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This week, as part of Disaster Preparedness Week, we will be presenting disaster prevention plans that encourage you to think of them as your own. Today, Announcer Kubo went to cover the story, didn't he? Yes. I was surprised by how well-prepared they were for disaster situations. Lawson, a major convenience store chain, has opened disaster support convenience stores that will serve as support bases during disasters. I went to cover what kind of store it is. Hmm. We headed to Futtsu City, located in the southern part of Chiba Prefecture. It is a town where fishing is also thriving. We arrived at Lawson. At first glance, it looks like a normal convenience store, but ah, there it is. Disaster Support Lawson. This is it. This is the first Disaster Support Lawson, which opened just last month in collaboration with Lawson and KDDI. To serve as a disaster support base, the store was renovated on high ground, away from areas prone to tsunamis and flooding. As soon as we entered the store, it looked the same as a general convenience store. However, the disaster preparedness is amazing. This monitor usually shows product introductions, but during a disaster, it switches to a screen that broadcasts disaster information. In addition, during disasters, chargers for mobile phones and toilet kits that can be used without water will be installed. Mobile phone chargers that can charge up to 10 devices simultaneously [music]. A kit that allows you to use the toilet by covering it with a bag when it's out of order [music]. Starlink equipment that allows you to use the internet via satellite is also available [music]. In addition, the deployment of drones is also being considered, which can remotely call residents to evacuate to higher ground and stay away from the sea, and check the surrounding disaster situation [music]. Furthermore, there was a surprising facility outside the store. Uh, is this? Yes, it's a well. A well? Yes. It's a hand-pump type well. It can pump water even during a power outage, so I was allowed to operate it. Oh, wow. Yes. It seems to have quite a bit of force. Yes. Anyone can use it easily. After all, water is the most important thing during a disaster. Since it's well water, it cannot be drunk, but it is used for daily life, such as for flushing toilets and for laundry. [music] In addition to daily life, a large amount of drinking water is also secured. [music] How much do you have here now? We have about 1,500 liters prepared. Approximately 750 bottles of 2-liter drinking water are stocked. Furthermore, convenience stores have their own unique ideas for quality control. Based on the concept of "rolling stock," we move these carts in order from here, and when they run out, we replenish them. This way, the inventory is completely replaced in about two to three months. By practicing rolling stock, where bottled water is arranged by expiration date and sold in order of closest expiration, it is possible to continue stocking without waste. The origin of this disaster support convenience store dates back to the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Hanshin Expressway Kobe Line. [music] Amidst the ongoing chaos, logistics were disrupted, and people in the town were desperate for food and drinks. Lawson kept its stores open as much as possible. [music] What was most appreciated was that Lawson was open. And that it was open, and that it was open, and that it was open. Lawson has continued to question what it can do during disasters. [music] [music] We will first turn on the lights, and then we will offer warm things with what we have in the store. We have updated these to the current ones and are deploying them, and we believe that is what the current disaster support convenience stores are. [music] The focus has been on providing food. Even if a disaster occurs and logistics are disrupted, store staff can cook rice and make and sell onigiri. The seasoning is simple so that more people can eat it. I'll have some. The freshly made onigiri are simple, but you can really taste the rice, and they are warm, so they are very delicious. This disaster-use onigiri was born from the experience during the Great East Japan Earthquake when onigiri were made in stores with kitchens that were experimentally introduced in the disaster-stricken areas and were well-received by people. [music] [music] Disaster support convenience stores also secure the necessary electricity. This is a commercial storage battery. It stores enough capacity to last about two days with daytime operations. Yes. Even in the event of a power outage, enough electricity for daytime operations such as cash registers, cooking, and charging is stored for two days. Furthermore, solar panels are installed on the roof to generate electricity, and vehicles that can supply electricity during disasters are expected to rush to the scene. Local residents say that during a disaster, people will feel inconvenienced in many ways, so it would be helpful if there was something nearby. In this area, there was a large-scale power outage due to a typhoon in 2019, and windows were broken in various places, making life very difficult. Knowing that you can get food and other items at a convenience store like this is very encouraging. The disaster support convenience store, which has started to move, aims to increase to 100 stores nationwide by fiscal year 2030. We want people to think that if they go to Lawson, things will work out, and we are aiming to be a store that is relied upon in both normal times and times of disaster. [music] To reiterate, the first disaster support convenience store, Lawson, opened last month. Of course, they have essential items like batteries and drinking water, but what I found particularly amazing earlier was the disaster-use onigiri. Hmm. Hmm. There are about 9,600 stores nationwide with kitchens, and it seems that there is a manual so that any staff member can make them. Hmm. Warm onigiri. I also had one, and it's really nice to be able to eat warm onigiri when there's no fire. Hmm. Hmm. In addition, there are other corporate initiatives. Hmm. First, at coin laundries, Blue Sky Laundry, at 22 stores in Kansai and Tokushima, they have these disaster-use cooking facilities. With ingredients, they can provide cooked meals for 120 people. They are powered by coin gas, so they can use the gas to cook. Furthermore, NTT Docomo is opening 32 of its own buildings for people who cannot return home. They provide drinks, emergency food, blankets, etc., and in Osaka, the Docomo Osaka Nanko Building will be opened. Companies are taking various initiatives. Yes. I learned quite a few new things. Yes. It seems to be spreading by word of mouth now, so I hope to see more of them in Kansai in the future.