When a disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami occurs, communicating information is extremely important for protecting people and minimizing damage.
Have you heard of the emergency alert FM radio “Kokucchi”?
“Kokucchi” is a radio that automatically turns on during an emergency and delivers important information, such as evacuation orders.
Considered highly effective for communicating information during disasters, “Kokucchi” radios are in use across Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Nagasaki in the south, with around 250,000 units in use as of February 2022.
It was developed by the Kurashiki radio station “FM Kurashiki” and others.
Here we introduce the features of “Kokucchi” and more.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in February 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “Kokucchi”?
“Kokucchi” is a radio designed to deliver emergency information broadcast over FM radio.
It has a built-in rechargeable battery and automatically turns on during an emergency.
It was developed by “Kurashiki Community Media,” a group made up of the following three companies:
- Kurashiki FM radio station: FM Kurashiki
- Cable TV station: Kurashiki Cable Television
- Cable TV station: Tamashima Television Broadcasting
To minimize damage when a disaster occurs, a system is needed to communicate information quickly and reliably.
“Kokucchi” is one way to communicate information during a disaster.
It weighs 485 grams and measures 11 cm high × 16 cm wide × 5 cm deep, making it easy to carry.
The government has also recognized the usefulness of “Kokucchi.”
At the 11th Disaster-Resilient Community Development Awards, it received the Fire and Disaster Management Agency Commissioner’s Award, the second-highest award after the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Award.
Its simple design makes it hard to break, and after a rigorous review it was recognized as an “excellent disaster-prevention tool.”
How to use “Kokucchi”
Where to place it and everyday use
First, check radio reception and place it somewhere “where it can be plugged into an outlet and receive a clear radio signal.”
If radio reception is poor, connect it to an antenna cable branched off from your cable TV line.
Keep it plugged into an outlet during everyday use.
It can receive emergency broadcasts even when “Kokucchi” is switched off.
What happens in an emergency
When an emergency occurs and a request is made to communicate information such as evacuation orders, the community FM station transmits a special activation signal.
“Kokucchi” automatically turns on, and a light indicating an emergency comes on.
It then broadcasts the emergency announcement at maximum volume.
It is easy to notice even while asleep, and you can hear emergency broadcasts even during a power outage.
It can alert people to an emergency even in workplaces where they may not have a smartphone or other device at hand, so it has been installed in many care facilities, kindergartens, nurseries, and offices.
Features of “Kokucchi”
“Kokucchi” has the following features:
- Simple and easy to use
- Less expensive than other systems
- Emergency information can be received indoors, making it easy to hear
- It transmits information by radio waves, so it is less affected by disasters
- It has a built-in rechargeable battery, so it can be used during power outages
- It can also be used as emergency lighting
Let’s take a closer look.
Emergency information can be received indoors, making it easy to hear
During the heavy rains of July 2018, I listened to evacuation information broadcast over the disaster-prevention administrative radio system.
I clearly remember that I was slow to notice the broadcast because the room was closed up, and that even after opening the window, I could barely make out what was being said over the sound of the rain.
With “Kokucchi,” you can listen to broadcasts indoors, where the sound is not drowned out by wind and rain.
It is very easy to hear, and the message comes through clearly.
It transmits information by radio waves, so it is less affected by disasters
If mobile phone base stations are damaged by flooding from a tsunami or heavy rain, for example, the internet may become unavailable.
During the Great East Japan Earthquake, some people said that “radio was the only way to get information in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.”
“Kokucchi,” which uses FM radio waves, is relatively less affected by disasters.
It has a built-in rechargeable battery, so it can be used during power outages
What happens to the ways we get information during a power outage?
First, you cannot watch television.
Mobile phones and smartphones have many uses, so if the power is out for several days, your phone’s battery may run out.
“Kokucchi” runs on a rechargeable battery and has limited functions, making it easy to use as a way to get information during a power outage.
How to purchase “Kokucchi”
“Kokucchi” is not available for purchase just anywhere.
Since it would be pointless if it were not used and maintained properly, the seller explains how to use it at the time of purchase.
In addition, the buyer’s address and name are recorded along with the serial number.
FM Kurashiki conducts a test broadcast on the first of every month and receives reports from listeners telling them things such as where they have placed the radio and whether it sounded correctly.
The price is 8,800 yen (tax included).
If you would like to purchase one and live within FM Kurashiki’s broadcast area, contact one of the following:
| Company | Phone number | Model for |
|---|---|---|
| FM Kurashiki | 086-430-0600 | Kurashiki City and Soja City |
| Takenoko Chaya (in Makibi Park) | 086-698-1514 | Kurashiki City |
| National Lodge Sunroad Kibiji (shop) | 0866-90-0550 | Soja City |
| Kojima Civic Exchange Center | 086-474-8550 | Kurashiki City |
| Tamashima Civic Exchange Center | 086-526-1400 | Kurashiki City |
For details about retailers, see the “Kokucchi” product and retailer information page on the official FM Kurashiki website.
“Kokucchi” has been deployed in more than 40 municipalities across Japan.
If you live outside FM Kurashiki’s broadcast area, contact your local community FM station to ask whether it carries the radio.
Interview with Kensaku Okubo, President and CEO of FM Kurashiki
We spoke with Kensaku Okubo, President and CEO of FM Kurashiki, which developed “Kokucchi.”
The interview content is from the initial interview conducted in October 2020.
What is community broadcasting?
Okubo
Broadcasting stations are classified according to their broadcast coverage areas.
They are divided into national, wide-area, prefectural, and community broadcasting. Community FM broadcasting covers “primarily part of a single municipality.”
Community FM broadcasting was established as a system in 1992 to promote the development of regional information services.
I was a radio enthusiast from a young age, and I loved radio.
We began working toward opening a station in 1994, and FM Kurashiki opened in 1996.
It was the 53rd community FM station. There are now more than 330.
The everyday role of community FM broadcasting is to help residents enjoy a richer life.
It’s about community development.
We always provide a platform for people involved in community development and local residents to appear on air.
And one of our roles during disasters is to communicate emergency information.
“Kokucchi” is one tool for communicating information.
When an emergency strikes, the more familiar people are with their community station from listening to it regularly, the more closely connected it becomes as a tool for communicating during disasters.
That’s an important role.
Okubo
That’s right.
In addition to “Kokucchi,” we are committed to disaster-prevention activities, such as making stickers that encourage people to evacuate early.
However, although we operate community broadcasting with a strong sense of mission, we are a small organization.
We rely on commercial revenue that could disappear at any time, while striving to fulfill our mission to the community in both ordinary times and emergencies.
In small communities, there are few businesses that can advertise, and it is also difficult to maintain relay stations.
But if we cannot be of help when the time comes, then it is all for nothing.
We also have to maintain the equipment. It’s a lot of work.
What inspired you to develop “Kokucchi”?
Okubo
In 2004, Niigata was hit by an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 (the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake).
At the time, I was vice chair of the Japan Community Broadcasting Association.
No matter how many radios people own, if a disaster strikes suddenly in the middle of the night, simply broadcasting information one-way over the radio won’t get people to listen and won’t be useful.
We were working with the ideal of making our community better, so I thought, “We need something that can forcibly alert residents to emergency information.”
So I decided, “Let’s make a radio that starts automatically,” and spent about two years developing it.
This was before smartphones, and after the disaster, radio was the medium residents relied on.
That’s why we thought, as a social responsibility, we should provide a radio service that is useful during disasters.
There were no emergency alert radio services for individual communities anywhere in Japan.
I often hear people say that radio encouraged them during disasters.
Okubo
When I saw a news photograph taken at an evacuation shelter during the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, I thought again about how important radio is.
Radio, a medium that was falling out of use at the time, was reconsidered.
During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, many temporary community radio stations (temporary disaster FM broadcasting stations) were established.
The Tohoku region was without power for days, so televisions couldn’t be used.
Radio is easy to use and highly useful during disasters.
And community FM stations know their towns well because they are part of them every day.
Information about restoring lifelines and distributing supplies needs to be detailed and specific to the town where you are.
We believe community FM stations are best placed to convey disaster-prevention and disaster information specific to their area.
What does radio mean to you, Mr. Okubo?
Okubo
Radio is an old medium, but in the post-COVID era, I think it will be an important tool for conveying images and impressions, through local radio and the voices heard on the radio.
I think it could become a kind of infrastructure that communities can’t do without.
I’ve always believed that “information is a nutrient that helps communities grow.”
Every day, people are showered with information.
If a community is a flower, information is like water.
Trees and flowers that grow in a place flourish because they are watered with care.
Good information becomes good nourishment.
I believe a broadcaster’s judgment is tested by how well it guides a community in a positive direction over the years.
A broadcaster gathers information, processes it, and retransmits it.
How it is processed and what editorial policy is adopted are extremely important.
To make residents think, “I’m glad that station is here,” you have to put in a great deal of effort.
We want to provide a better place and fulfill our role in the community.
From the Writer
At a workplace where I used to work, “Kokucchi” was also in operation.
On the first of every month, I found the test broadcast, which came through loud and clear, reassuring.
“Kokucchi,” with its simple, reliable design, will help support disaster preparedness.
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