Foreign residents gathered for a seminar in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Saturday to learn how to use disaster kits and protect themselves during emergencies, even if they can't speak Japanese.
The event, which was held in English with the help of volunteers, taught about 60 non-Japanese who live, work or study in the ward how to use the Dial 171 emergency voice message board and operate public defibrillator units. They also learned how to call for emergency assistance.
Held in a building north of Hamamatsucho Station, the event, the first of its kind organized by the ward, also featured workshops on crafting disposable tools, such as slippers made out of newspaper and ponchos fashioned from vinyl garbage bags. Seminars of this kind are usually held only in Japanese.
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