Disaster Management: Protecting Citizens from Disasters
Director General for Disaster Management Bureau
Japan and Natural Disasters
A wide range of natural disasters occurs.
It is critical to protect citizens' lives, safety, and property from natural disasters.
By Implementing prevention and initial response drills, as well as recovery and reconstruction measures against disasters in close cooperation with related governmental agencies, resilience to disasters is promoted.
Damage caused by a landslide in
Hiroshima Prefecture (August 2014)
Volcanic eruption of
Mt. Ontake
(September 2014)
Central Disaster Management Council
Roles to be played by the Council:
To formulate and promote the implementation of the Basic Disaster Management Plan and Earthquake Plans
- To deliberate important issues on disaster management according to requests from the Prime Minister or Minister of State for Disaster Management (basic disaster management policies, overall coordination of disaster countermeasures and declaration of state of disaster emergency)
- To offer opinions regarding disaster management to the Prime Minister and Minister of State for Disaster Management
The 35th meeting of the Central Disaster Management Council
Comprehensive Promotion of Disaster Countermeasures
Fostering International Cooperation in Disaster Reduction
- Japan, as a leading country in disaster reduction, utilizing knowledge and technologies enhanced so far, has promoted international cooperation in disaster reduction
- The third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in March 2015 contributed to mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in the international community
The third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai)
The 4th Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management held with China and the Republic of Korea (Tokyo)
Formulation of Master Plans against Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanic Eruptions, Large Floods and Others
- Fostering measures against large earthquakes, including the creation of master plans against Nankai Trough and Tokyo Inland Earthquakes
- Making evacuation plans for tsunamis, including the creation of tsunami hazard maps
- Implementing a greater number of measures against volcanic eruptions, including the establishment of disaster management councils against volcanic eruptions, the creation of volcanic eruption hazard maps, and the preparation of evacuation plans
- Fostering measures against large floods, including examining evacuation guidance and emergency rescue activities to be conducted in the event of a large flood
Anticipated large-scale earthquakes
Working group on evacuation and emergency response measures against floods
Human Resource Development and Disaster Management Drills
- Providing training for central and local government officials to train them as disaster management specialists
- Establishing a disaster management system by conducting comprehensive disaster reduction drills and the government's role-playing simulation exercise on Disaster Reduction Day (September 1st)
Training to develop disaster management specialists
Tsunami Disaster Drill
Education and Enlightenment Activities
- Fostering the nationwide movement to urge individual citizens to conduct specific activities for disaster risk reduction in their daily lives
- Improving the environment for disaster management volunteers
- Encouraging companies to formulate business continuity plans (BCPs) to ensure that they can continue their business even in the event of a disaster
National Council for Disaster Reduction Promotion
Commemorative event for celebrating
the Tsunami Disaster Preparedness Day on 5 November
Responses to Disasters
- Holding a conference with related governmental agencies on disaster countermeasures, in which participants share information, coordinate and foster various measures
- Dispatching a government investigation team headed by the Minister of State for Disaster Management to assess the situation in devastated areas
- Establishing a Headquarters for Extreme Disaster Management headed by the Prime Minister and composed of all ministers
Major Disaster Management Headquarters
Government Investigation Team dispatched to a disaster-affected site
Support to Victims
- Providing prefectures with advice on relief activities to be conducted based on the Disaster Relief Act and providing subsidies to cover a portion of their expenses
- Providing subsidies to cover a portion of the prefectures' support money for disaster victims based on the Act on Support for Livelihood Recovery of Disaster Victims
- Promoting municipal measures, including the creation of a ledger of victims to support victims in an efficient manner
Example of temporary housing for victims