Tokyo: Japan on Monday launched a new national agency dedicated to disaster management, aiming to strengthen the country's preparedness for major emergencies, including a possible megaquake along the Pacific coast, an earthquake in Tokyo, or an eruption of Mount Fuji.
More than 350 staff members at the National Disaster Management Agency will oversee preparedness, emergency response and reconstruction efforts.
The agency was not established in anticipation of any specific disaster. Instead, it addresses concerns about whether Japan is adequately prepared for a crisis on the scale of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the country's north, which killed nearly 20,000 people and was followed by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire and is among the world's most disaster-prone countries. However, it has not previously had a dedicated national agency to coordinate disaster management.
Reconstruction Minister Goshi Hosono, who will oversee the new agency, said it would serve as the central command for disaster response under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“As the command centre of disaster response, we will do everything to strengthen our preparedness to protect people's lives and properties … and aim to become the world's most prepared,” Hosono said.
“Though we cannot prevent natural disasters, we can reduce damages by being prepared,” Takaichi told agency staff at the launch ceremony.
Agency urges nationwide preparedness review
On Monday, Hosono issued a set of emergency requests asking local authorities and residents to review their disaster preparedness.
The recommendations included checking the earthquake resistance of homes, securing furniture, assessing evacuation procedures and stocking up on water and portable toilets for at least three days.
“Please think about it for yourself and take action,” Hosono said.
Having served as the minister in charge of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Hosono said he wanted to draw on his experience of the 2011 disaster to strengthen the new agency.
A reconstruction agency was established after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami to support recovery in northern Japan, including decontamination and decommissioning work at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Those efforts required long-term support, but the country lacked a centralised agency for disaster management.
Hosono pointed to gaps in preparedness at the local level. Less than half of municipal officials in Japan have received disaster management training in the past five years. Only 15 per cent of municipalities have evacuation contingency plans for older residents and people with disabilities who need assistance, he said.
Until now, Japan has relied on temporary disaster response units assembled from different ministries and departments, without a permanent cross-departmental command centre.
Japan seeks to address major earthquake risks
Experts have warned of the possibility of major earthquakes in the coming decades. Although their precise timing and locations cannot be predicted, officials want communities to be better prepared.
One of the biggest concerns is a megaquake associated with the Nankai Trough, an undersea trench in the Pacific off southeastern Japan.
Government assessments estimate that such an earthquake could cause 298,000 deaths, force 6.5 million people to evacuate and destroy 2.35 million homes.
“If this actually hits, our future will be at stake,” Hosono said.
The government also estimates that a megaquake involving two troughs off Japan's northern coast could cause nearly 200,000 deaths.
A separate major earthquake in metropolitan Tokyo could kill an estimated 18,000 people, force 4.1 million to evacuate and destroy 400,000 homes.
An eruption of Mount Fuji could affect 790,000 people and disrupt transport networks, power lines and other key infrastructure, according to official estimates.
New agency plans better-equipped evacuation centres
Japan has long faced criticism over the condition of its evacuation centres. People are often accommodated in crowded gymnasiums, community centres and classrooms that lack adequate privacy, bedding, clean toilets and hot meals. Experts have linked such harsh living conditions to health problems and deaths.
The new agency aims to improve these facilities by providing clean portable toilets, kitchens capable of serving hot meals, hot-bath facilities and cardboard beds.
The magnitude 9 earthquake and massive tsunami that struck northern Japan in March 2011 killed nearly 19,800 people. Of these, 3,810 deaths were linked to harsh living conditions following the disaster.
More recently, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto in July, killing 38 people and destroying or damaging more than 69,000 homes. Large areas were left without water and electricity for weeks.
Amid intense heat, evacuees took shelter in gymnasiums and community centres, many of which lacked air conditioning. Some people avoided the shelters and instead stayed in vehicles outside their homes or in parking lots.
The new agency is expected to coordinate disaster planning and response more systematically, with a focus on improving preparedness before emergencies occur and providing better conditions for people displaced by disasters.
