A Simulation System for Tsunami Evacuation Behavior in the JR Osaka Station Area

In response to an estimation of the likelihood of occurrence of the Tonankai and Nankai earthquakes, it is predicted that tsunami damage will occur in the JR Osaka Station area, the third biggest business center in Japan. The purpose of this study is to propose a system that evaluates the effectiveness of tsunami evacuation guidance and tsunami countermeasures, based on computer simulation of behavior of evacuees. There are many companies, department stores, hotels, large underground shopping centers and railway/ subway stations in this area. Various kinds of elements must be considered in order to plan safe evacuation. For example, there must be major disruptions between people who try to evacuate from buildings and people who try to get out of the underground shopping center and buildings. In this paper, the first step of the study is reported, that is an evacuation simulator to collect data fundamental for devising a method for inducing evacuation. Keywords-Tsunami; earthquake; simulation; multi-agent system; Osaka City; evacuation.