The shape of the future of Neighborhood Association? Neighborhood Associations is working on digitalization of information transmission

　September is Disaster Prevention Month. This month, while thinking about disaster prevention and reduce disaster damage in the region, I visited the Oguchi Nakamachi Ikeshita Town Association, which has reached "digitization" and started working on it.

　The Ikeshita area of Oguchi Nakamachi is an area where a slope with an altitude difference of up to 30 meters is built in a chick shape. The town council formed a disaster support team in 2015 to consider "support required for advocate" based on the characteristics of areas with narrow steep slopes and steep stairs.
After repeated examinations and trials, the support team arrived at Yui Net, which has a function of safety confirmation. It is an application software that allows users to check the safety of registered members in real time in the event of a disaster and instantly share information such as damage situation.
Another point in which "Yu Net" was selected is that "it can usually be used as a communication tool for the town council." If you are accustomed to using it on a daily basis, you can use it without panic even in an emergency.…That's right.
The use of apps is a step ahead, but surprisingly, with the introduction of Yui Net, the board of directors and children's associations have been paperless, remote meetings, and mutual exchange of support team members have been promoted.…The introduction of ICT was also being promoted in the activities of the town council. Make an announcement of the event of Neighborhood Associations. Turn the circular board. Collect the application form and count the participants.…It seems that such a number of processes have been saved by using the app, which has led to a reduction in the burden on officers.

　The digitization efforts of Oguchi Nakamachi Ikeshita Town Association, which began in consideration of preparing for a disaster, are growing little by little as they are used as a means of communication in the town every day. Chairman Yoshio Ishiwata, who calls himself "analogists," said, "Let's use it first. I was worried at first, but I was able to use it with the support of everyone. I'm used to it." At present, not all households have registered yet, so they use the conventional method together, but in the near future it will be a more familiar approach.…I had such a feeling.

　On the way home after listening to everyone's story, the sunset seen from the hill of Ikeshitacho Oguchi Nakamachi was very beautiful. It was a day I felt again that I wanted to prepare for the ward in case of emergency, hoping that this view and calm time would last forever.

September, 2022

Mayor of Kanagawa Masayoshi Hibino