Japan Seeks to Cut Nankai Trough Earthquake Deaths by 80 percent; Disaster Plan Revisions Also Aim to Halve Property Damage
The Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo
The government aims to reduce by 80% the number of deaths caused by collapsed houses and other direct damage from a massive earthquake along the Nankai Trough, according to a draft for a basic disaster prevention promotion plan the government will revise based on the latest damage estimates for a magnitude-8 to -9 earthquake.
It also seeks to halve the number of houses destroyed by such a quake.
In the draft for the revised plan seen by The Yomiuri Shimbun, the government will set numerical targets for 134 priority measures, with the aim to achieve them within 10 years. This will be the first fundamental revision of the plan, which was established in 2014.
In March, the government released a report that put the estimated death toll from direct damage at up to 298,000 in the event of a massive earthquake along the trough, which extends from off Shizuoka Prefecture to Miyazaki Prefecture. It also estimated that 52,000 people would die indirectly from the disaster and 2.35 million houses would be destroyed.
Massive earthquakes in this region along the trough have been documented with an average recurrence period of about 100 to 150 years. The government has estimated that if a Nankai Trough quake occurs, 707 cities, towns and villages in 29 prefectures could be hit by a strong tremor or large tsunami.
The government's Earthquake Research Committee has said the probability of a magnitude-8 or -9 megaquake occurring in the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years is 'around 80%.'
The revised disaster prevention promotion plan is scheduled to be approved at a meeting of the Central Disaster Management Council as early as July.
According to the draft, the government will emphasize the revision will focus on measures to 'protect and sustain the lives of people' based on the new damage estimates. These measures will concentrate on preventing direct deaths, and will include such steps as raising the completion rate for sea embankments with sufficient height to withstand tsunami to 50% in 2030, up from 42% in 2023.
Many volunteer firefighters died while closing floodgates at the time of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and the revised plan will state that measures will be promoted to operate floodgates automatically and remotely.
The percentage of social welfare facilities with brick walls resistant to earthquakes will also be increased to 53% in 2030 from 20% in 2022.
Among measures to maintain lifelines, the proportion of important facilities with water and sewerage systems that have undergone quake-resistance work will be increased to 32% in 2030, up from 12% in 2023.
Deaths from indirect causes were prominent in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. To help prevent this, the government aims to ensure that all municipalities satisfy the Sphere Standards — a set of internationally recognized principles and minimum humanitarian standards in four areas of response, including shelter and settlement — by 2030.
The government's steps will include securing equipment such as portable beds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
14 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Likely to Step down Following Japan-U.S. Trade Deal
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided on Wednesday to step down, following the Japan-U.S. trade agreement, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The president of the Liberal Democratic Party is expected to make official announcement on his resignation as early as the end of the month. After the crushing defeat of the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito in Sunday's House of Councillors election, Ishiba said Monday that he will stay in office, citing the need to respond to such issues as U.S. tariff measures. 'We must fulfill our responsibility as the largest party in the Diet,' Ishiba said at a press conference. But there were calls within the LDP for Ishiba to resign, holding him responsible for the loss. Ishiba is believed to have told the decision to those around him to take responsibility for the results of the poll as Japan and the United States concluded their tariff negotiations, which had been the biggest pending issue between the two countries. Following his decision, the LDP will begin studying the schedule for a presidential election to select a successor. 'I will make a final decision [whether to step down] based on the results of the tariff negotiations. I cannot comment further until I have carefully examined the details of the agreement,' Ishiba told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday morning. He also indicated his intention to hold a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Economy revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, who held ministerial talks on tariffs in Washington on Monday, is expected to return home as early as Thursday. Ishiba is expected to decide when to announce his resignation and to resign after receiving a detailed report on the agreement from Akazawa, taking into consideration the possibility of a Japan-U.S. summit meeting and other political schedules. On Tuesday evening, Ishiba told those around him that the tariff negotiations are a matter of national interest, and he will explain how he will take responsibility for the results of the upper house election once it becomes unclear when negotiations will resume. He also said Wednesday evening his stance remains unchanged. Movement to oust Ishiba was widespread within the LDP after the party's defeat in the Sunday poll. The party also suffered a crushing loss in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election in June and the House of Representatives election in October last year. Dissatisfaction was growing at Ishiba's announcement that he will stay in office. Also with no progress in the coordination of a partial coalition, in which the ruling parties cooperate with opposition parties on a policy-by-policy The LDP and Komeito won only 47 seats in Sunday's election, significantly down from the combined 66 seats they were defending. It fell short of the 50 seats that Ishiba had set as a 'must-win target.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
15 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
KEPCO's Plan to Construct New Nuclear Reactor: A Step Forward from ‘Post-2011 Earthquake' Policy
After being frozen for many years following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, movement has begun toward the construction of new nuclear reactors. The hope is that Kansai Electric Power Co. will steadily proceed with the plan while carefully gaining the understanding of the public. KEPCO has announced that it will resume a geological survey on the premises of its Mihama nuclear power plant in the town of Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, in preparation for the construction of a new nuclear reactor. The company started the survey in 2010, but it was suspended following the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011. Since the earthquake, there has been strong caution about the use of nuclear power plants. The last nuclear reactor that was newly built in Japan was the No. 3 reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari nuclear power plant, which went into operation in 2009. In recent years, household budgets have been suffering from rising electricity bills due to higher energy prices caused mainly by Russia's aggression against Ukraine and instability in the Middle East. The public has become more aware of energy security, and understanding of the need for nuclear power generation that is compatible with decarbonization has grown. KEPCO may have now clearly expressed its intention to build a new nuclear reactor in light of these changes. KEPCO envisions that the surveying will take around several years. After that, it plans to submit its construction plan to the Nuclear Regulation Authority. It could take about 20 years from the survey to the construction of a new reactor being completed, the company said. Concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants are deep-rooted. KEPCO should continue to make meticulous efforts to gain the understanding of local communities. The Mihama nuclear power plant has three reactors. KEPCO has decided to decommission the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, and the No. 3 reactor is currently in operation. KEPCO said it will consider constructing an 'advanced light-water reactor,' a next-generation nuclear reactor that is said to be very safe and to generate power very efficiently. KEPCO must thoroughly explain the safety of the new technology. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, the government stated that 'dependency on nuclear power generation will be lowered to the extent possible.' However, former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida approved the construction of new nuclear reactors in 2022, changing that policy drastically. Behind this policy shift is the recognition that it is essential to promote the development of data centers for artificial intelligence, which use vast amounts of electricity, in order to strengthen international competitiveness amid the advancement of digitalization. The government has also attached importance to supporting the manufacturing industry through this inexpensive electric power source and reducing the burden on household budgets. In its Strategic Energy Plan, which was approved at a Cabinet meeting in February this year, the government has indicated its policy to raise the ratio of nuclear power in electric power sources from 8.5% in fiscal 2023 to about 20% in fiscal 2040. This is equivalent to the electricity produced by about 30 nuclear reactors. There are currently 33 nuclear reactors in Japan, 14 of which have resumed their operations. Although it is possible for a nuclear reactor to operate for more than 60 years under certain conditions, the stable supply of electricity will be threatened if new reactors are not built. Other electric power companies, such as Kyushu Electric Power Co., will also need to move forward with considering the construction of new reactors. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 23, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
17 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan PM Ishiba to Step Down Over Defeat in Upper House Election
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided on Wednesday to step down, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. He plans to announce his resignation before the end of July to take responsibility for the ruling coalition's defeat in the July 20 upper house election. Ishiba made up his mind after Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations reached an agreement.
