DOCSLIB.ORG

Access Time of Emergency Vehicles Under the Condition of Street Blockages After a Large Earthquake

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Access Time of Emergency Vehicles Under the Condition of Street Blockages After a Large Earthquake ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume IV-4/W1, 2016 1st International Conference on Smart Data and Smart Cities, 30th UDMS, 7–9 September 2016, Split, Croatia ACCESS TIME OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES UNDER THE CONDITION OF STREET BLOCKAGES AFTER A LARGE EARTHQUAKE N. Hirokawa a*, T. Osaragi b a Dept. of Mechanical and Environmental Informatics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, - [email protected] b School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, - [email protected] KEY WORDS: Earthquake, Street Blockages, Agent-based Simulation, Emergency Vehicle, Accessibility, Information Collection ABSTRACT: The previous studies have been carried out on accessibility in daily life. However it is an important issue to improve the accessibility of emergency vehicles after a large earthquake. In this paper, we analyzed the accessibility of firefighters by using a microscopic simulation model immediately after a large earthquake. More specifically, we constructed the simulation model, which describes the property damage, such as collapsed buildings, street blockages, outbreaks of fires, and fire spreading, and the movement of firefighters from fire stations to the locations of fires in a large-scale earthquake. Using this model, we analyzed the influence of the street-blockage on the access time of firefighters. In case streets are blocked according to property damage simulation, the result showed the average access time is more than 10 minutes in the outskirts of the 23 wards of Tokyo, and there are some firefighters arrive over 20 minutes at most. Additionally, we focused on the alternative routes and proposed that volunteers collect information on street blockages to improve the accessibility of firefighters. Finally we demonstrated that access time of firefighters can be reduced to the same level as the case no streets were blocked if 0.3% of residents collected information in 10 minutes. 1. INTRODUCTION spreading and the strategy of firefighting. We can execute the simulation in a wide area in a comparatively short calculation In the field of street-network analysis, many studies have been time by using a grid spacing of 250 meters. However, it is carried out on traffic congestion and optimization strategies for difficult to make a detailed analysis considering the influence of route assignment. For instance, Li et al. (2009) analyzed the street-blockages on the accessibility. In addition, Ertugay and probe car data for 57 days in Beijing, and detected recurrent Duzgun (2006) proposed three indices (the zone-based technique, congestion points in each time/day. This method enables us to the isochrones-based technique, and the raster-based technique) detect the rule of congestion by controlling conditions pertaining and analyzed the access time from the locations of emergency to time, place, and so forth. Also, Claes et al. (2011) described a services, fire brigades and health services. There are some routing strategy based on forecast information. This strategy differences of calculation time and parameters. However, these forecasts the locations of vehicles using the delegate multi-agent approaches might underestimate the access time because system. The result of the simulation using forecast information impassable streets caused by street blockages were not showed vehicles travel 35% more efficiently than the other considered. Furthermore, Kugai and Kato (2007) proposed the strategies using real-time data. In addition, this strategy has high method to evaluate disaster mitigation performance in the street scalability and, thus, takes practical advantage since it was network by considering the distribution of the passable described through decentralized architecture. probability for fire engines. However, this study focused on not supporting firefighting activities just after a disaster but on the These studies focused on accessibility in daily life, but it is also urban development and improvement. important to analyze the accessibility on street networks after a large earthquake in Japan. After a large earthquake, rubbles of In this paper, we analyze the accessibility of firefighters collapsed buildings block many narrow street, and street immediately after a large earthquake by using a microscopic blockages obstruct the smooth accessibility of emergency simulation model. More specifically, we construct simulation vehicles. Additionally, the demands for the emergency models, which describe the property damage and the movement transportation increase since many fires occur at the same time in of firefighters from fire stations to the locations of fires via water different places, and many people are injured. In these sources. We integrate these models, agent technology, GIS circumstances, the accessibility of emergency vehicles is one of technology, a geo-database, and routing algorithm in similar way the most important issues for mitigating disaster. in Wang and Zlatanova (2016). Using this system, we analyze the influence of the street-blockage from the viewpoint of the access Hence, there are many studies on emergency vehicles for fire time of firefighters. Additionally, we focus on the alternative brigades and health services under the condition after a large- routes and propose that volunteers collect information on street scale earthquake occurs. For instance, Sekizawa et al. (2008, and blockages to improve the accessibility. Finally we demonstrate 2009) constructed the simulation system, which contains the effects of collecting street-blockage information on reducing firefighting operations model and fire spreading model. They the access time of firefighters. The originality of our research is analyzed the relationships between the damage from fire * Corresponding author This contribution has been peer-reviewed. The double-blind peer-review was conducted on the basis of the full paper. doi:10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-4-W1-37-2016 37 ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume IV-4/W1, 2016 1st International Conference on Smart Data and Smart Cities, 30th UDMS, 7–9 September 2016, Split, Croatia little to consider the moving obstacles and many destination for speedV, and speedf is the speed of fire engine, one responder, TSP or MTSP, since we focused on assisting for and firefighter respectively. firefighters immediately after an earthquake occurrence. -In case the firefighters cannot arrive at the water source due to In this paper, we attempt to (1) focus on the accessibility of street blockage, the water source are excluded from the WS, and firefighters immediately after an earthquake, (2) consider not the destination is changed to another one based on Eq.1. only the single hazard but also the multi-hazards (such as -Firefighters try to move the fastest path on the street network in collapsed buildings, street blockages, and fire spreading) (3) the condition that all streets are passable. When they find street construct microscopic simulation model that can be estimated a blockages on the way to the destination, they memorize the single collapsed building, single street blockage, and so forth, and locations of street blockages. (4) propose the information collection and demonstrate the -When they cannot move on their route due to street blockages, effects. they try to search another fastest route except the impassable streets they have already known. -One trial of simulation is that all firefighters arrive at the 2. MODELING FIREFIGHTERS’ ACTIVITIES location of the fire or they notice that they cannot arrive due to AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IN A LARGE street blockages. EARTHQUAKE 2.1 Modeling of Firefighters’ Activities Earthquake Wait in (1) Decide (2) Move to Occurrence 10 minutes the Destination Woter Source It is highly important that firefighting activities are performed (3) Move to End (Output immediately after outbreaks of fires in order to decrease the Location of Fire Access Time) damage of fire spreading. Hirokawa and Osaragi (2015) analyzed Outline of Activity of Firefighters the relationships between the elapsed time from outbreaks of fires and fire scales using a fire spreading simulation. The result indicated that firefighters arrive at the location of the fire within There are an average of 26 minutes from the outbreak of the fire or they Some Fires in their cannot prevent its spread. Moreover, according to the Tokyo Fire Jurisdiction? YES NO Department, firefighters should remain at the fire station for a certain period of time to grasp the condition of the locations and Select the End the risk of fires. Thus, they have only about 10 minutes to move Highest Risk (Exclude to the location of the fire. Considering the above background, we Bldg from Analysis) model firefighters’ activities, which are moving to the locations of fires from a fire station, immediately after an earthquake (1) Decide the Destination occurrence by using agent-based technology. Specifically, firefighter first moves to a water source (dynamic destination), Exclude Seach Fastest Route and when he/she arrives, moves to the location of fire (static Water Sources That are Unreachable to Water Source destination). That is because the optimal water source is NO dynamically changed by the locations of streets blockages, which There are Some Next Street firefighter knows. Firefighters search the fastest path on the street Water Sources Is Passable? NO network which they think passable by
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Triple Catastrophe: Japan's 03/11/11 Earthquake, Tsunami, And
    The Triple Catastrophe: Japan’s 03/11/11 Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Crisis Just after 2:45 p.m. on Friday, March 11, 2011, inhabitants of northeastern Honshu – Japan’s largest island and home to Tokyo, the country’s densely populated capital – felt the ground shake violently beneath them. Although the Japanese were accustomed to powerful tremors, this one (soon termed the Great East Japan Earthquake) struck with frightening intensity. 1 With a magnitude of 9.0, it was Japan’s largest earthquake in the modern era and the world’s fourth largest since 1900.2 Due in large part to mitigation and preparedness measures put in place after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji 3 Earthquake, which caused significant damage in and around the city of Kobe, initial casualties and physical 4 damage were relatively low. But, having occurred along the ocean floor at the intersection of the Pacific and 1 Located along the “Ring of Fire” – the seismically volatile coastal perimeter of the Pacific Ocean – Japan experiences approximately 20% of the world’s earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.0 and above (Jeff Kingston, Natural Disaster and Nuclear Crisis in Japan: Response and Recovery after Japan’s 3/11, Routledge, New York, 2012; and U.S. Geological Survey [USGS], Earthquake Glossary – Ring of Fire, date unknown, available at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/glossary/?termID=150 [accessed March 14, 2013]). 2 USGS, Magnitude 9.0 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan, date unknown, available at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/ [accessed October 2, 2013]; and USGS, USGS Updates Magnitude of Japan’s 2011 Tohoku Earthquake to 9.0, March 14, 2011, available at http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2727 [accessed March 14, 2013].
    [Show full text]
  • 2008/1-3 Vol.1
    2008/1-3 vol.1 Three months have passed since I was assigned to be the Director General of JICA Tokyo. These three months are the busiest season of the year and I have tried to work hard in co operation with the staff members of this center to make your stay in Japan fruitful. Until last October we had been publishing "JICA Tokyo Monthly" to ensure your conven ience with a variety of information concerning Japan and JICA. However from this year we revised it from a monthly to a quarterly in order to focus more closely on participants' needs. And this January issue is the first one in the new style. There may be a lot of things you would like to know while you are staying in Japan. Perhaps you wonder what other participants are learning. How can newly arrived par ticipants make friends? How can you enjoy JICA Tokyo life to the full? How do other people get over their homesickness? Then we want to make the Quarterly a tool to answer those questions and others by sharing your expe riences and information and to be a forum to communicate with others as well. As for the event information, which had been given in the former Monthly, we have made it a flyer and we issue it twice a month. You can get further support service at the Information Desk and Communication Plaza just as you used to. I hope you enjoy JICA Tokyo Quarterly. It is our great pleasure if these pages are helpful to make your stay in Japan more comfortable and meaningful.
    [Show full text]
  • Fire Department Information
    Fire Department Information Take a Look at the TFD (Tokyo Fire Department) Home Page!! The TFD Home Page has English, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Filipino versions, too. It offers a variety of tips―fire service news, the TFD organization, fire station web pages, and so on. If you have any questions about the fire service, first check our website! [QR code] Learn about the Fire Service History [Fire Museum] The Fire Museum exhibits tools and historical documents related to the fire fighting from the Edo period to the present as well as fire trucks and helicopters. Brochures in English, Chinese and Korean are available at the museum along with the audio guide rental service for these languages. How about learning about fire and disaster prevention while looking back to the history of Japanese fire service? [Location] 3-10 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004 [Tel] 03-3353-9119 [Hours] 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. [Access] Immediately next to Exit 2 of Yotsuya Sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line [QR code] Photo: Tachikawa Life Safety Learning Center Try and Learn [Life Safety Learning Centers] Our “Life Safety Learning Centers” are hands-on facilities where you can easily learn about fire and disaster prevention―initial fire fighting, first aid, and evacuation. We have three centers in Ikebukuro, Honjo and Tachikawa respectively. Choose your place and come on over! [Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center] 2-37-8 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 5-minute walk from the South Exit or West Exit of JR Ikebukuro Station. [Tel] 03-3590-6565 [Tachikawa Life Safety Learning Center ] [Honjo Life Safety Learning Center] 1156-1 Izumi-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 4-6-6 Yokokawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo Catch the bus at JR Tachikawa Station North 10-minute walk from the North Exit of JR Exit (Bus Stop 1) and get off at the “Tachikawa Kinshicho Station.
    [Show full text]
  • Application to Become a Member of International Safe Community Network
    Application to become a member of International Safe Community Network December 2011 Toshima City, Tokyo, Japan Greetings from the City Mayor Toshima City has many historical and cultural assets which have been handed down from our ancestors. This is our home where we continue to generate energy for tomorrow. We have been promoting urban planning unique to each community while focusing on welfare and education. Toshima City has been developing as a city of cultural promotion, environment friendly, life-long health in the subcenter of Ikebukuro and surrounding areas. As we plan for the future and create a “City people want to live in and visit”, it is absolutely vital that we focus on “safety”. As home to around 270,000 people in a 13.01km2 area, Toshima City is a compact high-density urban area with Japan’s highest population density. Being a city where various people interact, Toshima City is a fertile ground where daily activities can create new values. On the other hand, we face challenges unique to a high-density urban area. Our first challenge is safety. The daytime population of Toshima City, including workers and students who come from outside the city, is around 380,000 people. Every day 2.54 million people pass through Ikebukuro Station, one of Tokyo’s bustling commerce areas, as they visit the city for shopping and other events. Crime and accidents increase when the density of people increases. In addition, Toshima City has many dense residential areas, so if an earthquake occurs directly below us, as has been predicted, we anticipate major damage.
    [Show full text]
  • Programme Information the Metropolis of Tokyo
    Programme Information The Metropolis of Tokyo PROGRAMME INFORMATION Type of Information: Programme Information Date of Announcement: 9 July 2020 Issuer Name: The Metropolis of Tokyo Name and Title of Representative: Koike Yuriko, Governor Address of Head Office: 8-1, Nishishinjuku 2-chome Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-8001 Japan Telephone: +81-3-5321-1111 Contact Person: Asamitsu Shinya, Deputy Director, Foreign Bond Team, Bond Section, Budget Division, Bureau of Finance Type of Securities: Unsecured and unsubordinated bonds Scheduled Issuance Period: 10 July 2020 to 9 July 2022 Maximum Outstanding Issuance Amount: Not Applicable Address of Website for Announcement: https://www.jpx.co.jp/english/equities/products/ tpbm/announcement/index.html Status of Submission of Annual Securities Reports or Not Applicable Issuer Filing Information: Notes to Investors: 1. TOKYO PRO-BOND Market is a market principally for professional investors and bonds listed on the market ("TOKYO PRO-BOND MARKET Listed Bonds") may involve high risk. Investors should act with responsibility and be aware of the listing qualification, timely disclosure requirements that apply to issuers of TOKYO PRO-BOND Market Listed Bonds and associated risks such as the fluctuation in market prices. Prospective investors should make an investment judgement only after having carefully considered the contents of this Programme Information. 2. The regulatory framework for TOKYO PRO-BOND Market is different in certain fundamental respects from the regulatory framework applicable to existing exchange markets in Japan. Investors should be aware of the rules and regulations of the TOKYO PRO-BOND Market, which are available on the website of Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc. (the "Tokyo Stock Exchange").
    [Show full text]
  • In Case of Emergency – Don't Panic, Refer to This Booklet!
    Living Information for International Residents of Itabashi City In case of emergency – don’t panic, refer to this booklet! Emergency Contact Information ··············································· 2 Emergency Hospitals ····························································· 3 Crimes and Accidents ···························································· 4 Earthquakes ········································································· 5 Preparing for Floods ······························································ 7 Evacuation ··········································································· 7 Emergency Disaster Prevention Map ········································· 9 Unless otherwise noted, please make inquiries in Japanese to the respective divisions on the phone listed in this brochure. Published by: Itabashi Culture & International Exchange Section, Itabashi City Office 2-66-1 Itabashi, Itabashi City, Tokyo 173-8501, Tel: 03(3579)2018 Editing Team: International Exchange Section, Itabashi Culture and International Exchange Foundation, 2-66-1 Itabashi, Itabashi City, Tokyo 173-8501, Tel: 03(3579)2015 Published: March 2021 1 Emergency Contact Information When calling in, please remain calm and make sure to call from a safer location. If you feel danger during the call, please move to a safer location. ▶ Inquiries: To report Crimes or Accidents Dial 110 To report Fires and Medical Emergencies Dial 119 To report and inquire of sudden illness and injury Dial #7119 Tokyo Emergency Consultation Center
    [Show full text]
  • 外国人留学生ガイドブック Guidebook for International Students Guidebook for International Students
    外国人留学生ガイドブック 外国人留学生ガイドブック Guidebook for International Students Guidebook for International Students 重要文化財明治丸(越中島キャンパス) Meiji-maru (Etchujima Campus), Important Cultural Property 東京海洋大学 海洋の未来拓くために T U M S A Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology T 東京海洋大学校歌 Anthem of the Tokyo 星野哲郎 詞 University of Marine 鈴木 淳 曲 Science and Technology 一、 海を拓（ひら）き 海から学ぶ Setting out to sea we learn 自由の心と 我慢の二文字 The meaning of liberty and endurance 海から世界へ はばたこう Across the sea we set out for the world 若者よ 集まれ 海洋大学へ We come to Tokyo Kaiyo Daigaku 好きなことを 好きなだけ To pursue our interests as much as we want 学べることは 倖せ者だよ For that is happiness indeed それが出来るのは 現在（いま） Now is the time to do it 現在は すぐに過去 For the present quickly turns to past 二、 海を信じ 命あずけて We trust the sea with our lives 汲めどもつきせぬ ロマンを求め On a never-ending journey 時代（とき）は正 ( まさ）に 若者の The future lies in our 鉄の腕（かいな）と 英智に宿る Strong arms and our wisdom 好きなことを 好きなだけ To pursue our interests as much as we want 学べることは 倖せ者だよ For that is happiness indeed それが出来るのは 現在 Now is the time to do it 現在は すぐに過去 For the present quickly turns to past 三、 海を興（おこ）し 海から学ぶ From the sea we benefit and learn 不屈の闘魂 久遠（くおん）の平和 Our indomitable spirit and everlasting peace 海から世界へ はばたこう Across the sea we set out for the world 若者よ 集まれ 海洋大学へ Young people come to Tokyo Kaiyo Daigaku 好きなことを 好きなだけ To pursue our interests as much as we want 学べることは 倖せ者だよ For that is happiness indeed それが出来るのは 現在 Now is the time to do it 現在は すぐに過去 For the present quickly turns to past (English traslation for reference purpose only) 外国人留学生ガイドブック Guidebook for International Students 中部講堂（品川キャンパス） Nakabe auditorium (Shinagawa campus) Contents Part I: Student Life ...............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management in Japan
    Mt. Fuji Mt. Mayon Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management in Japan May 2014 Atsushi Koresawa Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Government of Japan 1 Outline of the Presentation I. Disaster Situation in Japan and the Philippines II. Progress in Disaster Management System of Japan III. Fire and Disaster Management System IV. Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake V. New developments after the Great East Japan Earthquake VI. Conclusions 2 I. Disaster Situation in Japan and the Philippines - More similarities than differences - 3 Mega Earthquakes in the world Nearly 80 % of large-scale earthquakes (M 6 or above) occur along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and 20% occur in or nearby Japan. Moreover, the world largest earthquakes also occurred along this basin. 1957 Andreanof Islands EQ 1952 Kamchatka EQ Mw9.1 Mw9.0 2011 Great East Japan EQ Mw 9.0 1964 Alaska EQ Mw 9.2 2004 Indian Ocean EQ Pacific Ring of Mw9.1 Fire 2010 Chilean EQ Mw8.8 1960 Great Chilean EQ Mw9.5 4 Source) Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo Tropical Cyclones in 2013 The west North Pacific is the most active among seven tropical cyclone basins in the world - accounting for one-third of all tropical cyclone activities. In 2013, 31 named tropical cyclones (TCs) formed, out of which 13 reached typhoon (TY) intensity. Genesis points of Tropical Cyclones Tracks of Tropical Cyclones 5 Source) ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee Record rainfalls in Japan Debris flows devastated a small community 6 Mud-slide on Izu Oshima Island, Tokyo 16 October, 2013 7 II.
    [Show full text]
  • Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City
    Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City We have gathered together useful information to ensure that foreign residents are able to live, work, and study safely and with peace of mind. We would like you to enjoy living in Minato City, so please do not hesitate to contact the numbers and the locations provided in case you run into any problems. Contents 1 Living in Japan 1-1 2 Procedures and Services at City Hall 2-1 3 Daily Life 3-1 4 Preparing for Disasters and What to Do During Disasters 4-1 5 Sickness and its Prevention 5-1 6 Raising Children 6-1 7 Education for Children 7-1 8 Working 8-1 ９ Consultations 9-1 For Inquiries on “Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City” Global Community Planning Subsection, Community Promotion Section 03-3578-2046,2524 (Counter 304, 3/F Minato City Hall) Information on Minato City Please also read No.2 [Procedures and Services at City Hall]. Website http://www.city.minato.tokyo.jp (Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean) Contents-1 Minato Call (City Information Service) Information on Minato City’s administrative services, facilities, 03-5472-3710 events, and other details Operating Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day, year round (Japanese, English) *Inquiries may also be made on the Minato City Website Minato City Hall (Main Office) 1-5-25 Shibakoen 03-3578-2111 A 10-minute walk from the north exit ofJRHamamatsucho Station. A five-minute walk from exit A2 of Onarimon Station on the Mita subway line.
    [Show full text]
  • COVID-19 and Heat Illness in Tokyo, Japan: Implications for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Brief Report COVID-19 and Heat Illness in Tokyo, Japan: Implications for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021 Kazuki Shimizu 1,2,* , Stuart Gilmour 3 , Hiromi Mase 4 , Phuong Mai Le 3 , Ayaka Teshima 5 , Haruka Sakamoto 6,7 and Shuhei Nomura 6,7 1 Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK 2 Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, UK 3 Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; [email protected] (S.G.); [email protected] (P.M.L.) 4 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London EC1E 7HB, UK; [email protected] 5 Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK; [email protected] 6 Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; [email protected] (H.S.); [email protected] (S.N.) 7 Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +44-20-7955-6574 Abstract: The 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed to July– September 2021 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While COVID-19 has Citation: Shimizu, K.; Gilmour, S.; emerged as a monumental health threat for mass gathering events, heat illness must be acknowledged Mase, H.; Le, P.M.; Teshima, A.; as a potentially large health threat for maintaining health services.
    [Show full text]
  • Now Four Times Larger, the New Azabu Police
    Community Information Paper No.48 September 2019 Translated/Issued by Azabu Regional City Office Edited by the Azabu Editing Office 5-16-45 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo, 106-8515 Tel: 03-5114-8812 (Rep.) Fax: 03-3583-3782 Please contact Minato Call for inquiries regarding Residents’ Life Support. Tel: 03-5472-3710 A community information paper created and edited by people who live in Azabu. Fascinated by Artistic Azabu 20 Now Four Times Larger, the New Azabu Police Mr. Mitsuyoshi Sakai, Assistant Inspector and Chief of Police Affairs Station Opened in February Section, Police Affairs Department, Azabu Police Station. “The hall- ways in the old station were so narrow that it was difficult for us to pass by one another. However, everywhere in the new building is re- The old Azabu Police Station was built in 1972, and was located at Roppongi 6-chome, nearby Roppon- ally spacious, and we can work more effectively.” gi Crossing. 47 years, about a half-century, is a long time for a building like a police station, and it had aged beyond its useful life. The new Police Station building was built on the former site of Mikawadai Junior High School, close to Tokyo Midtown. The opening in February 2019 was most auspicious, as this was just before the inauguration of the New Reiwa Era. We visited this new, bigger and better eight-story Azabu Police Station. The new and very impressive checkered pattern fa- we found information online that the original station was cade on the front of the building fits perfectly for a established in Toranomon in 1875.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Tokyo's Built Heritage
    atmosphere Article Mapping Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Tokyo’s Built Heritage Peter Brimblecombe 1,2,3,* , Mikiko Hayashi 4 and Yoko Futagami 5 1 School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong 2 Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan 3 Aerosol Science Research Center, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan 4 Center for Conservation Science, National Institutes for Cultural Heritage Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo 110-8713, Japan; [email protected] 5 Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo 110-8713, Japan; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 26 May 2020; Accepted: 24 June 2020; Published: 28 June 2020 Abstract: Although climate change is well recognised as an important issue in Japan, there has been little interest from scientists or the public on the potential threat it poses to heritage. The present study maps the impact of emerging pressures on museums and historic buildings in the Tokyo Area. We examine a context to the threat in terms of fluctuating levels of visitors as a response to environmental issues, from SARS and COVID-19, through to earthquakes. GIS mapping allows a range of natural and human-induced hazards to be expressed as the spatial spread of risk. Temperature is increasing and Tokyo has a heat island which makes the city hotter than its surroundings. This adds to the effects of climate change. Temperature increases and a decline in relative humidity alter the potential for mould growth and change insect life cycles.
    [Show full text]