Watch it, cowboy: Japan’s 9 safety tips for Pokemon Go lovers

Aware of the reports of Pokemon Go-related mishaps elsewhere, the Japanese government-run National Centre of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity has issued a flier with these nine public safety tips to keep overly enthusiastic players from getting into trouble. The smartphone game was released in Japan on Friday:

The government says when registering, a player should use a nickname that a third party cannot use to identify the player. It also advises against posting photos taken near one’s home on social media, as the location could be ascertained.

The government warns there are possibilities that there are apps that contain viruses, and urges users to download the game’s app from legitimate distribution channels.

“Pokemon Go” users who play outside need to be mindful of the weather. Download apps that issue severe weather warnings. A cartoon on the government flier shows a person dragging away a preoccupied player as a tsunami approaches, shouting, “Stop playing and run!”

Players of the game may go on hunting on a sunny day. In that case, the government advises players to be aware of heatstroke, taking a rest in the shade frequently and consuming drinks that contain salt. Drinking water only is not sufficient.

Games that use GPS eat up battery life, so carry extra batteries or chargers.

In case your smartphone runs out of battery, carry a phone card so you can use a public phone. For kids playing alone, parents should take a head-to-toe picture of them in the clothes they are wearing, in case they go missing.

There are reports in other countries of people getting into trouble while playing the game, including being hit by a car, falling into a pond, getting robbed and getting bitten by a snake.