Lawson opens 1st disaster-support convenience store ahead of quake anniv.

TOKYO - Convenience store operator Lawson Inc. on Tuesday opened its first store designed to serve as a disaster support hub for communities at times of emergencies, ahead of the March anniversary of the massive quake and tsunami calamity that ravaged northeastern Japan 15 years ago.

The reopening of the Futtsuminato outlet in Chiba Prefecture comes as other major convenience store operators are also working to enhance readiness against disasters in the quake-prone country.