The number of urban flood hazard has increased recently, as we can see in the cases of Fukuoka flood disaster in 1999 and Toukai flood disaster in 2000. In the case of crises of flood hazard, the flood hazard map, which gives various warnings and directions to run for the places of refuge, plays an important role to save the lives of people involved. Based on those disastrous damages in the past, many local governments are beginning to compile and distribute their own flood hazard map.

In this research paper, the contents of the flood hazard maps of the seven wards in Tokyo area, namely Itabashi ward, Kita ward, Shinjuku ward, Suginami ward, Chiyoda ward, Nakano ward and Bunkyo ward, are compared from the various aspects, such as elements of their compositions, the uses of languages for descriptions and practical effectiveness and usefulness of these maps in real hazardous situations.

On the basis of this research some proposals are made to improve the flood hazard maps more effective and user-friendly.

This paper was written about the analysis of initial response of public sectors to the earthquake disasters which occurred on May 26 around Iwate prefecture and July 26 around Miyagi prefecture. We used questionnaires for municipalities and local branches of prefectural governments in order to grasp data about handling works for disaster measures in the initial response term and to make issues clear in the term.

The problems and issues which public sectors faced in the term were as follows:

1. A standard for calling up members in case of emergency is generally written in the regional prevention plan. This is determined automatically by the seismic intensity in most governments.

2. The information traffic congestion still caused many interruptions for the information linkage on the initial response.

3. Most local branches didn't have enough human resources to grasp information about damages of municipalities and informational facilities to pass on them to prefectural governments.

4. It was one of the most difficult issues in the term to share damage information among organizations concerned to disaster measures.

5. Calls from citizens or muss medias were so much on the initial response that office staffs in public sectors could not work enough for disaster measures.

6. There are common issues in the initial response term to be improved by predigested trainings and the regional prevention plan.

User requirements on volcano information published regularly or extraordinary by Japan Meteorological Agency were surveyed by means of interviews and questionnaires in 2001-2003 fiscal year in order to grasp issues on the volcano information and to find keys to improve them. This paper unveils the result of surveys on volcano information of Fuji Volcano, for which JMA has published no volcano information because of its continuous low volcanic activity, and gives fundamental considerations on how information about Fuji Volcano should be dispatched.

After analysis of the series of survey data, users' expectations of unhesitating publishing volcano information and those of special handling for Fuji Volcano are observed. Applying volcanic activity level, which is issued for five active volcanoes in Japan, would contribute to reduce users' difficulties in understanding volcano information of Fuji Volcano.

We also analyzed how the low volcano literacy of the local governments and residents around Fuji Volcano bars effective use of volcano information. Providing residents with an opportunity to improve fundamental knowledge on volcano disaster prevention should be an effective measure in preparation for future volcanic crises of Fuji Volcano.