The Minato Ward Office issued its first-ever evacuation advisory in response to a natural disaster on Monday morning, urging residents to seek refuge amid an elevated risk of landslides as powerful Typhoon Phanfone swept through the metropolis.
About 23,000 households in 11 neighborhoods, including Mita, Nishi-shinbashi, Moto-azabu and Akasaka were subject to the advisory, which was issued at 10:30 a.m.
Residents were told to evacuate to nearby elementary schools and community halls designated by the ward as temporary shelters.
However, as of 11:40 a.m., only one household was confirmed to have followed the advisory, said a ward official in charge of disaster prevention.
The last time the ward issued an evacuation order was in October 2012, when a World War II era bomb was discovered lying dormant at a construction site in Akasaka district. Monday marked the first time the ward ordered its residents to evacuate in relation to a natural disaster.
Minato Ward has 118 cliffs and slopes that have been declared at risk of collapse.