The Japanese Foreign Ministry on Friday started operating a new information service system, which enables Japanese residents and travelers in North America to leave their messages so that their families and friends will be able to confirm their safety in an emergency.
"The number of Japanese who reside overseas is growing steadily," the consul general in New York, Motoatsu Sakurai, said at a news conference.
Currently, more than 1 million Japanese live outside of Japan. Of them, 40 percent, or 400,000 people, are in North America. In addition, more than 3 million Japanese visit North America every year.
Therefore, the Foreign Ministry first launched this system here, Sakurai said.
In a state of emergency, phone calls cannot easily be connected.
Sakurai said the newly introduced system uses more than 200 phone lines of three long-distance telephone companies' networks in order to secure better connection.
The system, which cost $290,000, turns on only in case of emergency.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060908/kyodo/d8k0vh782.html
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