Disaster Management for Foreign Nationals

Disaster Preparedness 

Disaster Prevention Training for Foreign Nationals

In Japan, disaster drills are conducted by elementary schools and other facilities, and knowledge and awareness of disasters are acquired from a young age.

However, abroad, some countries do not conduct disaster drills.

We provide opportunities for foreigners to know basic information on disasters that we think is the bare minimum you should know while living in Japan, a country with many disasters.

Disaster Prevention Day for Foreign Nationals

Disaster Pocket Guide

We publish a pocket-sized guidebook with useful information on how to prepare for disasters. You can download it.

Participation in various disaster drills　

We participate with foreign Nationals in comprehensive disaster drills conducted by the City of Sapporo.

The Multilingual Disaster Support Center

In times of large scale disaster,　SICPF serves as the Multilingual Disaster Support Center.

In the 2013 Fiscal year, SICPF joined the City of Sapporo on the "Agreement on the Establishment and Management of the Multilingual Disaster Support Center" and assumed that role.

What is the Multilingual Disaster Support Center?

In the midst of a disaster, foreign nationals who do not have sufficient understanding of Japanese fear that they may not be able to understand information broadcast by the government, become delayed in evacuating, and/or not be able to receive necessary support.
Also, depending on which country they are from, there may be some people who do not know how to react due to the fact that they have few experiences with disasters such as earthquakes, and therefore do not know how to respond quickly or about the existence of shelters.
To erase those fears, The Multilingual Disaster Support Center provides relief and necessary information to foreign nationals in cooperation with government agencies, various consulates, and volunteer organizations.

What the Center Does

・Provides disaster information (large earthquakes, heavy rains, flooding, tsunamis, etc.) in simple Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, etc. through email, on the homepage, and through SNS messaging.

・You can consult in a foreign language (at information counter, telephone, e-mail, etc.) and use the internet.

・Staff from the center visit evacuation shelters to listen to and assist foreign national evacuees.

The 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake

In the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, we organized the Multilingual Disaster Support Center to distribute disaster information, visit evacuation centers, and provide consultation services.

Sapporo Assistance for Foreigners in Emergencies(SAFE)

Sapporo Assistance for Foreigners in Emergencies(SAFE)

This is a volunteer team that supports foreigners in the event of a major disaster in Sapporo, working together with "the MultilingualDisaster Support Center” organized at the SICPF.
The team members  mainly consist of foreign residents living in the suburbs of Sapporo, and 46 people from 18 countries who have received training have been certified (as of the end of March, 2025).

What SAFE does (During Disaster)

Working  with the Multilingual Disaster  Support Center, they will visit evacuation centers to provide communication support  and deliver disaster-related information to a widespread of foreigners through their own SNS and communities.

What SAFE does（in ordinary times）

They have attended various trainings  and cooperated with us in disaster awareness programs for foreigners.