Japan Making Pitch for "Tsunami Flag"

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Meteorological Agency is stepping up its public relations activities to raise awareness of the "tsunami flag," which warns beachgoers to evacuate when a tsunami wave is forecast to arrive.

The tsunami flag is largely unknown to the public, although it facilitated the evacuation of beach swimmers following a major earthquake off the southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki in August.

The flag, introduced in June 2020, features a red and white checkered pattern, resembling the international maritime signal flag meaning "You are running into danger."

Although there are no specific size requirements, a minimum length and width of 100 centimeters is recommended for tsunami flags.

By the end of June this year, about 70 pct of municipalities with swimming beaches had introduced the flags. The meteorological agency aims to raise the figure to over 80 pct by the end of March 2026.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]