Abstract
One of the most important roles for a municipality when a natural disaster occurs, such as a huge earthquake, is gathering information about the status of local residents within 24 hours from the occurrence of the calamity. This is a very important and difficult matter, as shelters in disaster areas are usually studded, therefore the whole situation can not be grasped easily and clearly. This study outlines a theoretical analysis of the case of Kashiwazaki city office coping with the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake. A concept of commitment flow helps to understand why they could gather and integrate information about local residents. This study concludes that the Key Officer System in Kashiwazaki city worked well in transmission of information about shelters upward, toward higher-level organization quickly as a latent function. We should consider this method of gathering information on shelters and lives as an element of “invisible disaster prevention” from now on.
