Evacuation facilities around Akihabara: What is the difference between evacuation shelters and evacuation areas? [Typhoon/Earthquake]

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
At the time of the earthquake, Akihabara was hit by a number of disasters, including people being unable to return home within Akihabara Station and cracks appearing in the old Radio Kaikan building due to the earthquake, leaving a deep scar in the hearts of the victims and in many of the affected areas.
This time, let's check where to evacuate in case of an emergency, such as an earthquake, which can strike at any time, if you encounter such a disaster in Akihabara.

If you encounter a disaster in Akihabara...the difference between an evacuation shelter and an evacuation site!

What is a shelter? - A facility where disaster victims can temporarily live in evacuation shelters

An evacuation shelter is a facility or place designed to provide temporary accommodation and meals to people affected by a disaster who are unable to return to their homes or who are unable to live in their homes due to collapse, fire, or the disruption of lifelines, until they can find another place to live.
In the Akihabara area, Shohei Domukan and Arts Chiyoda 3331 are serving as evacuation centres.

What are evacuation sites and temporary assembly areas? - A place to temporarily escape from the dangers of a disaster

An evacuation site is a facility or place where people can evacuate to escape the dangers of a disaster.
Depending on the local government, these may be called designated emergency evacuation sites, temporary evacuation sites, etc., and the names may vary.
There are also temporary assembly areas, which are places where people can temporarily gather when evacuating to shelters or evacuation sites in groups.
However, Chiyoda Ward has been designated as an "intra-district remaining area" where there is little risk of a large-scale fire spreading even if a fire breaks out in the event of an earthquake.
For this reason, Chiyoda Ward does not appear to have assigned specific designated locations for large-scale evacuation sites and temporary assembly areas.
However, there is no guarantee that a fire will not spread, so if you feel unsafe at the scene, it is best to evacuate to a nearby evacuation shelter while ensuring your safety.
In the Akihabara area, examples include the Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Corporation, the Chiyoda Metropolitan Tax Office, and the Ueno Park area.

Evacuation to evacuation shelters How to evacuate in the event of a disaster

We have provided an example of a two-stage evacuation process so that appropriate actions can be taken in the event of an earthquake.

If a disaster occurs, going outside unnecessarily could result in injury from fire or falling objects, so if it is safe to do so, stay where you are and observe the situation.
When deciding whether to evacuate, it is a good idea to use the information obtained from television, radio, credible social media, etc. as a reference, and refer to the diagram above.
Depending on the situation of the disaster, the location of evacuation shelters and evacuation methods may differ depending on the ward, city, town, or village, so for more information, please check with the disaster prevention office in your ward, city, town, or village.

Find out where the evacuation shelters are in Akihabara!

This time, we will introduce the evacuation shelters near Akihabara designated by Chiyoda Ward.

Shohei Domukan - A shelter near Chuo Street

A public facility in Chiyoda Ward located near Junk Street.
It is a complex facility that includes an elementary school, library, and children's center, and is adjacent to Yoshirin Park.

Arts Chiyoda 3331 - Evacuation shelter near Suehirocho Station

An art center located near Suehirocho Station.
The facility was originally built by reusing the school building of Chiyoda Ward Rensei Junior High School, and has evacuation spaces such as a gymnasium and Rensei Park in front of the entrance.

In front of the entrance to Arts Chiyoda 3331 is the local crime prevention and disaster prevention center run by the Kanda Gokenchocho Association, and it appears that they are prepared to respond at any time in the event of a disaster.

Chiyoda Parkside Plaza - Evacuation shelter near the Showa-dori entrance

This public facility is located about a 7-minute walk from Showa-dori.
It is a complex that includes Izumi Elementary School and a community facility, and is adjacent to Izumi Park.

In addition, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, which is designated as a disaster base hospital in Chiyoda Ward, is located nearby, so the hospital has a sufficient management system and facilities in place to prepare for disasters.

Taito 1-chome Community Center - Evacuation shelter in the Taito Ward area

This community center is located about an 8-minute walk from the Showa-dori exit.

...When these silhouettes start moving, it will undoubtedly be "Ikiki Plaza" (in the style of Cobra's opening theme song).
The community center is located within Ikiiki Plaza, a complex that includes a nursing home and support center.

Additionally, there is an apartment building behind the Ikiiki Plaza building, and near the entrance there is a temporary meeting place where members of the Ninagamachi Neighborhood Association of Taito Ward residents gather.

Iwamotocho Smile Plaza - A shelter for the elderly, disabled, and others who require care

This public facility is located a 7-minute walk from the Showa-dori exit and a 5-minute walk from Iwamotocho Station.
As it is a complex that combines an elderly welfare facility and a ward facility, it has been designated as a "welfare evacuation shelter" to accept elderly people, people with disabilities, and others who require care and have difficulty living in regular evacuation shelters.
By the way, it seems that an evacuation shelter was opened in 2019 as Typhoon No. 19 approached.

Kanda Sakurakan - A shelter located between Kanda Station and Awajicho Station

A complex facility including an elementary school, kindergarten, nursery school, and child and family support center.
The facility is located on the former site of Kanda Elementary School and is equipped with ample space to accommodate evacuees, including a gymnasium, schoolyard, and multipurpose hall, and is adjacent to Kanda Children's Park.

Find out where temporary accommodation facilities are located near Akihabara!

Temporary accommodation facilities are facilities set up in metropolitan facilities and elsewhere to accommodate people who are unable to return home.
The facility is not only intended as a temporary resting or lodging facility, but also to prevent people who are unable to walk home and have no place to wait from returning home all at once.
If there are no evacuation shelters or evacuation sites nearby, or if you feel in danger due to a disaster, it is best to evacuate to a nearby temporary accommodation facility.
Here we will introduce facilities near Akihabara.

Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center - Temporary accommodation facility near Akihabara Station

The facility is located along Minami-dori Street in front of Akihabara Station, a one-minute walk from the central ticket gate.
The organization contributes to improving the city's disaster prevention capabilities by supporting the practical application and development of sales channels for excellent disaster prevention technologies, products, and prototypes developed and manufactured by small and medium-sized enterprises in Tokyo.

Chiyoda Metropolitan Tax Office - Temporary accommodation facilities near Kanda Station

The Tokyo Metropolitan Tax Office is located about a 4-minute walk from Kanda Station.
In addition, the Chiyoda Metropolitan Tax Office can handle tax reduction or exemption procedures for people affected by disasters such as earthquakes and fires.

Tokyo Metropolitan Hitotsubashi High School -Temporary accommodation facility near Iwamotocho Station and Bakuro Station

This metropolitan high school is located a 9-minute walk from the Showa-dori exit and a 7-minute walk from Iwamotocho Station.
This place has also been designated as a "water supply base" where you can get water in the event of a water outage during an earthquake, so if you are unable to get drinking water from a convenience store or vending machine, it is a good idea to bring a clean plastic container to fill with water and use it.
Incidentally, this place is also designated as an evacuation shelter in Chiyoda Ward.

Shinobugaoka High School -Temporary accommodation facility near Asakusabashi Station

A metropolitan high school located about a 6-minute walk from Asakusabashi Station.

It is also designated as an evacuation shelter for the Torigoe 1-chome Neighborhood Association in Taito Ward.

Find out where to find evacuation sites near Akihabara in case of a disaster!

A disaster evacuation site is a temporary evacuation site to avoid the danger and confusion that occurs immediately after a disaster and to ensure personal safety.
We provide support such as information on public transportation operations, and providing information necessary for those who are unable to return home, as well as portable food, to enable them to temporarily evacuate and return home smoothly.
If you feel that the evacuation centers, evacuation sites, and temporary accommodation facilities near Akihabara are in danger due to a disaster, it is a good idea to evacuate to a disaster evacuation site as a last resort.
Is evacuating to a shelter during a disaster like Godzilla or a monster is like a natural disaster?

Kitanomaru Park - The closest disaster evacuation site to Akihabara

The closest evacuation site to Akihabara in the event of a disaster is Kitanomaru Park.

According to the map on this signboard, the area from the middle to the upper part of the park was marked in red as an evacuation site in the event of a disaster.

I followed the map on the signboard and found a covered rest area.
This area is probably the center of evacuation sites in the event of a disaster.

By the way, when I visited this park in early April, there was some construction work going on on the grounds near the rest area.

It appears to be construction work related to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
I wonder if it will be a facility related to the nearby Nippon Budokan, a competition venue.
The park grounds are heavily forested, but are larger than expected and appear to be able to accommodate many evacuees.

The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace - The second closest evacuation site to Akihabara

The next closest evacuation site in the event of a disaster is the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

Due to the current situation, the park was temporarily closed and we were unable to enter the premises.

The site area is relatively smaller than Kitanomaru Park.
I wonder if the park will be able to open properly in the event of a disaster or other emergency...

The Imperial Palace Outer Gardens - So spacious you'd never guess you were in the city center

And finally, the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens.

Although it is located away from the Marunouchi office buildings, it is so spacious that it is hard to believe it is in the city center.

There are no large buildings nearby, so there is no risk of collapse in an earthquake, and there are no buildings blocking the view, so the view is good.
It is about the same size as Kitanomaru Park and is likely to be able to accommodate many more evacuees.

Parks and places to evacuate near Akihabara

Chiyoda Ward has not designated any large-scale evacuation sites or temporary assembly areas, but we have compiled a list of parks in Akihabara where you may be able to take refuge just in case.

Horin Park - A park near Junk Street

Horin Park is located near Junk Street.
Also nearby are Shohei Domukan and Shohei Elementary School, which have been designated as evacuation shelters.

Akihabara Neribei Park - A park that opened in 2015

Akihabara Neribei Park is located halfway along the Yamanote Line elevated tracks between Akihabara and Okachimachi stations.
It is a relatively new park that opened in 2015.
By the way, "Neribei" is pronounced "Neribei"!!

Izumi Park - Akihabara's largest park

Izumi Park is about a 5-minute walk from the Showa-dori exit.
It has the largest grounds of all the parks in Akihabara.
It is adjacent to Izumi Elementary School, which serves as an evacuation shelter, and Mitsui Memorial Hospital, which has been designated as a disaster base hospital.

Please note that if the Arakawa River overflows, this area could be flooded by 2.5m!

Rensei Park - A park near Suehirocho Station

Rensei Park near Suehirocho Station.
It is adjacent to the evacuation shelter Arts Chiyoda 3331.

Kanda Myojin Shrine -Easy evacuation from floods

Kanda Myojin Shrine is about a 7-minute walk from the Electric Town exit.
According to Chiyoda Ward's flood evacuation map, the area around Kanda Myojin Shrine is a high plateau, with an elevation difference of about 10 meters from the bottom steps of Myojin Otokozaka, making it an easy place to evacuate from flooding.

Miyamoto Park is also located near Kanda Shrine.

Sakuma Park - A park near Asakusabashi

Sakuma Park is located along the elevated Sobu Line on the way from Akihabara Station towards Chiba.
The site is relatively small compared to other Akihabara locations.

Parks near Akihabara that are not suitable as evacuation sites

From here on, I would like to introduce places that I, in my own opinion, do not recommend as evacuation sites.

Akihabara Park - The park at the Showa-dori entrance

Akihabara Park is located right outside the Showa-dori exit ticket gate.
Be careful, as in the event of an earthquake or other disaster, crowds around stations are likely to cause panic!

JR Akihabara Electric Town Exit Station Square - The square in front of the station

The plaza at the north exit of Akihabara Station's Electric Town.
There are high-rise buildings nearby, so there is a high risk of glass fragments falling from the buildings in the event of an earthquake!

Akihabara East Exit Traffic Plaza - Central Exit Rotary Plaza

Bus rotary plaza at the central ticket gate of Akihabara Station.
This is also in front of the station, so there is a possibility that it will be crowded with people in the event of an emergency.
There are many dangerous places in the city, so it's a good idea to plan your evacuation locations on a regular basis.

Disaster Preparedness Goods Available in Akihabara!

Akihabara is one of the world's most famous electronics districts.
So, let's take a quick look at some stores where you can buy emergency supplies like lights, batteries, radios, generators, and more!

Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba - A home appliance retailer with a wide selection of products

This electronics retailer is located in front of Akihabara Station. It has a wide selection of home appliances as well as disaster prevention goods.

Disaster preparedness kits and emergency food.

Other items include loudspeakers, lanterns, and batteries.

How about bringing along a portable power source in case of an emergency such as an earthquake or fire causing a power outage?

Bic Camera AKIBA

An electronics retailer located just a short walk from the Electric Town entrance.

The disaster prevention goods selection takes up an entire wall.

There were emergency food supplies and portable power sources, but no disaster preparedness kits to be found.

Know where to evacuate in case of a disaster that can strike at any time.

You never know when a disaster will strike.
Additionally, there are still many dilapidated buildings remaining in Akihabara, so it's a good idea to check where to evacuate to so you can take appropriate action in the unlikely event of an earthquake.
Be prepared by always having disaster prevention supplies on hand.