Meteorological agency ramps up ‘tsunami flag’ awareness efforts

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.