Society | Feb 12

NHK World updates app to issue disaster alerts in English

Tourists and residents in Japan who don't speak Japanese no longer need to be concerned about missing out on earthquake and tsunami alerts.

Thanks to a new feature added on Feb. 1 to an app offered by NHK World, an English news channel provided by the public broadcaster, travelers or residents who don't speak Japanese will be able to receive emergency warnings on their smartphones in English.

They will have the choice of turning on notifications for earthquake and tsunami warnings as well as breaking news alerts. The breaking news alerts will include J-Alert warnings and updates on weather-related incidents, such as volcanic eruptions and typhoons.

The alerts will be available for people who download the free app --- called NHK World TV --- and turn on push notifications in its settings menu.

Although the notifications are available only in English, NHK plans to introduce a Chinese option later this year.

A total of 115 representatives from 67 Tokyo-based embassies and officials from Japan's ministries attended a briefing on the new service at NHK headquarters in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Tuesday.

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