Major convenience store chain Lawson has begun to upgrade select outlets that would be able to act as disaster relief centers and is looking to have a network of 100 these by fiscal 2030.
The stores would offer services such as rental portable battery chargers, while rice balls could be prepared ad hoc and handed out from in-store kitchens.
Rooftop solar panels and a system in which energy could be redirected from power supply vehicles or electric vehicles would allow the stores to continue to operate even during large-scale electricity shortages.
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