embassies in Japan, marking the fourth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake that caused unprecedented devastation.

Additionally, as a paid solution to further enhance the database's convenience and usability,

"AreaCutter for Evacuation Shelters," which provides maps with evacuation shelter information mapped at the municipal level, without any distribution quantity restrictions. This solution links the "National Evacuation Shelter Database" with "AreaCutter" (Web version)※1, a map processing service Zenrin DataCom has previously provided.

For municipalities nationwide, this eliminates the effort of re-editing evacuation shelter information during revisions and the hassle associated with map usage/printing permissions. It also enables accurate communication of evacuation shelter information to local residents without smartphones or other information devices, as well as visitors attending events.

Additionally, an English version will now be offered for a fee to foreign embassies in Japan and foreign media organizations. Compiling shelter names and addresses in English, it provides immediate disaster prevention and crisis management support for foreign residents in Japan and visitors. Services in languages other than English will also be considered in the future.
The annual basic usage fee for "AreaCutter for Evacuation Shelters" starts at ¥150,000 (excluding tax) for up to 100 cutouts. There is no limit on the number of copies of the cutout maps that can be distributed. The basic usage fee includes the right to use the maps and the right to print them*2. The annual usage fee for the English evacuation shelter information is ¥100,000 (excluding tax).

For these newly customized solutions, Dentsu Inc. will handle overall planning and specification development, while Zenrin DataCom will manage database operations and serve as the sales contact.

*1 AreaCutter (Web Version) ( http://www.zenrin-datacom.net/business/areacutter/web.html ) is Zenrin DataCom's web-based service that allows map image extraction with copyright permission. As a service limited to map extraction and drawing functions, it can be used without complex operations. An installable application version is also available. Being browser-based, it is less susceptible to network settings or security environment influences.

※2 Normally, using Zenrin DataCom maps in pamphlets, publications, websites, etc., requires applying for reproduction rights based on the intended use ( http://www.zenrin.co.jp/fukusei/info01.html ). However, maps created with AreaCutter come with usage and printing permissions, eliminating the need for separate application procedures for map use or printing.

■ Overview of the "National Evacuation Shelter Database"

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

・Features:

• "Accuracy". Beyond obtaining latitude/longitude data from addresses, we perform detailed, proprietary corrections honed through map creation, making it more accurate than other currently available shelter information.
• "Updatability": Information is updated multiple times per year through proprietary surveys, ensuring consistently fresh data.
• • "Comprehensiveness": Covers the following 12 essential items required for disaster shelter information: name, municipality, capacity, usage conditions, elevation (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan base data, Approval No. Heisei 26 Jyo Fuku, No. 628), coordinates, etc.

・Publicly Available Items: 12 items

Name, Furigana, Municipality 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

Conditions (flood/storm surge, earthquake, tsunami, etc.), Shelter Type (wide-area evacuation shelter, tsunami evacuation building, etc.), Capacity,

Classification for Vulnerable Individuals (for local residents, for stranded commuters, etc.), Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude),

Elevation (Approval No. Heisei 26 Jōhō Fuku, No. 628), Other (Special Notes, etc.).

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

directly to users.

Dentsu Inc. News Releasehttp://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2015/0311-003983.html