Japan’s Free Disaster WiFi service — “00000Japan”
Stay connected even when communication lines are down
Sending, sharing and accessing information is critical in emergency situations.
If your area is hit by a major disaster, there’s a high chance that mobile communications networks will go down due to either damage to infrastructure or overcrowding.
After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, for example, I only managed to get through to my family after using Skype, as phone services were out of action.
This is an example of how Japan’s free disaster WiFi service “00000Japan” (Five Zero Japan) can help those affected by large-scale disasters, whether it be flooding or an earthquake.
It’s a free service that anyone using any phone carrier (including low-cost carriers) can benefit from, as long as your device can connect to WiFi.
Most recently, 00000Japan was deployed in Chiba in the wake of Typhoon Faxai (台風１５号) in September 2019, enabling people to send and access essential information.
How to use
If your phone lines are down, simply open up your WiFi settings on your smartphone or laptop and keep an eye out for 00000Japan (it should pop up on top of the list as the name starts with “00000”).
Of course, when and where the service will be available will depend on many things, including the scale of the disaster and the capacity of the providers.
They aim to deploy the service within 72 hours, the period that is often viewed as the most critical for survival.
While the availability of the service can’t be guaranteed, it’s worth looking out for.
Safety Precautions
Keep in mind that this is an open connection, and so you should take basic precautions.
For example, don’t access any sensitive information that requires entering passwords, such as online banking services. Also, ensure that the SSID has five “0"s to avoid using fake connections, and always ask someone if in doubt. See here for a 27-page (!) manual on the service, provided by Wi-Biz.
If you’re interested in more English-language disaster information, see my disaster preparedness website or other Medium articles:
