Japan

Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Japan is home to both dormant and active volcanoes, including Mount Fuji, which last erupted in 1707. Approximately 1,500 to 3,000 seismic occurrences affect the country each year. Most are only minor tremors, but Japan sustains nearly one-fifth of the world's earthquakes. The capital city of Tokyo is situated near the Philippine Sea tectonic plate, and it sits atop the Eurasian plate, and the Pacific plate, which lies beneath the Eurasian plate. Scientists have discovered that a section measuring 60 miles in length and 15 miles in thickness has broken off and lodged between the two plates, sending up periodic tremors to Tokyo. There is a 70 percent chance that a major quake will hit the city sometime in the future, potentially creating $1 trillion in damages and leading to massive loss of life. Because of this, there has been much discussion about moving the seat of government to a less disaster-prone location. From May to July, much of the country experiences the rainy season, which is followed by the typhoon season (July to September). Japan is also subject to floods, tidal waves, and tsunamis.

Well aware of its high potential for major disasters, part of Japan's national budget is regularly earmarked for disaster risk reduction. In 2003, for example, 2.7 trillion yen was allotted for this purpose. The Japanese government is adamant about disaster preparedness. At various levels of government, legislation focuses on risk reduction, emergency response, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Building codes are strictly enforced, and many older buildings have been retrofitted to withstand earthquakes. Roads have been widened to prevent the spread of fires and allow for faster movement of emergency vehicles during disasters. Disaster Management Volunteer Week is held on the anniversary of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, January 15–21, and disaster risk-reduction activities are carried out all over Japan. January 15 is designated as Disaster Management and Volunteer Day.

Additionally, National Disaster-Prevention Week is regularly held in September, and August 30-September 5 is designated as National Disaster Prevention Week. Schoolchildren from 3 to 18 years of age regularly receive education in disaster reduction, and schools and businesses are required to participate in regular disaster drills.

Hazard mapping, which pinpoints areas vulnerable to tsunamis, tidal waves, flooding, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, are an integral element in Japan's disaster reduction planning, and many of these maps are created by locals who know their own areas intimately. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, the Japan Meteorological Agency, and local governments, an early warning system is in place to provide warning of impending storms, blizzards, [Page 366]torrential rains, heavy snow, landslides, tsunamis, tidal waves, high surfs, inundations, and floods. The use of early warning systems has saved lives on a number of occasions, such as during the Usuzan volcanic eruption on March 27, 2000, when 15,815 people were successfully evacuated. The Japanese railway system uses the Urgent Earthquake Detection and Alarm System, which automatically cuts power whenever a preliminary tremor is sensed. In 2001, a system was launched to automatically cut off gas supplies in response to such tremors. Other proactive measures include building embankments, pumping stations, and water gates in low-lying areas to mitigate the effects of flooding. Land use and development plans, which include environmental controls and the use of high-rise buildings to reduce population density, are comprehensive. A number of cities, including Tokyo and Kobe, have set up shelter bases that can hold 80 to 1,082 evacuees during disasters. A number of innovative measures have also been taken to facilitate disaster response, including the use of robotic infoballoons that provide disaster-stricken areas with up-to-date information in the event of communication loss, and robots that serve in a disaster-response capacity. Japan and China have worked together to develop a snake robot for penetrating debris in order to search for disaster survivors, and flying robots that can monitor fire damage during disasters.

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