App Profile: Sapporo’s Disaster Management

Sapporo’s Disaster Management App (nicknamed Sonae) is a smartphone application designed to raise awareness of earthquake disasters and wind and flood damage both among local residents as well as tourists visiting the city so that everyone can prepare for and act in response to disasters.

The number of typhoons approaching Hokkaido has recently increased due to abnormal weather phenomena (e.g., El Niño) and other reasons. Sapporo’s Disaster Management App (Sonae) allows users to easily and quickly obtain useful information both under normal circumstances and in times of disasters. It provides information on various types of disasters, city-wide hazard information by type of disaster, evacuation site information, evacuation recommendations, and weather warnings.

It also has an augmented reality (AR) function which allows users to experience danger levels of landslides, floods, and other disasters at their current location in an easily understandable way through animation visualized in the surrounding real world.

This App, which is designed for self-help, public help, and mutual help, can be used by many local residents as well as tourists visiting Sapporo as a disaster management guide that can help to ensure everyone’s safety and security in Sapporo.