Local governments around Japan are using digital signboards, long an instrument for corporate advertising, to convey crucial information during disasters in multiple languages.

They are currently going through a trial-and-error process to fine-tune their systems. But the results so far seem promising.

Tokyo’s Adachi Ward has installed nine digital signboards for disaster information at Kita-Senju Station, parks and other crowded spots.

In normal times, the signboards show notices and publicity videos for the ward government and other public bodies.

They also provide information on public transportation, and they run ads for local businesses for a fee.

Whenever an earthquake early warning from the Japan Meteorological Agency is received, the signboards instantly display the alert in multiple languages.

One minute later, they switch screens to show TV news of Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK).

The signboards also work in tandem with the central government’s “L-Alert” system, which sends local governments’ evacuation orders and other data to TV stations, newspaper publishers and other media outlets.

Adachi Ward employees can update the information on the signboards from anywhere, even if they cannot immediately get to their offices, officials said.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake prompted Adachi Ward to introduce the digital signage.

The quake disrupted public transportation in the capital, and about 30,000 people on their way home from central Tokyo were stranded at train stations and elsewhere in the ward.

Ward officials said they failed to sufficiently convey information to those people, such as the status of roads and routes for temporary accommodation facilities.

“Availability of information ensures peace of mind,” an official with the ward government’s disaster management division said. “We hope to prevent confusion from arising.”

Hyojito Co., an ad agency based in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, helped install those digital signboards.

“We want to spread information that moves people to action,” said Naoyuki Tsukuda, a Hyojito operating officer in charge of technological development. “I hope our signboards draw people’s attention because they provide necessary information.”

Yokohama Station also fell into a state of confusion after the Great East Japan Earthquake when crowds of people were stranded there.

The Yokohama city government later set its sights on more than 140 digital signboards in an area around the station that were usually used for advertisements.

Yokohama authorities signed memorandums in 2023 with the operators of the signboards to display relevant information and image data during times of emergency.

Sapporo had a bitter experience during a large-scale blackout triggered by the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake in 2018. It took city officials much time to guide stranded tourists to safety in the predawn darkness.

Sapporo officials have since installed six expensive electronic signboards equipped with large batteries as a disaster mitigation measure that would “allow everyone to survive.”

The signboards are designed to convey detailed information on spots where water is available, waiting areas for public transportation, and other information, such as “railroad services will be resumed in the morning.”

The signboards will also help non-Japanese citizens by providing information in four languages, including English and Chinese.

“We hope our signboards will help provide a sense of security,” a Sapporo city official said.

But several hurdles must still be overcome.

Digital signboards for use in disasters require emergency power sources and access to communication channels for sending information.

“We still have to do more, such as ensuring that many people will have access to information even in crowded situations,” a Yokohama city government official said.

The scorching summer weather also raises the risk of the electronic signboards overheating.

Tsukuda of Hyojito said displays that consume less power have been developed, but their high costs and lack of clear visibility make them unsuitable for disaster mitigation purposes.

When a major disaster hits, officials in charge of sending information could also be affected.

Local governments worry if they would still have access to workers who can translate text into multiple languages in real time during disasters.

“There is a mountain of unresolved problems, but digital signage, as a means of conveying information and as a medium for ads, has extremely big growth potential,” said an official with the secretariat of the Digital Signage Consortium, an industry group.

“We hope to solve the problems through concerted efforts of our industry, including by drawing on artificial intelligence,” the official added.