Lack of support for foreigners during disasters creating problems
KUMAMOTO —
Following a series of powerful earthquakes that struck Kumamato and Oita prefectures, a serious problem has surfaced for the Japanese government: the lack of support services for foreigners and a “tendency for Japanese to take precedence” in disaster preparedness planning for many municipalities.
At most of the evacuation sites in both prefectures, there is no language guidance provided other than in Japanese.
In order to secure the safety of a growing number of foreign tourists, the government is requesting that foreigners be assigned a similar status to that of disabled persons—as people requiring special help in disaster scenarios.
But the reality for many is a feeling of isolation as some foreigners struggle just to reach evacuation sites amid a system of faulty communication.
Song Tham, 54, who arrived from Thailand a day following the main quake on April 17, was shocked at the state of affairs at an elementary school being used as an evacuation site in Yufu, Oita Prefecture. He said he was unable to sleep because of the cold.
His family of eight had gone sightseeing at Kumamoto Castle then headed for Yufu, popular even among foreign tourists for the Yufuin Onsen hot spring.
After contacting the Thai Embassy in Japan, Song was instructed to head to the evacuation site, but he could find no one who spoke English there, he said, and even asked a news reporter of a way to return to Bangkok.
Dylan Thomas, 21, who arrived from the United States on a short study abroad in March, has been using his smartphone at an evacuation site in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, to get information. He said he is afraid of returning to where he was staying near the ocean because of possible tsunami and has had to request help with translation from friends on Facebook.
Not only are most foreign tourists unaccustomed to Japan, but there are also many who have never experienced an earthquake before.
In 2014, the Japan Tourism Agency created a safety guidebook for foreign tourists and requested that municipalities formulate a system to dispatch volunteer interpreters to evacuation sites. Some have taken a proactive approach to this, with disaster warning systems set to be installed in several languages.
But according to one government official most of the disaster reduction plans that municipalities have put in place tend to prioritize Japanese.
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Beppu has some 3,300 students from abroad, and it includes its foreign students when conducting disaster training.
Although a multi-language sheet had been prepared to facilitate communication in four different languages in the event of a disaster, it was not sufficiently put into practice this time.
Even though both Kumamoto and Oita prefectures claim to consider foreigners in their disaster preparedness plans they lack an accurate grasp of the different nationalities and the number of evacuees.
Amidst a reaction toward foreigners in disasters that in many cases is insufficient, Kumamoto City International Center is an outlier. The center displays guidance in five different languages at its entrance and its staff members speak English.
About 50 foreigners, including those from China and Britain, have evacuated there. Wariul Islam, a 26-year-old research student from Bangladesh, returns temporarily to cook meals at his residence since there are limitations to what he can eat as a Muslim at the center.
But he said he feels “stress free” and secure at the center.
“Most foreigners have a feeling that they’re unsure if it is all right for them to go to evacuation sites,” said Tomomi Katsutani, 47, the center’s supervisor. “As much as possible, we want to deal with them in languages in which they feel no stress,” she said, pointing out that it is also necessary to have a grasp of various countries’ cultures to offer people the proper support.
With its target of attracting 20 million inbound tourists by 2020 already ahead of schedule, the government recently announced it has doubled the goal to 40 million. But it appears work is still needed to support foreign visitors during disasters.
“We will have to do a thorough investigation into this earthquake,” said a top official from the Japan Tourism Agency, adding that the agency hopes to appeal to municipalities and disaster prevention administrators in other government agencies to do more.
© KYODO
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60 Comments
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5
SenseNotSoCommon
Preparedness begins with suspending disbelief.
0
Yubaru
Granted there needs to be better information available in the event of a disaster.
Yet I also believe that people coming here should at least be knowledgeable about the potential of one occurring.
3
M3M3M3
The Google translate app is really helpful. Even if you can't read or type in Japanese, you can translate hardcopy text just by taking a photo. The new word lens feature isn't available in Japanese yet, but I recommend everyone try it out in another language. It's amazing how far technology has come.
https://youtu.be/-S9mh7Oju3Q
3
Matthew Simon
Although I understand the frustration of the tourists, some personal responsibility should be exercised on their part prior to coming about what to do in the event of a disaster here. Its not as if earthquakes are uncommon in Japan. That being said the local governments could definitely do more to ensure the proper information is out there.
2
badsey3
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/essential/emergency/safety_tips.html
Emergency assistance info app in English.
3
kurisupisu
It's really a case of history repeating;it was the same in the Kobe earthquake and in Tohoku foreign embassies sent staff to get their nationals out. In a disaster here you'd better be able to understand Japanese because the locals won't be using any other language.
3
wakawaka225
I hope the next big earthquake is a long ways off so that the government has time to actually learn and implement a plan for tourists during a disaster.
7
Disillusioned
What a priceless comment! So, if you are not Japanese you are disabled? Bwahaha!
2
Supey11
Either this was inaccurately reported, or this guy was asking for a problem. Who would reasonably continue with their travel plans to the area after the quake happened?
-10
Dan Lewis
I don't see why the government should be overly concerned about proving emergency communications to foreigners. There are way more Japanese people and the government can barely communicate with them during emergencies.
5
Geoff Gillespie
Well if that doesn't sum up Japan's 'tolerance' for foreigners, I really don't know what does. Let's face it, we are little more than pond life to them, an inconvenient fact of life that they have to deal with but would actually rather forget about.
9
Ian Robertson
The language issue is once again apparent. The fact that so many public service workers have no English -- or other - language skills in a country that claims to be first world is a total mystery to me. This is going to have to change dramatically before we host the Olympics.
1
Yukiii
I understand that Japan is yet to be able to catch up foreign culture, especially language skills. So now it should be a big lack of support for foreigners. We need to improve our education, change our mind for languages until 2020 Olympic in Tokyo.
However I agree that foreigners also need to learn Japanese if they come here or stay long time. As you have known, Japan is called earthquake country, there should be possibility at everywhere in Japan. So a little bit of Japanese and emergent countermeasures need to be considered before their trip.
Anyhow we must help each other!!!
2
Dennis Bauer
Do i have the misconception that embassy should make sure that their nationals are accounted for? They usually have staff that speak their native tongue and Japanese
14
Pukey2
dan lewis:
Fine. In that case, stop stating that you want XXX million tourists to come and visit Japan. You want their money but you don't want to deal with the people themselves. Why not just ask them to wire the money over and not come here at all? The Olympics are coming in 4 years time as Ian Robertson says. The authorities had better start thinking about being prepared. Japan doesn't like having egg on its face in front of the world.
10
Geoff Gillespie
What about those of us who pay tax to the Japanese government? They have no responsibility to us...?
1
Romy Berggren
The "Weblio" translate app is really helpful
http://translate.weblio.jp/
4
noriyosan73
Japan Today reports, "The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in March hit 2,009,500, the highest for a single month, with popular cherry blossom viewing season attracting tourists from abroad, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday." What are the plans if there are problems where these people need as much help as the citizens?
0
lincolnman
Well, I can understand a little of the frustration and stress that foreigners have with a lack of support from local and national Japanese organizations, but that's what Embassies and Consulates are for - to help those citizens when they are in need. I know the US embassy has a team on the ground in Kumamoto and Oita helping to find and assist US citizens. If the US gentleman mentioned in the article is checking his smartphone as he says, then he has access the US Emb website that has all sorts of information and contact info for the teams in the area - who can help with whatever he needs.
0
talaraedokko
Time for Japan to really internationalize.
1
FightingViking
@wakawaka
They have already started (albeit in preparation for the Olympics...) I know because I've been translating into French all kinds of different "situations" that can/do arise.
3
wtfjapan
and people get annoyed when gaijin packup and head home in the event of a disaster. who can blame them now!?
5
Laguna
If any non-Japanese are in need of individual assistance, please message us at https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Our team has the expertise to advise you on many issues.
1
In_japan
Foreigners who have stayed long enough in Japan definitely know the "priority" thing. Hopefully it will change while Japan shifts itself from production industry to tourism industry.
5
Frank Thornton
Some of the comments sound as if foreigners are being discriminated or refused assistance. "I pay tax to the Japanese Gov" and so on. From what I read in the article and see in comments from friends living in or originally from Kumamoto, people are being treated fairly. No matter what nationality. Yes, there may be a language barrier but, get a grip. You're in a foreign country. If I were on tour in a foreign country and there were a disaster, complaining about a language barrier and lack of signs in my language would not be something I would be doing. I would be expecting such a thing.
6
bullfighter
Comments like this tend to confirm the view that Japanese like me hold with respect to non-Asian foreign nationals. More often than not they get special preferential treatment yet they are continually complaining that they are hard done by.
I am certain "disabilities" in this case means that foreigners will get special, preferential treatment similar to that offered to people with disabilities.
3
CH3CHO
This is the time when foreigners who has lived in Japan for a long time can really help.
1
Strangerland
Don't group us all together. Some of the comments in this thread are ridiculous. If you don't speak the language of the country you are going to, and you are worried about situations like the earthquake, don't go to that country. Plain and simple. Expecting that country to learn your language is ridiculous. And it seems to be the English speakers who are most vocal about this, but English is not the official language of Earth. There are more Chinese speakers, and about the same number of Spanish speakers. So should all countries aim to have their population be able to speak English, Spanish, Mandarin, on top of whatever local languages they have? And what about other languages? Why should they be ignored?
The language of Japan is Japanese. The more support they can provide for foreigners in situations like this, and it's good they even make contingency plans. But if you expect more than that in such a situation, better to only visit countries in which you can speak the local language.
1
dcog9065
Not a big issue, hopefully lessons can be learned for any future disaster. If no lessons are learned and communication problems are still pervasive tourists will obviously stop coming
1
JackKasket
My main takeaway from this article was the part where the officials are perpetually unaware of the number of foreigners in the area.
This means that there likely are people who speak English, but they are too few and overworked to help all the foreigners in timely fashion.
So, when people say "Japanese take precedence", what actually is happening is that the multilingual workers cannot handle all the non-japanese speakers, and monolingual workers focus on Japanese speakers.
Lesson learned. Moving on.
-5
Strangerland
And how exactly would they? Should foreigners be fitted with GPS tracking, so the government know exactly where they all are all the time?
1
JackKasket
Huh, what?
Statistics, trend lines, and city hall/ward office registrations. It's not rocket surgery, or a dystopian tracking problem.
The keyword is preparedness.
-5
Strangerland
So tourists should have to register at city hall in each city they go to? And where exactly would the number for these statistics come from? And what's a trend line - is that not some kind of statistic?
-2
Citizen2012
It is a mystery to me too, I can only explain it by a lack of proper education. Nobody ask them to write a full book in english but just to provide basic explanation, by the tone of the article, it seems that they cannot even give you simple direction on how to go shelters, I am not sure who looks the more "disabled".
1
JackKasket
Apparently, it is rocket surgery.
0
goldorak
Don't think Japan is to blame here. They are providing the same support to all victims i.e shelter, food etc.
Then imo it's up to foreigners' consulate to do more, offer translators assistance, further medical help or repatriation if needed. Some do, others don't, we saw that in Nepal couple of years ago.
3
Anonymous Jones
If Japan want to really become a tourism hotspot and bring in more tourists, they need to do something about the populations proficiency in another language--at least the people who may need to be directly involved with foreign visitors.
You can't expect someone visiting Japan on a holiday to be able to not only accurately state that they need help, food, or directions on where to find shelter, but if they would even be able to understand the answer. And lets face it, those who do actually speak Japanese are still met with blank stares when a small error is made...how do you expect a tourist to become proficient enough to communicate in that situation?
Long term foreign residents however should make an effort to at least speak some Japanese.
-3
Updoot
Japan is well known all over the world as a earthquake prone country. This fact has been made worldwide knowledge even more-so after the tragedy that happened 5 years ago.
When anyone travels to a foreign country, they -should- research about the country they intend to go to, and if they see that communication is going to be an issue, they should plan for an emergency.
Before I moved to Japan, I bought a small Japanese-English phrasebook especially for this reason, the phrasebook contains many phrases that can be used in disaster situations. Thankfully I haven't needed to use any of those phrases, and since have learned Japanese, but had I been caught in a disaster, I could have communicated and gotten the help I would have needed.
So, in my opinion it's not Japan's responsibility to make sure that the Japanese people speak your languages, but it's really your responsibility that when you visit or move to a foreign country, that you do a little research prepare yourself.
1
Ghost rider
Either this was inaccurately reported, or this guy was asking for a problem. Who would reasonably continue with their travel plans to the area after the quake happened?
-- japanese travel agent
-2
Donnie Palahnuk
Personally I think - the situatuon is really rough for everyone. It is expected that the local language will prevail. I have little sympathy for complaints in this regard. Of course I would not like anyone to further suffer serious injury or death because of a lack of language skills, but it seems odd that people complain in the current circumstance when there are more fundamental porblems to be dealt with.
2
quercetum
If you don't know Japanese, technically, it can disable you.
I believe they are knowledgeable about the potential of earthquakes occuring. They probably were not knowledgeable about the level of English ability of the locals.
4
tmarie
The language of Japan is Japanese. The more support they can provide for foreigners in situations like this, and it's good they even make contingency plans. But if you expect more than that in such a situation, better to only visit countries in which you can speak the local language.
How good was your Japanese when you first moved here? How many languages do you speak? Hope You've only visited English speaking countries.
What a ridiculous statement to make in 2016.
2
smithinjapan
This is nothing new; it even happened before in previous earthquakes and ethnic Koreans were given a hard time or some sections ignored in Kobe, etc. I asked the City Hall in my town last year if I and other foreigners could participate in disaster drills as potential victims who could speak no Japanese, but was told it would just confuse things as they had already planned out what to do. Well, when reality hits, you do run into those situations, and as with all the set up zoo escape training, we see that the real thing causes problems they cannot plan for, but need to start.
-3
ShinCebu
Foreigners cant blame this problem to the Japanese Government. Their priority are lives of the victims not giving translations to foreigners.
1
tmarie
Foreigners cant blame this problem to the Japanese Government. Their priority are lives of the victims not giving translations to foreigners.
Did you feel this way when it was Japanese people stuck in the earthquake in Christchurch, NZ a few years back?
0
DarkKnghtZ
@Strangerland
Agreed. This is Japan. If you cant speak Japanese, either don't come here, come prepared with a translator/Denshi jishou/app, or assume the worst could happen. it is no different than not bringing cash and hoping credit cards work everywhere.
1
FightingViking
@ShinCebu
What a heartless thing to say ! Anyway, the Japanese Government IS doing something about it - there were a whole lot of "instructions" on what to do in case of an earthquake in the translations I did. How about some Japanese caught in an earthquake (like the recent one in Ecuador) and not being able to speak the language ? Should they just be left to fend for themselves ?
-2
Jonathan Prin
In all countries in the world, if you are a foreigner tourist: 1. Travel agency tour: it is its duty to provide assistance at all cost 2. On your own: insurance company, or your own responsibility to get prepared In no way Japan government ows you special treatment. During natural disasters times, survival of the fittest.
As for resident, you are supposed to know enough language of country.
PS: I laughed at the muslim need to give more concern to religion than to safety. Start of invasion...
-1
goldorak
Did you feel this way when it was Japanese people stuck in the earthquake in Christchurch, NZ a few years back?
@tmarie, did the kiwis provide support in Japanese and other languages to foreigners stuck in Christchurch? (serious question). If so well done bros
-1
ShinCebu
@FightingViking
Get a Dictionary and study the word PRIORITY.
1
Kuribo1
It is Japan, were the language of the native population is Japanese. I really do not see why that is so hard for some to understand.
1
MyJT2014
Let’s be realistic about the situation right now, everyone is dealing with the same way no matter who you are, tourist or not, language barrier or not. Think about it this way, at least tourists can go back to their country and enjoy the safety of their homes. Spare a thought for those Japanese families who now have nothing to look forward to. These families have to rebuild their entire lives. Take a look around the world, every time a disaster occurs there are riots and public disorder. This is rarely, if ever seen in Japan. Despite all the hurt, loss and desperation, you don’t hear them moaning. Instead the Japanese continue to treat each other with the respect and compassion the world has come to know them for. So stop whining and queue up just like everyone else. Stop feeling sorry for yourself! Consider yourself lucky that of all places you are in Japan and not another part of the world like Kathmandu or Ecuador.
I wish them all the best!!!
0
quercetum
did the kiwis provide support in Japanese and other languages to foreigners stuck in Christchurch? (serious question). If so well done bros
Is Japanese the common language for tourists? No is saying to make signs in all languages of the world. If you had to choose one non-Japanese language for all tourists to comprehend, what language would you choose?
0
Anonymous Jones
How is a Japanese Phrasebook going to help a TOURIST understand what an emergency worker is telling them? NO ONE is saying Japan should change, but in one breath Japan wants to promote tourism because of the extra income it provides but in the other they don't seem to want to make an effort to help facilitate increasing tourism other than a few signs here or there.
If a tourist is worried there is an emergency on a vacation to Japan where they may or may not be able to get access to real help due to a language barrier, they will not come, thus killing the goal of increasing the number of tourists to Japan. Of course tourists should learn a few phrases and prepare themselves when traveling to a foreign country, but it is unrealistic to believe a pocket dictionary will get them out of any communication issues (especially in times of crisis) and ridiculous to think tourists should enroll in Japanese classes before taking a short vacation. Like I said before, those of us who CAN speak Japanese can still find themselves struggling from time to time.
But once again, if you are a foreign LONG-TERM resident, you should learn to be proficient enough in the home countries language
0
Strangerland
My Japanese was non-existent when I came here. And I go to non-English speaking counties all the time. But look at my statements:
And:
When I came here, I had no expectations of people being able to speak English. And while I was worried about earthquakes, I didn't expect that Japan as a whole should speak English just because I was living here.
My point being expectations. If you expect a country to learn a language just for your sake, that's unreasonable. So your options are to go to the country and accept that you will not get the level of information you would in a country where you speak the language, or not go to the country. For many, that means not going to the country, and that's entirely fair. Others will go and accept that they will not be able to get things in their first language. It's those who go and demand that the country learn a language just for them that are being unreasonable.
1
Roten
The title of this article is "Lack of support for foreigners during disasters creating problems" and then there is a good deal of discussion about tourists and support for tourists. I am not sure how many tourists visit the Kumamoto and Oita areas, although I know that there are several asian tour groups that go to Beppu, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and/or Fukuoka from China, Korea or Taiwan. I suspect that if the authorities looked into things, they would find a huge difference between the support for tourists, who often are unknown to city halls and their own embassies, and the support for foreign residents in the different areas of Japan. Residents register at city halls and usually with their own embassies/consulates, and their locations are usually known if they keep their addresses up to date. I am currently living in Kansas, but have been receiving reports in English of where to go to receive English language assistance and support if I were to need to be somewhere other than my home in both Beppu and Kumamoto during this earthquake period. I commend the officials at the Kumamoto City International Center and the citizens and City Hall of Beppu who have been proactively reaching out to known foreigners. Fukuoka Now in Fukuoka City has also been keeping foreigners throughout Kyushu informed of current information. The support levels for long-term foreigners in Japan who are Internet/Facebook savvy has vastly improved in the past fifteen years or so. If people want to find out things, it is so much easier than after the Kobe earthquake. I think the authors of the article are misinformed or reporting what they want to report without considering the facts when they write, " Even though both Kumamoto and Oita prefectures claim to consider foreigners in their disaster preparedness plans they lack an accurate grasp of the different nationalities and the number of evacuees. Amidst a reaction toward foreigners in disasters that in many cases is insufficient, Kumamoto City International Center is an outlier." I believe that there is a strong support system in place for both Japanese and long-term foreigners and that whilst Kumomoto City is a fine example, it is not an outlier in 2016. For tourists who choose to go running around between Kumamoto Castle and Yufuiin, for example, during the aftermath of a major earthquake, it is a different matter. I hope not too many tourists were clogging the transportation arteries when they were needed for emergency vehicles or seeking to gawk at the devastated areas between Kumamoto and Oita. Kudos to those Japanese and long-term foreigners who have been manning information stations to support ALL PEOPLE who need assistance during this disaster.
-1
G.MAL.O.Q
Excellent...Another clickbait article to appeal to the crowd of the very-angry-gaijin-that-yet-would-not-return-home that constitute the readership of this site. Yawn !
1
Strangerland
Personally, I didn't think about it one way or the other at the time. But if had heard a bunch of Japanese people were complaining that they weren't being provided with enough information in Japanese, my response would have been the same as the posts I've made in this thread. Every government can't learn every language, and sometimes people have to accept that they will not get the level of communication they would get if they were in a country in which they spoke the local language.
0
goldorak
@quercetum, I would obviously choose a language am comfortable with. Thing is there are still many, many tourists who do not speak English especially in a country like Japan.
If one day the vast majority of tourists visiting Kyushu are Mandarin-speakers (might be the case today dunno?) do you reckon Mandarin should be Japan's de facto 2nd language (for tourists I mean)? My point is, many tourists visiting Japan do not speak English nor Japanese, it is therefore near impossible for Japan (or any other country in such circumstances) to please everyone, especially in REMOTE areas. These ppl aren't in Tokyo, Nara etc. There are many signs in English in many J cities, you hear Korean, Chinese and English announcements on trains.
Am pretty sure they do their best and that's all am asking.
0
No Ginger
This is the age of the Internet, smartphones, Google Translate and a million and one apps. If foreigners coming to Japan for the 2020 Olympics cannot cope with the challenges of visiting this alien land, how on earth did they cope in 1964? It would be interesting to hear from someone who did visit for the last Tokyo Olympics. Is there anybody out there?
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