The central and local governments, railway companies and other organizations have called for “Pokemon Go” players to be aware of safety as reports of trouble and accidents involving players overseas have been heard one after another.
“We don’t want players to enter dangerous places or go where entry is prohibited,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference on Friday when the smartphone game became available in Japan. “Ensuring the security of important facilities is extremely crucial.”
The Nuclear Regulation Authority revealed that it issued a notice to electricity companies and relevant organizations about enforcing security to prevent “Pokemon Go” users from entering their facilities, including nuclear power plants.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity, a government body, posted a list of safety tips on the internet for “Pokemon Go” players, including children. It called for them to be wary of malicious individuals who may take advantage of those they meet through the game, as well as exercising caution when playing the game while walking.
The Pokemon phenomenon has also come up as a popular topic in business circles. “We hope players enjoy the game while paying attention to public manners and safety,” said Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) on Friday.
In Bosnia-Herzegovina, it has been reported that some users strayed into places where there may be unexploded mines. There was also a case in which a boy playing the game on a street was shot dead by an unknown person in Guatemala.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government issued a notice to all public officials including the military and police officers that virtually bans them from playing “Pokemon Go” when they are on duty. It insists there is concern that information on military facilities and others will be leaked through GPS data.
(c) 2016, The Japan News/Yomiuri ยท No Author
