Japan deploys 600+ Starlink units as it launches National Disaster Management Agency
XFreeze · x · 2026-11-01
Japan is making Starlink a core piece of its emergency infrastructure, with a new National Disaster Management Agency launching November 2 as a central command for disaster preparedness and response.
What's already in place:
- SoftBank has deployed 600+ Starlink units nationwide for emergency connectivity, plus 250 portable satellite-enabled base stations, 50 designed for evacuation shelters
- After the 2024 Noto earthquake, Japan expanded disaster drills for isolated communities; the 2026 program covers 12 locations, and Wajima's October 4 exercise involved 2,000 students with Starlink communications training
- In Maizuru, a drone surveyed a simulated landslide and streamed live high-quality footage over Starlink to the city's disaster headquarters
- All three major carriers (au, docomo, SoftBank) now offer Starlink Direct, letting compatible phones send messages beyond traditional mobile coverage
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