The Meteorological Agency is ramping up its efforts to raise awareness about “tsunami flags,” which are used to alert beachgoers to tsunami warnings.
This comes after a significant earthquake in August, which registered a lower 6 on the shindo Japanese seismic intensity scale in the city of Nichinan in Miyazaki Prefecture, where the flags facilitated a smooth evacuation. However, the agency acknowledges that awareness of the flags remains low, presenting a challenge for public safety.
Tsunami flags are deployed at beaches and coastal areas to inform the public of tsunami warnings. First introduced in June 2020, the flags feature a red and white checkered pattern, mirroring the international signal flags used to denote “danger is approaching” between ships.
