Stay at hotel after a natural disaster and save!

A merchant association in Toda, Saitama Prefecture, is selling memberships in a kind of disaster getaway package.

Buyers choose an inn or hotel in advance, and, if the Disaster Relief Law goes into effect in the city, members will be provided accommodation up to 300,000 yen in value. The vouchers can be used at lodging in 14 locations around Japan. The annual membership fee costs 10,500 yen for a family of five, and that includes transportation.

And if nothing happens during the one-year membership? You get a free gift! Direct from one of the evacuation area regions. A 3,000 yen value.

Brochure images: blog.kogayabungu.jp

The Daily Yomiuri reports that a ?disaster relief vending machine? which can be enabled to dispense goods for free during a natural disaster, has been installed outside a police box in Maebashi.

And the Maebashi machine is not the only one. There are 20 similar vending machines in Shizuoka.

In fact, vending machines that become free-of-charge after a disaster or major quake have been available nationally at least since 2003.

When an earthquake of 5 or higher on the seismic intensity scale, or a similar disaster occurs, and if the anti-disaster headquarters is activated, the items in the special vending machines will be offered free of charge. An emergency power supply keeps the machines operating.

Seishin venderDydo