A disaster evacuation drill using an augmented reality app was held in the northeastern Japanese prefecture of Fukushima on Sunday.

About 110 residents and students gathered at a shopping mall in Iwaki City to try the app that was jointly developed by Tohoku and Kyushu universities.

Safe evacuation routes are indicated with an arrow. They are based on shared disaster information and the user's location. The app also enables photos of collapsed buildings and fires to be shared with the city's disaster response team.

Participants checked their smartphone screens before turning back and making detours as they headed to the evacuation spot.

Those who used the app were found to have walked shorter distances and evacuated more efficiently, but some older people had difficulty using smartphones.

A visiting professor at Tohoku University, Oishi Yusuke, said it is effective to use the latest technology to guide people in an easy to understand way, although some issues remain.