Getting Ready for the Rains Planning the Best Way to Evacuate in an Emergency Using Hazard Maps and Disaster Alerts Details on the next page. Preparing for Torrential Rains We’ve reached the “tsuyu” rainy season, that time of year when the fresh leaves of spring start turning a darker green, and the brilliant hydrangea glisten with rain drops. Am I wrong in thinking that there are many of us who look forward to enjoying the beautiful landscape we can only savor at this special time? But while the rainy season brings us unique pleasures, it is also a time when we must be especially vigilant against the dangers that can accompany heavy and prolonged rain. Rivers can swell and overflow their banks. There is a danger that rain-saturated cliffs and hillsides could collapse in landslides. The torrential rains that devastated parts of western Japan last year are just us one example of the large-scale damage that has occurred in every part of Japan due to torrential rainfalls exceeding all our predictions. To ensure that we can move swiftly and smoothly to protect and rescue the victims of such calamities should they occur, Yokohama in April of this year received special designation as a designated city conducting relief operations under the Disaster Relief Act. As the local government closest to and most deeply involved with the lives of all our citizenry, we will undertake every effort going forward to protect your way of life. In addition to this public help and assistance in times of disaster, your own “self-help” efforts to protect yourself and your “mutual assistance” to help citizens help one another at the local level will become a powerful factor in minimizing loss and damage at times of disaster. We can never know when a disaster will strike. I ask that you use the hazard maps distributed by your ward offices that will show you the places near you that are at particular risk for landslides and flooding to confirm together with your family and with everyone in your community the hazardous places near where you reside, and the best routes to evacuation centers. If you are an elder, or have a disability, or have a small child or children, please speak with your neighbors on a regular basis and build face-to-face relationships with those around you, the better to work together and help one another should a time come when you all must evacuate immediately. Going forward, let us all work together to build a disaster-resilient, safe and comforting city for us all. Fumiko Hayashi Mayor of Yokohama   Getting Ready for the Rains By Understanding Disaster Alerts and Using Our Hazard Maps, Let’s Learn the Best Way to Evacuate in an Emergency Disaster information by warning level To make it easier to intuitively grasp emergency disaster information, starting this June the City of Yokohama will display five ranks of warning levels with the disaster information we already provide. Disaster information by warning level Level 5... Disaster has occurred Level 4... Evacuation order (emergency), evacuation advisory Level 3... Prepare to evacuate, begin evacuating elderly and at-risk individuals Level 2... Weather warning Level 1... Watch for possible weather alerts E-mail Alerts When there is an imminent threat of landslides or other hazards, we will send e-mail text alerts to all city residents (text in Japanese language only). Let’s confirm in advance if you live or work in an area designated for immediate evacuation orders in times of emergency. 1 If a landslide seems imminent during a heavy rain alert... キャプション Risk of Landslides! 2 Cities, municipalities, prefectures and the Japan Meteorological Agency issue joint landslide risk alert. キャプション Issuing a landslide warning 3 Kanagawa Prefecture issues emergency bulletin via emergency report e-mail system. 4 The City of Yokohama issues an evacuation advisory via emergency report email system※1 5 The city alerts you of the sites subject to the evacuation advisory※2 via follow-up email. Residents living in the sites, please take steps to evacuate at once. ※1 High-priority emergency warnings regarding earthquakes and other potentially life-threatening events are sent via push notification to smartphones and cellphones in the designated areas by all wireless phone service providers. There is no need to register for this service in advance. ※2 Please visit our homepage to confirm sites designated to receive immediate evacuation orders. 横浜市　即時避難勧告対象区域　　 Search Evacuation Guidelines Based on weather reports, evacuation advisories, and other information, and depending on our own environment let’s take the following evacuation measure before the danger is upon us. In addition, let’s check our hazard maps and other information to identify and confirm well in advance the location of dangerous sites near where we live. Horizontal Evacuation Evacuate to a safe location (for example, designated emergency evacuation sites or other evacuation sites, the nearest high ground, or the homes of relative who live outside the landslide disaster warning area). Vertical evacuation Evacuate using the stairs to the second or higher floors of a sturdy building, or to upper floors of tall buildings in your neighborhood. In-home evacuation (side opposite a dangerous slope) In-building evacuation to safer areas (side of the house opposite the slope or other dangers, second floor or higher) Yokohama Disaster Information E-mails Use the QR code here, or send a blank email to the following email address. You will receive an email with instructions on how to register. E-mail address: entry-yokohama@bousai-mail.jp Inquires Regarding email alerts: General Affairs Bureau Emergency Measures Division Tel: 045-671-2064 Fax: 045-641-1677 Regarding evacuation: General Affairs Bureau Regional Disaster Prevention Division Tel: 045-671-3456 Fax: 045-641-1677 Let’s Prevent Heatstroke Before It Strikes! In 2018 severe heat and hot weather lasted far longer than in average years. Between May and September, 1,711 people in Yokohama were taken to the hospital by ambulance with heatstroke, 2.3 times more than in an average year. When Japan’s rainy season comes to an end and the temperatures suddenly soar, every year large numbers of people are transported to the hospital with symptoms believed to be heatstroke. Before this year’s summer gets too hot, let’s make sure that we are getting adequate exercise and taking advantage of other opportunities to work up a sweat, building strong, heat-resilient bodies to prevent heatstroke in advance. Days like these are a red flag for heatstroke! High temperatures Light or no wind High humidity Rapidly rising temperatures Prevent heatstroke with... Light, cool clothing, sun umbrellas and hats Drinking water frequently, supplementing sodium Daily health management Adjusting interior room temperatures Special tips for older citizens Let’s drink fluids frequently, even if we don’t feel thirsty. Since our body becomes less aware that it is over-heating as we get older, let’s be sure to check the room temperature often, and use our air-conditioning as needed. Infants demand special attention! An infants’ ability to regulate its body temperature takes time to develop. It is essential that we adults stay vigilant to make sure they are alright. On clear days the temperature gets hotter the closer you are to the ground. That means infants and young children are actually living in a hotter environment than we adults. When a person suffers heatstroke Evacuate them to a cool location Remove clothing to cool their body Replenish their water and sodium If the person is unconscious or does not respond to speech, call an ambulance immediately! If you are unsure whether or not you should call for an ambulance, contact: ▼Call the Yokohama City Emergency Counseling Center (Open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day) #7119 or dial 045-232-7119 ▼You can check the Yokohama City Emergency Medical Services Guide on your personal computer or smartphone .... ※ A pamphlet version of the guide is available at all ward fire departments. 横浜市救急受診ガイド　Search Inquiries Fire Bureau Ambulance Service Division (Tel: 045-334-6494/Fax: 045-334-6785) or Health and Social Welfare Bureau Public Health Affairs Division (Tel: 045-671-2451/Fax: 045-663-4469)   Notification regarding FY2019 Municipal Tax and Prefectural Tax (Resident’s Tax) Effective the fiscal 2019, the following changes will be implemented to both the municipal tax and the prefectural tax (individual citizen tax levied on income received in fiscal 2018). ●Special spouse exemption The maximum allowed combined income to qualify for a spouse exemption has been raised from “Up to ¥760,000” to “¥1,230,000 and under” ●Taxpayer income limits when calculating the spouse exemption and spouse special exemption A new income limit for taxpayers has been established regarding eligibility to claim the spouse exemption. For taxpayers reporting combined income of ¥9,000,000 or higher, the allowed spouse exemption and special spouse exemption will be reduced in graduated steps. Taxpayers who report a combined income of ¥10,000,000 or higher may no longer claim the exemption. Spousal salary income (Total income) (Unit: ¥10,000) ～ 103 (～38) ～155 (～90) ～160 (～95) Up to 166.8 (～100) Up to 175.2 (～105) Up to 183.2 (～100) Up to 190.4 (～115) Up to 197.2 (～120) Up to 201.6 (～123) 201.6～ (123～) Types of Deductions Spouse Exemption Special Spouse Exemption Taxpayer Salary Income (Total Income) ～1,120 (～900) ～1,170 (～950) ～1,220 (～1,000) 1,220～ (1,000～) ※Exemption amount when a spouse qualified for the spouse exemption falls under the category of an elderly spouse covered by the exemption. Regarding spouses with the same livelihood as the taxpayer and who cannot be claimed as the object of a spouse exemption, when the taxpayer’s total income exceeds ¥10 million there may be instances where both the taxpayer and the spouse with the same livelihood must make separate residence tax filings. To discuss your individual tax situation, please contact the Tax Division at the ward office of the ward where you were resident on January 1, 2019. ●The Yokohama Green Tax is a flat ¥900 levy added to the municipal tax (extended until fiscal 2024). We are grateful for your understanding and acceptance of this additional financial burden to assist in creating a green Yokohama under the Yokohama Green-up Plan. The deadline for this fiscal year’s first regular tax payment is July 1st. You may confirm your deduction amount in the column marked with a red box ( ). ●Citizens paying own tax directly (regular tax payment) ●Citizens with tax withheld from public pension (Page 3 of tax notice) ●Individuals with special tax withholdings from salary Inquiries Finance Bureau Taxation Affairs Division Tel: 045-671-2253 Fax: 045-641-2775