A powerful earthquake centered in the Iburi district in Hokkaido early on Sept. 6 caused blackouts affecting almost every household across Hokkaido. Blackouts keep people from gathering information via TV and other media, exacerbating anxiety and fear.
Experts stress the necessity of preparing for a disaster on a regular basis, such as by keeping an extra battery for your smartphone.
Battery-powered radios and smartphones are alternative tools to gain information when the TV doesn't work.
To keep the battery from running out quickly, it is useful to decrease the brightness of the screen or turn off any non-urgent apps. Smartphones have an emergency energy-saving mode that can be found under such icon names as "power-saving mode for emergency," "long-life mode for emergency" or "low-power mode," depending on the model.
NTT Docomo Inc. is calling for its users to avoid nonessential calls or texting, except for safety confirmation.
Even so, batteries don't last forever, and preparations on a routine basis are necessary. Multi-function hand-operated power generators have recently become available at stores. They can also be used as flashlights, radio devices and, of course, chargers for smartphones.
Rechargeable solar batteries can be bought. It is recommended to download disaster-management apps into a smartphone before disaster occurs. Waiting until the time of a disaster to download such apps will drain precious power from your battery.
Large-scale blackouts can occur in the early morning, just as the recent disaster did. Nobue Kunizaki, an adviser at Risk & Crisis Management Educational Institute Co., recommends using a night-light that automatically lights up at the time of blackouts, with some turning into a flashlight.
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