The Japanese government plans to use My Number identification cards for social security and taxes to track the evacuation status of disaster victims, the Digital Agency said on Tuesday.
“We want to facilitate the response of local governments and residents in the event of a disaster,” Digital Transformation Minister Taro Kono said at a press conference.
In response to the January 1 powerful earthquake on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, approximately 12,000 Suica transit IC cards were distributed to affected residents.
The IC cards allowed holders to register their names and addresses by scanning the cards at reading terminals, allowing local governments to track the usage status of evacuation centers.
The cards also eliminated the need for victims to repeatedly write down their names and other information when using bathing facilities.
The agency aims to use the My Number cards in a similar way. The country also plans to use the cards in the future to efficiently manage and distribute relief supplies.
As a first step, the agency will encourage people to carry their My Number cards regularly, while preparing around 20,000 backup cards for those who do not have their My Number cards during disasters. It will also prepare approximately 350 card readers for use in evacuation centers.
The agency will also set up a system to send private sector digital experts to areas affected by a large-scale disaster to assist local municipalities.
