Businesses Rush to Supply Relief to Quake-Hit Kumamoto

Tokyo, Aug. 5 (Jiji Press)–Companies are expanding relief efforts in earthquake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, rushing to supply cooling equipment, emergency power and necessities to evacuees. Addressing the heat wave is a top priority at a time when temperatures have topped 40 degrees Celsius on some days. Daikin Industries Ltd. has been dispatching portable spot coolers and business-use air conditioners capable of cooling large evacuation shelters in response to requests, a company official said. Hitachi Ltd. had delivered 37 business-use air conditioners to shelters as of Tuesday, while electronics retailer Edion Corp. deployed mobile inspection vehicles to provide free appliance checks for affected people. Toyota Motor Corp. has sent a hydrogen fuel cell bus to a disaster zone for the first time. Developed to provide emergency electricity during disasters, the bus generates power from onboard hydrogen, recharges portable batteries made by Honda Motor Co. and supplies electricity to evacuation shelters and other sites. Anytime Fitness, a 24-hour gym chain, has opened showers and restrooms free of charge at its gyms across Kumamoto. Seven-Eleven Japan Co., a convenience store chain, has dispatched employees to evacuation shelters to identify residents’ needs and deliver food and other supplies, including frozen bottled drinks. Zensho Holdings Co. has sent mobile kitchens from its Sukiya “gyudon” beef-on-rice restaurant chain to serve hot meals at shelters. Improving sanitary conditions is also a priority. Kao Corp. has supplied waterless shampoo and disposable oral-cleaning wipes. Unicharm Corp. has delivered disposable diapers and sanitary products, while Daito Trust Construction Co. has provided portable toilets. Telecommunication companies NTT Docomo Inc. and KDDI Corp. have waived data-speed restrictions for customers in affected areas who exceed their monthly mobile data allowances. SoftBank Corp. has made additional mobile data available free of charge. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]