Kashiwa opened 400 parking spaces during typhoon — The Japan Times
In the Japanese city of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, temporary parking areas for vehicles were opened at municipal facilities and the Aeon Mall Kashiwa shopping complex on September 21 and 22 as Typhoon Dujuan approached. The complex provided about 400 parking spaces free of charge, including in part of its multistory parking garage. Drivers of 42 vehicles used them, The Japan Times reports.
Agreements with private businesses
City authorities informed residents about the available parking areas through civil protection system email messages and social media. Kashiwa had previously concluded an agreement with Aeon Mall to supply food and other essential goods in the event of a disaster. After heavy rains in August, when unprecedented damage was recorded in the prefecture and flooded vehicles were found in various areas, the city asked the shopping complex to also provide parking spaces. The mechanism was used for the third time during the September typhoon.
Taisuke Katakami, a representative of the city’s disaster prevention and safety division, said that previous experience of cooperation with the complex made it possible to reduce the time needed to open the parking area.
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Thousands of spaces in Shizuoka and Hiroshima
In Shizuoka, agreements with supermarkets, pachinko parlors and other businesses have been in effect since 2024. Thirteen facilities have joined the program, offering approximately 2,500 parking spaces in total. At the same time, authorities note that expanding the network is difficult: such facilities must be located in areas designated as safe on the city’s flood risk maps.
In Hiroshima, after heavy downpours and flooding in July 2018, approximately 4,800 spaces were secured at nine locations, including near supermarkets. These sites are intended for people who find it difficult to evacuate on foot, pet owners, and those who want to wait out the danger in their vehicles. At two locations, including an outlet center, city employees are on duty after they open.
The program in Shizuoka provides only for parking vehicles: after parking, drivers must return home or evacuate elsewhere. City authorities said they would seek to disseminate information promptly so that people could safely leave the parking area.
