Convenience Stores, Smoking Corners, Laundries Prepare to Be Disaster Response Hubs for Locals

By Kenji Iwaasa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:56 JST, March 16, 2026

An increasing number of shops and other facilities in urban areas are preparing to become disaster response hubs during emergencies. Companies are making efforts to contribute to their communities, and residents are welcoming the initiative.

Providing meals

In October, we visited one of the Blue Sky Laundry’s outlets in Chiba Prefecture. This disaster-ready store boasts the ability to supply gas and electricity during disasters.

“In an emergency, the store becomes a temporary evacuation center. Residents can use the facilities to prepare meals,” said an employee of BSL Co., which operates the facility.

The laundry stores liquefied petroleum gas to power drying machines, and keeps generators, gas stoves and cauldrons in its storeroom. The facility is expected to be able to provide hot meals for about 120 people and to generate electricity using gas to charge mobile phones and for other needs during earthquakes, typhoons or other disasters. “It would be a huge help to have gas and electricity available nearby during a disaster,” said a 60-year-old homemaker who uses the laundry once a week.

The store has also conducted a joint drill to cook curry with the local neighborhood associations and the fire department. “Life infrastructure provides peace of mind for the community. We hope senior members of the association will be able to smoothly support residents during a disaster,” said the chairperson of the the association in the Chiharadai area.

More than 250 Blue Sky Laundry stores nationwide, including ones in Chiba and Aichi prefectures, are designed to function as disaster-prepared facilities. The company has concluded disaster cooperation agreements with 35 neighborhood associations and 30 municipalities.

Convenience stores are taking similar steps. Lawson, Inc. will begin setting up what will be called “disaster support convenience stores” this fiscal year. In preparation for events such as an earthquake in the Nankai Trough, these stores will be designed to supply electricity during blackouts by incorporating solar power generation systems. The convenience store chain is also considering introducing disaster-ready toilets, which can be used during water outages, and will provide meals, such as rice balls cooked in-store. Installations will proceed alongside store renovations, with plans to expand to 100 stores nationwide by fiscal year 2030.

Smoking corners

Japan Tobacco Inc. displays disaster information for local residents and any stranded commuters at outdoor smoking corners. Collaborating with local governments since 2022, it has established disaster-ready smoking corners, called Itsumo Moshimo Stations, at 25 locations, including train stations and parks in Tokyo and Osaka and a baseball stadium in Sendai. In addition to raising users’ disaster awareness in daily life, some smoking corners also offer charging stations and disaster supplies.

During large-scale disasters, prolonged disruptions to essential infrastructure are a concern. There are various kinds of disasters that could occur, and many people choose to shelter at home. “There is growing demand for convenience and comfort during disasters,” said disaster risk management advisor Takamasa Wada, explaining the reason for the rising number of urban disaster hubs. Companies also recognize the benefits of helping solve residents’ challenges and contributing to the community.

Raising awareness

Some initiatives aim to boost awareness of disaster preparedness.

With the concept of “visible disaster preparedness,” Nomura Real Estate Development Co. has been promoting efforts to make use of high-rise condominiums as local disaster response hubs since 2021.

The condominium building, with 374 units over 29 floors, was completed in January this year in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo. It is located near a river and faces flood risks. “We are enhancing measures to help residents feel that disaster is just around the corner and make disaster preparedness easier to implement,” the company said.

The firm anticipates that the condominium will be used by stranded commuters and local residents during disasters. The building is equipped with rescue boats and tide protection boards.

As a preventive measure against flooding, electrical facilities and the disaster supply warehouse for the community are located on the second floor. About 80 types of disaster supplies are displayed on warehouse shelves in an easy-to-see manner so that they will be easy to use during emergencies. Illustrated panels detailing initial response procedures are displayed on walls.

Households with children, which make up 40% of residents, are showing great interest in these measures. “We would like to enhance residents’ disaster response capabilities through repeated practical drills,” said the director of the condominium’s management association.

Public assistance may not be sufficient if government offices are affected by disasters. Katsuya Yamori of Kyoto University’s Disaster Prevention Research Institute says lessons from the massive earthquake on the Noto Peninsula clarified the need for a “decentralized and self-reliant” approach, in which infrastructure and human resources can function even if communities become isolated.

“If disaster prevention hubs addressing local needs increase throughout towns by leveraging community power, we can expect swift, resident-led support for affected people,” he said.