Japan will start using a satellite system early next year to communicate with and verify the safety of Japanese nationals working in dangerous regions across the globe, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official.
The system will feature a satellite global positioning system, electronic maps, computers and phones of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (Inmarsat).
It will allow the ministry to communicate with Japanese who encounter difficulties in remote or hazardous areas, the official said.
Around five or six packages containing the necessary equipment will initially be sent to Islamabad, Karachi and nearby locations, the official said.
More equipment is expected to be sent to countries that include Iran, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in the future.
In the event that Japanese in these areas are kidnapped, are victims of natural disasters or simply get lost in remote areas, the system will allow the government to locate them, the official said.
The ministry has secured some 300 million yen from the 2001 supplementary budget to put the system into effect.
Those covered by the plan include Japanese members of nongovernmental organizations and international groups working in dangerous locations, the official said.
Those in possession of the equipment will be able to confirm their locations and communicate with the ministry or its overseas offices using the Inmarsat satellite phones.
The ministry and its overseas establishments will meanwhile be able to use the system to guide staff members to areas in which Japanese are in need of aid, the official said.