Kurashiki City will begin operating the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App,” available for smartphones, on October 1, 2025.
The app was introduced in connection with the planned end of operations for the disaster-prevention loudspeaker towers at the end of March 2026. It is also intended to address issues with the towers.
What is the app intended to do?
We spoke with staff from the Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office of Kurashiki City.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in September 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App”?
The “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App,” scheduled to begin operating on October 1, 2025, is a service that sends emergency information during disasters, such as evacuation information, through a smartphone app.
In Kurashiki City, operations of the disaster-prevention loudspeaker towers will end at the end of March 2026.
An investigation into the July 2018 heavy rain disaster reportedly revealed several serious issues with the towers, which had deteriorated after many years of use.
The “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” is positioned as a replacement service for the disaster-prevention loudspeaker towers, but its introduction was also intended to address the towers’ shortcomings.
The main issues are as follows:
- Difficulty hearing the broadcasts
Sound from the towers is directional, so it can be difficult to hear if you are outside the direction the speakers are facing. - Sound blocked by environmental factors
During heavy rain, for example, the sound of rain and wind can drown out the broadcasts, making them almost impossible to hear. - Changes in lifestyle
As more homes have become highly airtight and insulated, fewer people keep their windows open, making it difficult for information from outside to reach them.
Features of the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App”
Introduced against this backdrop, the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” has the following features:
- Priority on communicating information by voice
As a replacement for the loudspeaker towers, the app prioritizes delivering emergency information by voice. Text information can be overlooked, while voice conveys a greater sense of urgency and prompts people to act. - Automatically launches even when the phone is in silent mode
Even when silent mode is enabled, the app launches automatically during an emergency and plays an audio announcement. This greatly reduces the risk of missing information. - Replay past broadcasts
Up to the 10 most recent audio broadcasts are saved in the app and can be replayed at any time. There is no need to worry if you miss a broadcast. - Persuasive messages in the mayor’s voice
Based on the idea that “hearing an unfamiliar person say ‘Please evacuate’ doesn’t resonate,” the app carries on the strength of the loudspeaker towers: “the mayor’s voice.” - Receive information over a wide area by registering postal codes
Users can register up to two postal codes, so even if they do not live in Kurashiki City, they can receive information about the area where, for example, their parents live in Kurashiki City, even from outside the prefecture, such as Tokyo or Osaka.
The point Kurashiki City staff particularly emphasized was that the app can be used even by people who do not live in Kurashiki City. It can also help people check on family members living far away and encourage them to evacuate. They also believe it will be useful for communicating with people unfamiliar with local disaster-prevention information, such as students who have recently moved to Kurashiki City and people posted there on their own.
There are almost no downsides to installing the app.
However, since it only launches during emergencies, users may forget they installed it and no longer know what the app is for. That could be considered a drawback.
How to use it
The app is free to install and use.
Users are responsible for any data charges incurred when downloading the app.
For that reason, we recommend that Kurashiki City residents at least install it now. When emergency information is received, the app launches automatically and plays an audio announcement.
It is also very easy to set up.
Install the app and enter your postal code; your address will be entered automatically.
Check the search results, and if everything is correct, tap the “Register” button.
You’re done once the initial screen appears.
After this, any audio broadcasts or text messages you receive will be saved in the app.
Interview with a staff member of the Crisis Management Division, Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office, Kurashiki City
We spoke with Miyoshi Tatsuya and Yano Akihito of the Crisis Management Division, Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office, Kurashiki City, about the reasons for introducing the app.
Could you tell us why you introduced the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App”?
Miyoshi (surname only)
First, the investigation into the July 2018 heavy rain disaster included comments that the disaster-prevention loudspeaker towers were difficult to hear.
The speakers are directional, so they are difficult to hear if you are outside the direction they face, and their sound can also be drowned out by wind. In addition, many people in today’s highly airtight, well-insulated homes keep their windows closed, which limits the ability to communicate information from outside.
So, we shifted to sending information from inside people’s homes rather than from outside. First, we promoted the use of radios (Emergency Alert FM Radio) for people without smartphones. As the next step, we introduced the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” for people with smartphones.
Does it have any advantages over existing disaster-prevention apps?
Yano (surname only)
Emails and existing disaster-prevention apps mainly provide information in text, but evacuation information concerns people’s lives, so we believe it is important to communicate it by voice.
The strength of the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” is that the smartphone launches automatically and plays audio even when it is in silent mode. It also records up to the 10 most recent broadcasts, so they can be replayed.
The “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” does not provide weather information issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency, such as heavy rain advisories and warnings. Based on such information, it only covers more urgent information issued by Kurashiki City, such as evacuation information and notices that evacuation shelters have opened.
Also, emergency alerts sent directly to smartphones are subject to strict rules on when they can be issued, and cannot be sent frequently if the situation has not changed. However, the Emergency Alert FM Radio and Kurashiki Emergency Alert App are not subject to these restrictions, allowing information to be sent more flexibly.
Another major strength is that information is delivered in “the mayor’s voice”, as hearing the voice of someone you know can make people more likely to evacuate.
*Older model
The mayor’s voice seems like a major feature, but in an emergency, the mayor could also be affected by the disaster and unable to make a broadcast. Is that possible?
Miyoshi
In principle, the mayor will make the announcements, but the mayor may be outside the city on official business, or may of course be affected by the disaster.
For this reason, we have recorded some messages in advance for situations that can be anticipated to some extent.
Operations are scheduled to begin in October 2025. How has the app been installed, and what has the public response been like?
Yano
Some people are surprised by the app’s automatic launch feature, but since it has not yet been used in an actual emergency, the public does not seem to have much sense of what it does.
We have also received inquiries saying, “I installed it, but nothing is showing up.”
Audio broadcasts are scheduled to be used only during drills, about once a year.
For that reason, we are considering using the text messaging feature to send disaster-prevention quizzes and other content, so users can confirm that the app is working regularly.
The plan is not to coordinate this with the monthly test broadcasts conducted by the Emergency Alert FM Radio.
Do you have a message for Kurashiki City residents?
Miyoshi
The “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” will officially launch on October 1, 2025.
We have received comments such as, “I installed it, but nothing is showing up.” We hope you will understand that this app is like a good-luck charm that you hope will never ring.
Operations of the disaster-prevention loudspeaker towers are scheduled to cease completely from April 2026 onward. Removal work will be carried out in stages because it costs money, but the towers will cease functioning completely at that point.
For that reason, we hope you will download the Kurashiki Emergency Alert App and continue using it without uninstalling (deleting) it.
From the Writer
I installed the “Kurashiki Emergency Alert App” as soon as it was announced, but nothing happened for so long that I started to feel uneasy.
I could understand the phrase I heard during the interview, “like a good-luck charm,” but I imagine many people would like to know things such as how loud it will be when it actually goes off.
A perfect opportunity is the “Kurashiki Citywide Earthquake Response Drill 2025,” taking place on Friday, September 26, 2025. An emergency broadcast is scheduled for 9 a.m. that day.
Whether you live in Kurashiki City or have family living there, why not give the app a try?
![[Held September 26 (Fri)] Kurashiki Citywide Earthquake Response Drill 2025 — Learn the safety action to take when an earthquake strikes: “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” and prepare to reduce the unexpected](https://media.kuratoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/30083812/bb5b456d1d8af6ce2550685ed1ab8490.jpg)
Kurashiki Emergency Alert App Information
| Name | Kurashiki Emergency Alert App |
|---|---|
| Address | 640 Nishinakashinden, Kurashiki City (Kurashiki City Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office, Crisis Management Division and Community Disaster Prevention Promotion Division) |
| Contact | 086-426-3645 |
| Website | Kurashiki Emergency Alert App |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
