An evacuation drill using virtual reality was held in an underground shopping arcade in Tokyo to prepare for potential flooding due to heavy rain.
About 40 people, including store staff, took part in the drill at the Shinjuku Subnade shopping arcade on Wednesday.
The participants wore VR headsets and shoes with sensors, allowing them to move through a virtual underground arcade space based on actual footage.
The simulation included scenarios of flooding, in which participants felt the effects of rising water levels, which slowed their walking speed. They looked around and evacuated cautiously.
A woman who works at a kimono shop said it was helpful to experience the difficulty of moving through water. She said she would share what she learned with the other staff as torrential rains are becoming more frequent.
The floor of the arcade was inundated during downpours in August this year. Very heavy rain fell over a short period in central Tokyo.
On August 21, Shinjuku Ward recorded 94 millimeters of torrential rain in just one hour. Operators of the shopping arcade say they are considering revising their evacuation plans based on such drills.