Japan conducts large-scale nuclear disaster evacuation drills

Niigata and Fukui prefectures conducted extensive disaster prevention drills simulating nuclear accidents triggered by major earthquakes. In Niigata, the exercise involved evacuating residents from areas including Joetsu and Myoko toward Murakami. The drill featured new elements such as the use of a dedicated evacuation shelter app for registration and the involvement of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, who operated evacuation buses.

In Fukui, a drill simulating a major accident at the Kansai Electric Power Takahama Nuclear Power Plant faced technical challenges. Due to a critical vulnerability discovered in the PHP programming language, some mobile carriers temporarily suspended emergency alert emails. Consequently, authorities had to rely on alternative methods like municipal disaster apps and administrative radio systems. Additionally, the use of LINE for shelter registration was canceled in favor of paper-based methods due to the same technical concerns.

Officials from both regions emphasized the importance of inter-prefectural cooperation and the necessity of maintaining multiple communication channels to ensure reliable information dissemination during actual emergencies.