Best Practice of Flood Hazard Map in Japan
1. Hazard map in Japan
There are about 1,500 municipalities in Japan, which need to prepare flood hazard
map. 510 municipalities have already made and disclosed FHM by the printed materialand 181 municipalities published it through internet (As the end of Dec. 2006). In thisconnection, 232 municipalities published Tsunami hazard map and 56 municipalities
published Tidal hazard map among the target 657 municipalities (As of the end ofMarch 2007).
2.“Ubiquitous Hazard Mapping Project”
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport (MLIT) decided to set up sign ofdisaster information such as flood water
depth and flood evacuation shelter in theurban area. These signs will not only
assist inhabitants but also tourists andforeigners for evacuation.
MLIT

is

implementing

designateandpublishtoinundation

hazardous areas and Municipalities arepromoting to produce Flood hazard map
by Flood fighting Act to secure smoothand prompt evacuation and to mitigate the flood damages. MLIT decide to promote“Ubiquitous Hazard Mapping Project” in the urban area.
”The study committee for guideline on flood sign” and “The study committee for flood
pictogram design” have been discussing up to now. “Guidance for Ubiquitous Hazard
Mapping Project” based on the result of these study committees is published for riveradministrators and municipalities.
Specifically three flood disaster signs, ”Flood Water Depth”, “Flood Evacuation
Shelter” and “Levee” were determined and standardized across the nation. In addition,
MLIT have applied for JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) and will make efforts todefine these sign as ISO standards.
Flood Water DepthThis pictogram shows probable flood area

Flood Evacuation shelter

This pictogram shows safe building in case of flood disaster.

Levee

This pictogram shows protection area against flood, in otherwords, inundation area in case of flood.

Images in the town
Sign is attached to electric pole directly.

3.

An example in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture(1) Devastating flood and rehabilitation
・Damages
Strong and large-sized Typhoon TOKAGE landed to Kochi Prefecture at about 13:00
of 20 Oct. and again landed to Izumi-Sano City, Osaka Prefecture before 18:00. The rain
total by typhoon and seasonal rain front exceeded 300mm in North of Kinki Region, andTokai Kou-Shin-Etsu district and it became the heavy rain in the wide range.
Much damage such as tidal waves, heavy rains, mudslides and floods were caused in
the nation by Typhoon TOKAGE in the nation. Its human and housing damages were asfollowings:- death tools: 95- missing: 3 - injured: 552- complete collapse: 893- half collapse: 7,764- partial damaged home 10,841

New Toyooka City had much housing damages as followings and it make up 50% of
total of Hyogo Prefecture.
- death tools: 7 ( 6 by flood and 1 by land slide)- complete collapse: 333- injured: 51- serious half collapse: 1,082- half collapse: 2,651- partial damaged home 292- above the floor level inundation: 545 - under the floor level inundation: 3,326
Toyooka City was designated as devastated area by Disaster Relief Act on 21 Oct., by
Natural Disaster Victims Relief Law on 31 Oct. and by Act concerning Special Financial
Aid to Deal with Major Disaster on 1 Dec. (As for Disaster Relief Act appointment oldTakeno Town is excluded.)
6 persons were deceased by flood. One person was deceased by the flood with thehouse which flowed out due to the dyke break. Two persons were involved in the flood
while moving car. Two persons were drowned by the flood in swollen river. One person
was discovered inside the house where it submerged.
As for the 51 injured persons, some of them fall down by the strong wind and others
were hit by flying something.
Flood damages in Tooyoka City (Maruyama River) in Oct. 2004

Inundated area（Blue area）

Water level at Tatsuno water gauge station in Maruyama River rose from 20th Oct.
afternoon and arrived in highest high-water level 8.29m at 21:00.

In the stage oflowering of water level, levee was broken after 23:00.
Water level at Tatsuno water gauge station in Maruyama River

Highest high-water level 8.29m by Typhoon TOKAGE is annual maximum waterlevel for past 48 years.
Annual maximum water level at Tatsuno water gauge station in Maruyama River1957

2004

・Rehabilitation（MLIT）
Emergency Flood Control Project 2004-2014JFY (Total cost 90 billion Yen)
From 2004 to Middle of June 2005
- Structural Measures：- Rehabilitation of broken point of the embankment,-Levee heightening in Akasahi and Asakura,- Levee heightening to H.W.L. +0.5m in embanked section- Non-Structural Measures：- Publication of inundations map by Typhoon TOKAGE, assistance toprepare flood hazard map,
- Provision of River image,- Announcement of alert through cellular telephone,- Establishment of “Disaster Information Committee in Maruyama River”,- Functional enhancement of disaster prevention facilities
by 2009JFY- Implementation of emergency project for serious damage- Excavation of river channel- Banking- Measures for landside water- Bank strengthening- Reconstruction of bridges・Reconstruction of weirs- Building a coalition in areaby 2014JFY- Flood control basin project
http://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/toyooka/kinkyu/index.html (Japanese version)
Broken point of embankment as of 21 Oct. 2004

Completion of rehabilitation as of 15 June 2005

（Hyogo Prefecture）
Hyogo Pref. adapted the construction method in consideration of ecology ofJapanese giant salamander and have been implementing disaster restoration projects
such as damaged river, road facilities and agricultural facilities with due
considerations to preserve Japanese giant salamander as special protected animal andTheir staffs asked local children to stand sponsor for each water dog so that children
raise awareness on river environment. (Usually ordinary people are prohibited to touch
Japanese giant salamander directly.)
In addition to these structural measures, Hyogo Pref. is implementing Non-structuralmeasures such as 1.Provision of inundation hazardous areas and shelter information on
flood, sediment disaster, tsunami, high tide, 2. Preparation of CG hazard maps included
real-time information of rainfall and water level in river for local residents. And Pref.
have communication in the meeting to explain to local residents and school training to
make active use of these information.
http://www.hazardmap.pref.hyogo.jp/HazMap/top.htm（Japanese version）
Flood and damage in Toyooka City
(Izushi River, right tributary of Maruyama River) in Sep. 2004

Preservation activity of Japanese Giant Salamander（Toyooka City）
・Building emergency temporally housing
・Assistance of settlement
・Establishment of organization and disaster management system
・Disposal of garbage caused by flood
・Implementation of disaster restoration works
・Establishment of Regional Plan for Disaster Prevention・Making study for procedures collecting and conveying information
・Production, distribution and publication of Hazard
maphttp://www3.city.toyooka.lg.jp/bousaimap/index_ie.html（Japanese version）
・Flood fighting drill
・Workshop and Symposium for disaster prevention
・Radio communications for disaster prevention and administration
・Communication system for the people with hearing difficulties (FAX multicastingservice）
・Promotion for damaged commerce, industry and tourist industry
・Implementation of Disaster restoration works related agricultural and forestry/
Promotion for agriculture and forest industry
・Education (mental health care, counseling)・Memorize services and events
・Others- fire facilities(outboard, rowboat, generator, pump, precipitation information
service equipment- natural disaster victims relief fund- equipment in headquarter and branch offices- stockpiles in shelters

- questionnaire survey(2) Flood hazard map
Flood hazard map in the center of Toyooka City is shown in next figure. Purplish area
where flood water depth would be 5.0m or more, blue area would be 2.0m or more, butless than 5.0m, light blue area would be 1.0m or more, but less than 2.0m, green area
would be 0.5m or more, but less than 1.0m and yellow area would be less than 0.5m.
Red figures are substantial buildings as shelter, which have a few floors whose heightis higher than assumed flood water depth. Blue figures are shelters, which can be used
as shelter in case of comparable flood to Typhoon TOKAGE in 2004.

・Let’s prepare evacuation map of my home!
The Hazard map of Toyooka City is designed to prepare evacuation map by eachhousehold and ”Let’s prepare evacuation map of my home!” is included in it.
Four steps to prepare map are described as followings:
STEP 1 Where is your house?
Assumed maximum flood water depths in case of dike break are separated by color
on the reverse of map. Firstly, you need to find your house and confirm assumed flood
water depth.
STEP 2 Where is your shelter?
Secondary, you need to confirm your shelter and route to it. You need to avoid to use
route near river or seepy point.
STEP 3

Let’s walk and confirm evacuation root with your family.

Let’s walk to shelter with your family.

On the way to shelter, you need to checkhazardous places with disaster map so that you can confirm route which is safe andeasy to evacuate.
STEP 4

Let’s prepare evacuation map of my home!

Let’s prepare evacuation map of my home to reach shelter safely. You need to markthe hazardous points, landmark and others and confirm the most safe evacuationroute.
Several check points are described on the hazard map.
-Where is your house? Let’s check it on map by red.
-What is the color around your house? How much is the depth of water around yourhouse?
-Which shelter do you need to evacuate?
-How much is the distance from your house to shelter?
-You need to draw the evacuation route(blue line) from your house to shelter.
- Is not there a river near evacuation route?
- Is there the guard rail along the bank of the river?
- How much is the depth of the water along evacuation route?
- Are there manholes and the gutters without the cover on the evacuation route?
- Are there marks such as signboard or the traffic signal near evacuation route?
- Are there risky place by landslide along evacuation route?
- Are you able to evacuate safely on evacuation route (blue line)?
- Is there another evacuation route?

“Ubiquitous Hazard Mapping Project”
Two types of signboard, “Flood Water Depth” and “Flood Evacuation shelter”, among“Ubiquitous Hazard Mapping Project” were installed in Toyooka City. MLIT andHygo Prefecture established “Flood water Depth” signboards in the city. Toyooka City
set 101 “Flood Evacuation shelter” signboards at each shelter.
（Installation location of ”Flood Water Depth” signboards）（An Example of “Flood Evacuation shelter” signboard）
Toyooka City East Office Annex（An example of ”Flood Water Depth” signboard）
Toyooka National highway branch office
Toyooka Office of River and National Highway, MLIT

（The features of signboard）
An example of Signboard at Kinosaki Community Center(1) Place, Direction and Distance of nearest
shelter from signboard(2) English for foreign tourist etc(3)

Disaster information QR code for cellerphone(4)

InundationwaterdepthbyTyphoon

TOKAGE in 2004
(5) Assumed water depth by Toyooka City
Disaster Map(6) Ground height is shown by water level ofKinosaki water gauge station(7)

InundationwaterdepthbyTyphoon

TOKAGE in 2004

(8) Inundation water level by Typhoon TOKAGE
in 2004(9) Brown board was adapted in scenic important area

(3) Schedule and challenges
MLIT, Hyogo Prefecture and Toyooka City continue to co-ordinate plan, location etc
through coordinating committee. Necessary evacuation shelters will be installed byToyooka City. And MLIT and Hyogo prefecture continue to establish “Flood Water
Depth” signboard in the city. Concerned member intend to collect public opinions
whether it is easy for inhabitants to understand these signboard, or not.
We have found following challenges:
・It takes much time to get agreement by administrator to set signboard.
・It is necessary for us to spend much time to select location.