FM Nagaoka in the quake-hit city of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, began broadcasting earthquake-information programs in different languages Monday, in a growing trend to provide more emergency services for foreign residents.
With the number of foreign residents in Japan on the rise, providing them with essential information in the event of a major disaster like an earthquake is an important task for regional governments.
Regional governments already provide leaflets and Web sites in a number of different languages to help residents, and now local authorities are realizing that radio is another effective tool.