Leveraging LINE to Create a Sustainable Society Resilient to Disasters
The LINE communication app was created as a way for people to keep in touch with their loved ones in the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
LY Corporation (the "Company") provides the LINE app as a hotline during emergencies, endeavoring to offer solutions for crises, support the people affected, as well as work toward a strong and sustainable society that is resilient to disaster.
Useful LINE Features for Emergencies
The LINE app provides a range of features that serve as a "hotline" for users during emergencies. Users can get information on disasters in their local areas through LINE chat, let their friends know they are safe after a major disaster through the LINE Safety Confirmation feature, and more.
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Solutions That Are Available Even During Normal Times
Reporting System for Damaged Roads
Residents can use this system to report defects they find in roads, guard rails, parks, and any other public facilities to their local government.
In their reports, residents can also include the type of defect, add a further explanation, specify the location, and attach photos—all of these features can also be used in the same way during a disaster.
—Local governments will also need to consider measures such as providing clear guidelines on what kind of reports can be accepted during emergencies (e.g., what situations the government is able to respond to), and setting up a dedicated contact point during a disaster.
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Solutions for When a Disaster Happens
Information gaps (i.e., where no one from the outside knows what is happening immediately after a disaster) will occur at certain times and locations during a disaster. Filling in these gaps can speed up response measures and help make the evacuation process smoother for residents.
(1) Information posting system for disasters
When a disaster hits, the LINE app helps disaster response organizations quickly collect information about affected sites by reaching out to residents via chatbot, encouraging them to report their status, location, and send optional photos. The collected information is then plotted on a map to help the organizations visualize the conditions in different areas.
This feature is deployed in Kobe City, in its “Kobe City Disaster Message Board.”
*1SOCDA: SOCial-dynamics observation and victims support Dialogue Agent platform for disaster management
A chatbot that assists residents in evacuating, and disaster response organizations in their decision-making. The National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED), the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and Weathernews Inc. are cooperating with LINE Corporation (now known as LY Corporation) on R&D. In the second phase ("Enhancement of National Resilience against Natural Disasters") of the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) led by Cabinet Office's Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, the SOCDA initiative is positioned under sub-theme 2 "Research and development on an interactive platform for distributing disaster information" of theme 1 "Development of 'Integrated System to Support Evacuation and Emergency Response Activities'" (head researcher: Yuichiro Usuda, NIED).
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(2) Communication during disasters
Many people found that although they could use their usual tools to contact colleagues within the same organization during a disaster, they were unable to share information with anyone outside. Organizations can use the LINE Official Account and OpenChat services to duly communicate and share information both internally and externally, without the need for anyone to use their private LINE accounts.
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- Efficacy and Challenges of Disaster Drills Using OpenChat: 50th Sakurajima Volcano Explosion Comprehensive Disaster Drill | LINE (External website | Japanese only)
- Interview with a Kagoshima City Official: Will OpenChat Be More Useful Than Radio, Telephone and LINE Groups as a Communication Method in the Event of a Disaster? (External website | Japanese only)
(3) Digital support deployment during disasters
During the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, LY Corporation was stationed at the Ishikawa Prefectural Office as a member of the Bosai DX Kanmin Kyoso Kyogikai (Council for Bosai DX Public-Private Partnership; described later). Collaborating with Ishikawa Prefecture, affected municipalities, relevant national agencies, and support organizations, the Company extended beyond its organizational boundaries to leverage digital technologies in providing aid to disaster victims.
The public-private collaboration efforts of this council were recognized, leading to the establishment of the Digital Agency's "Disaster Deployment Digital Team" (tentative name). LY Corporation remains committed to actively engaging in support, recovery, and reconstruction efforts during disasters as a private enterprise.
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Solutions Covering the Post-Disaster to Reconstruction Stages
Providing Information to Victims by Leveraging a Chatbot Linked with LINE
Many problems arise when a disaster happens. The mix of unreliable information and fake news on social media can cause confusion for the people in these areas, and local government workers will also need to put their usual duties on hold as they become overwhelmed with inquiries seeking information.
To help address this, LY Corporation provides a system where a chatbot is trained on the general disaster information provided by government agencies and other relevant organizations as well as the varied questions fielded by the individual local governments. The chatbot will then provide answers through LINE to questions from victims and other stakeholders.
With this, the system will be able to provide accurate information to the people in disaster-affected areas and reduce the burden on local government employees.
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Activities to Raise Disaster Prevention Awareness
Information and Disaster Prevention Education (Initiative by the LINE MIRAI Foundation)
While social media has become an increasingly important means in recent years of gathering information and staying in touch with others during a disaster, the uncertainty and confusion during this time also makes it easier for false rumors and fake news to spread. In response to this, the LINE MIRAI Foundation provides Information and Disaster Prevention Education that is focused on ways to handle information during a disaster. By teaching these methods, the Foundation aims to help people calmly select the right information and use it to protect themselves.
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Evacuation Drills Utilizing LINE
The Company promotes practical evacuation drills utilizing LINE, providing citizens with opportunities to learn specific actions during disasters through the platform they use daily. By registering their participation on the LINE Official Account in advance, participants receive a message via LINE during the drill period, notifying the start of an evacuation drill, simulating an actual earthquake occurrence. Participants can follow the instructions in the messages and videos sent via LINE to experience evacuation actions, such as "what to do" and "where to evacuate," as well as search for evacuation centers. This initiative allows individuals to learn specific actions in advance, enhancing disaster awareness and response capabilities. This initiative is currently being implemented in multiple municipalities.
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Initiatives by Councils in the "Disaster Prevention × Digital Technology" Domain
LY Corporation has been providing LINE to the Council on Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Resilience (established in 2019) as a proof-of-concept chatbot platform and serving as the Council's Secretariat. As a member of the Council, the Company also participates in the board of directors, the secretariat, and the various working groups of the Bosai DX Kanmin Kyoso Kyogikai (Council for Bosai DX Public-Private Partnership, established in 2023), working on furthering disaster prevention DX.
Council on Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Resilience
Launched in June 2019 as an industry-government-academic organization, the Council on Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Resilience holds dialogues with like-minded research institutions, companies, local governments, government bodies, and more on disaster prevention and mitigation initiatives and integrates social media and AI-driven measures into society, such as SOCDA.
The Council aims to gather and combine the strengths of all participating organizations to create new innovation and build a society that can adeptly respond to disasters.
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Bosai DX Kanmin Kyoso Kyogikai (Council for Bosai DX Public-Private Partnership)
With the Digital Agency serving as the promoter, this organization was established with the goal of creating an ideal form of disaster prevention DX for both normal times and emergencies: achieving this through the active involvement and collaboration of citizens with the public sector to help reduce the damage and burden shouldered by the people during a disaster.
The Council on Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Resilience has been serving as a core member and secretariat organization since December 2022, when the Kyogikai was in its preparatory stage.
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Updated July 2025