Promoting Public Private Partnershipin Disaster Risk Reduction
Japanese Cases

September 2007

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Asian Disaster Reduction CenterContents
Promoting Public Private Partnership in Disaster Risk Reduction:
Japanese cases ...............................................................................................1
Disaster Countermeasures by NTT Group ....................................................................5
Disaster Emergency Message Dial “171” Service ........................................................6
Emergency Earthquake Quick Reporting System .........................................................7
Earthquake Countermeasures by Gas Supplier .............................................................8
Disaster Awareness Programs ........................................................................................9
Backup of Head Office Functions for Continuation of Electricity Services ...............10
Conduct an Effective Emergency Drill ........................................................................ 11
All the Member of the Staff Carries the Emergency Card ..........................................12
Mutual Assistance in Business District Tokyo Central Station
Commuters Corps originates .......................................................................13
Promoting as District Continuity Management (“DCM”) ...........................................14“DCM” Normal Times/Emergency Times ...............................................................15
Trilateral Agreement on Community Disaster Prevention ..........................................16
Hands-on Disaster Prevention Education Program “Exploration for
Disaster Prevention” ....................................................................................18
Retail Chainstores’ Activities for Disaster Prevention and Continuationof Operations ...............................................................................................20
Retail Chainstores’ Contributing to and Cooperation with Society ............................21
Support Activities for Disaster Victims and Community ............................................22
Glass Power Campaign ..............................................................................................24
Disaster Reduction Activities: Example of Parts Manufacturer ..................................26
The Subjects at Parts Manufactures ............................................................................27
To Provide Reassurance to Customers ........................................................................28
Business Continuity Plan Guidelines for Construction Companies ............................30
The Loan Program for Promoting Corporate Disaster Management ..........................32
Business Continuity Guidelines 1st ed. ........................................................................34
Conclusions .................................................................................................................67

Promoting Public Private Partnership in Disaster Risk Reduction: Japanese Cases
Contributed Paper by Satoru NISHIKAWA, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan

1. The Threat of Natural Disasters in Japan
Japan, due to her location in the circum-Pacific “Ring of Fire” and in the Typhoon alley, has been
menaced by natural disasters throughout her course of history. The oldest official written recordof a major earthquake dates back to 416 AD. The oldest written record of a major
earthquake-tsunami dates back to year 684 AD. Hence the Japanese history may be described as
the struggle to confront and adapt to natural disasters. In 1923, Tokyo was devastated by a major
earthquake of M7.9, lost more than 105,000 lives and approx. 40% of the GDP of Japan.
Therefore, in Japan, natural disasters are seen as the major threat to society.

2. The Central Disaster Management Council – The National Platform formed in 1961In the 1940s and 50s Japan was repeatedly ravaged by typhoons and earthquakes. Almost every
year, thousands of lives were lost. In 1959, Ise-wan Typhoon hit the third largest metropolitan
area of Nagoya and killed more than 5,000 people. This heavy damage triggered a big debate in
the Japanese government on how to cope with natural disasters. After two years of debate, theDisaster Countermeasures Basic Act was legislated in 1961. This Act has three major
characteristics.
1) The Central Disaster Management Council, chaired by the Prime Minister and withmembership of all Ministers of the Gov’t as well as heads of semi-public organizations, suchas Public Broadcasting, Bank of Japan, Japanese Red Cross and the Telecommunications
Company as well as representatives of Academia. This Council was given the role offormulating the overall policy for disaster risk management and functioned as the national
coordinating body for disaster risk management.
2) The roles and responsibilities of the National, Prefecture and Municipal Gov’ts as well as
community organizations and citizens regarding disaster risk reduction were clearly defined
and the three layers of Gov’ts were obliged to make their master plans for disaster risk
reduction. Also all the Ministries, semi-public organizations and specific private companies
which provide public services (such as utility companies) were obliged to make their sectoral
disaster management plans.
3) The Cabinet must submit annual official report to the National Diet, regarding the status ofdisaster risk management and the budgetary allocations to disaster risk reduction programs.
The National Diet, both in the lower house and the upper house formed a special committee
for disaster management, have continued to monitor governmental efforts for disaster risk
reduction. Hence, even in year where no major disasters occurred, disaster risk management1was always put on the national political agenda, and thus mainstreamed disaster reduction in
the national policy and as a result, helped in securing financial basis for disaster reduction.
This Basic Act proved to be quite effective in addressing not only the emergency response
but also prevention/mitigation, preparedness and recovery/reconstruction, i.e. all the fourphases of disaster risk reduction through a multi-sectoral approach. Although the number oftyphoons attacking Japan has not changed in average over the last 40 years, the number ofcasualties by natural disasters has greatly decreased. On 25 March 2007, a strong earthquakeof M6.9 with shallow epicenter 11km hit Ishikawa in Japan, human casualties were kept tominimum, one person killed. These are the outcomes of the years of multi-sectoral efforts fordisaster reduction in Japan.

3. The role of the Semi-Public Private Sector in Disaster Risk Reduction
Electricity, Gas and Telecommunication companies as well as major transportation companies
are private companies in Japan. Due to the nature of services and products they provide, they are
regarded to be a vital player in disaster risk reduction. They are called “designated public organs”
in the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act and are given duties to prioritize emergency response
and be resistant against possible disasters. They are also called “Life Line” companies in Japanand there are public expectations for them to be resistant against various natural disasters.
Therefore they have developed advanced engineering systems for disaster mitigation, emergency
response and quick recovery. For example the major Gas companies in Japan are the ones who
have first fully utilized 3D GIS systems for gas pipeline management. Telecommunications
companies have developed specialized emergency voice message systems to avoid overcongestion of telephone lines.

4. The important role of Private Companies in Disaster Risk Reduction
It is not only the “Life Line” companies who are expected to contribute to disaster risk reduction.
In Japan, the Annual Official Report on Disaster Management 1991 defined the three reasons forprivate companies to be active in disaster risk reduction.
(1) Companies own and/or occupy space. The safety of employees, customers and visitors who are
inside this space must be assured by the company who occupies this space. Buildings andShops must be safe against disasters. They must be designed in accordance with seismicbuilding codes, be equipped with safety apparatus, and be fire proof. Security and safety is thebasics for all private enterprise operations. Furthermore they can contribute to disaster risk
reduction by developing technologies and methodologies for securing safety of space.
(2) Companies are members of the communities they are surrounded. Companies must be goodneighbors and are expected to perform corporate citizenship. They can contribute to disaster2

risk reduction activities of their communities. They can initiate goodwill for disaster risk
reduction.
(3) The goods and services provided by companies should not be interrupted. It is not only the“LifeLine” companies who are expected to continue operations. Let us imagine what would
happen if a major pharmaceutical company stops its operations. The same applies to others as
well. Business continuity is expected for various kinds of industries and commerce. To
minimize economic damage, business continuity planning (BCP) is essential for all industries.
These three reasons came to be widely acknowledged over the years in Japan, especially after the
Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake in 1995 and the Tokai Flooding in 2000.

5. Nationwide Movement for Disaster Reduction
Following the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action at WCDR, disaster risk reduction is
given further attention in Japan. There is wider recognition of possible risks of major natural
disasters in the near future. The necessity of a strengthened multi-sectoral approach for disaster
reduction is widely recognized. In order to reduce disaster damage, there must be a close
combination of “self-help efforts” rooted in the awareness of people and companies,“mutual-help efforts” of various community-based organizations, and “public-help efforts” madeby the national and local governments. To promote a nationwide movement where individuals,
families, communities, corporations and other various groups and entities participate incontinuous activities and investments for mitigating disaster damage, in 2006 the Central
Disaster Management Council decided and published a

Basic Framework for Promoting a

Nationwide Movement for Disaster Reduction - Actions with Added Value to Security and
Safety.” In this official paper the role of private companies, the importance of public-private
partnership and BCP are emphasized. Also in the process of the formulation of this basic
framework, many companies were invited to make presentations at the Central Disaster
Management Council meetings. These occasions were covered by the media and gave good
reputations to these companies active in disaster risk reduction.

6. Typical examples of public private partnerships for disaster risk reduction in JapanThe following pages 5-33 provide some of the typical examples the good practices of various
companies in PPP for disaster risk reduction in Japan.
They may be classified as;1) Utility companies’ efforts for continuous services as well as contribution to public awareness,
2) Companies reaching out to their neighborhoods as good corporate citizens for mutual
assistance,
3) Industrial associations initiating public awareness/educational programs,

34) Retail chain stores providing assistance to the communities and support to local government
responders,
5) Manufacturers providing innovative safe products and conducting charitable campaigns
6) Manufacturers ensuring continuous supply of products with reliability7) Industry associations adapting the national BCP guidelines to their own trade anddisseminating to their member companies for public sake,8) Financial institution providing economic incentives for private companies to engage indisaster preparedness.

7. Business Continuity Guideline published with due attention to disaster risk reduction
With growing recognition of the importance of securing business continuity even in the event of
natural disasters or other hazardous events, for minimizing economic damage and also withwider involvement of the corporate sector in disaster risk reduction activities, the Central
DisasterManagement

Councilorganizedaspecialworking

grouponCorporate

Evaluation/Business Continuity in 2004 and have published the Business Continuity Guidelines
1st edition in August 2005. The English translation is attached on pages 34-66.

4Disaster Countermeasure by NTT Group
Disaster resistant Telecommunications Facilities
NTT (NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE) GroupNTT Group’s countermeasures for flooding of rivers, high tides and strong winds include
installation of flood prevention gates and reflection in the wind pressure design.
This is their "Flood Defense Plates." They install it in openings of the buildings, and it prevents theflood to the inside.
Its fire fighting measures include use of flame-resisting cables and setup of fire prevention areas forbetter protection.
NTT Group’s construction standard requires that its buildings and telecommunication facilities will
not give adverse effects on the communications even under the earthquake intensity 7. In fact,
their buildings and facilities caused no major or severe damage during the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake twelve years ago and the Great Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake three years ago.
In order to prevent NTT Group’s telecommunication facilities from falling down due to shakes,
they have been implementing anti-earthquake reinforcements on their equipment.
In addition, they lay underground as many communication cables as possible and install standby
engines and storage batteries to provide against power outage.
5

Disaster Emergency Message Dial “171” Service
NTT (NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE) Group

50 voice servers are installed nationwide. Through these servers, this system allows registrationand playback of messages. Telephone numbers of disaster affected areas are used as its keys.
You can record up to 10 messages per one telephone number, for 48 hours maximum.

6

Emergency Earthquake Quick Reporting System
NTT (NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE) Group

Emergency Earthquake Quick Reporting System is a system which estimates earthquake outbreaktime, epicenter location, magnitude, arrival time of main quake at each area and seismic level,
before main quake arrives.
When receiving emergency earthquake quick report, the system quickly alerts earthquake
occurrence by voice, warning sound and changing its screen to alarm display.
The system alerts users with calculated seismic intensity and arrival time of main quake, based on
its location data set in advance.

7

Earthquake Countermeasures by Gas SupplierTokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Gas devises earthquake countermeasures in the three stages of “Prevention”, “Emergency
Response” and “Restoration”
For the Prevention, Tokyo Gas installs Polyethylene gas pipes.
At the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, most gas installations that suffered damage
were using steel pipes with screw joints. Tokyo Gas is introducing and adopting polyethylene gas
pipes that are excellent in flexibility.
For Emergency Response:Tokyo Gas is installing Microchip-controlled Meters at all customer locations. These meters
automatically shut off the flow of gas when they detect leakage, the neglect to turn off gas
appliances and seismic tremors.
Super-dense Real-time Monitoring of Earthquake System, SUPREME, is an earthquake disasterprevention system without parallel around the world, it went into operation in 2001. Consisting of
SI sensors installed on all 4000 district regulators for a density of one about every square kilometer.
The SI sensors automatically shut off the supply of gas in units of district governors when theydetect a major earthquake. The supply can also be shut off by remote control.
For Restoration:
Once major earthquake occurred, Japan Gas Association requests to city gas companies to send
relief crews to the affected areas to restore services as soon as possible. Tokyo Gas also responses
to the request and works for smooth resumption of services in coordination with all other relief
teams.

8

Disaster Awareness Programs
Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

Disaster Awareness Programs:
As a member of the community and society, Tokyo Gas communicates interactively with local
government, police, fire departments and other community organizations. For example, Tokyo Gas
makes full use of its know-how for supporting the disaster prevention workshop for children, in
collaboration with local community.

9Backup of Head Office Functions for Continuation of Electricity Services
TEPCO（TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER CONPANY）■A backup of Head Office in the following table has been set up inside the branch office building
which is 40km away from the head office. Important functions prepared to be substituted are
Emergency Center of Head Office, Central Load Dispatching Center and Central
Communication Site.
Among these, Emergency Center of Head Office, attended by leaders of Head Office and disasterpersonnel, is a center which collects the information concerning damages and transmits recovery
policy and leads and controls recovery activities.
Central Load Dispatching Center has a function which controls electric power net work of all the
brunches. Central Communication Site has a function which controls and manages TEPCO’s
original power communication network other than public lines.
■Design the backup to be almost the same as Head Office so that it can be used as a substitutesmoothly in the case when personnel moved to the backup facility.
■Leaders and disaster personnel of Head Office can quickly move to the backup facility byhelicopter.

10

Conduct an Effective Emergency Drill
TEPCO（TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER CONPANY）■Various types of drill are conducted on normal time basis in order to perform prompt andeffective recovery activities■In Command Post Exercise, Emergency Center activities to be conducted by the head office andbrunch office in the event of a disaster is simulated, disaster information is collected and analyzed, aneffective recovery plan is set out and optimum allocation conducted to all over the company.

■In Disaster Damage Prediction and Judgment Training which is table top exercise, targeted forcore personnel in disaster activities, predictive capability and judgment for disaster aredeveloped. Develop predictive capability based on past disasters and train to be able to makeappropriate decision under various situations.
■In Field Training Exercise, an activity in order to recover services in the front line facility is
conducted. Train on the spot for recovery of electronic power facilities, electric substationequipment, and electric transmission facilities, electric power distribution equipment, etc.
■TEPCO constantly tries to improve the level of capability of disaster prevention by extracting
issues through the training and reflecting the countermeasure in the manual and ensuring theeffectiveness in the next training.
11All the Member of the Staff Carries the Emergency CardTEPCO（TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER CONPANY）■In order to take prompt and adequate action when disaster strikes, an emergency card, on which
turnout criteria of the employee, behavioral baseline and contact procedure of the safety aredescribed, are created and distributed to all the employees.
■Familiarize all 40 thousand employees with carrying the card on a daily basis.
■As for turnout criteria, describe when you need to turnout in the case of an earthquake warning,in the case of a large scale earthquake occurrence and in the case of a disaster other thanearthquake.
■As a behavioral baseline, described how to take an action in the case the family became victim or
the house is devastated by disaster, in the case the transportation is paralyzed and in the casewhen it is difficult to turnout.
■As for correspondence procedure for safety, described how to confirm the safety of an employee
and the family.
■It enables family members to confirm the safety even when the employee is not with them, byseparating the one end of the card and giving it to the family members.

12Mutual assistance in Business District Tokyo Central Station
Commuters Corps originates
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. of Tokyo Central Station Commuters Corps

Marunouchi District in Tokyo is one of the world’s leading business centers.
In 1890, Mitsubishi Estate purchased the Marunouchi District, in front of the Imperial Palace inTokyo, and started to organize the first-Modern Office District in Japan equal to City andManhattan.
Office Buildings were constructed steadily, but experienced the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.
Because the office buildings were well structured, had little damage by the earthquake, temporary
medical aid station and a refugee shelter in the first floor were installed, and many relief activity
such as distribution of steamed rice, delivery of canned food / bread, water.
The history of Tokyo Central Station Commuters Corps originates there.
Disaster prevention/relief trainings are carried out for further 80 years on the memorial Day of theGreat Kanto Earthquake (ever year September 1.)

Figures and Photographs
Upper：Redevelopment aroundTokyo Central Station
Middle：Mitsubishi No.1 Building
Bottom：just after the Grate Kanto
earthquake
13

Promoting as District Continuity Management (“DCM”)
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. of Tokyo Central Station Commuters Corps●"Town-Update" is a progressive and dynamic redevelopment program with the aim of rebuilding
private buildings in the area surrounding TOKYO CENTRAL STATION. Approximately twenty
buildings have already been completed, for example Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi
Building etc, and several other structures will be rebuilt around 2008 and after. These
redevelopments have included the “Town-Update” of a 120-hectare (300 acres) area, expanding
through the Otemachi, Marunouchi,Yurakucho,and Uchisaiwaicho districts.
●In the event of a severe earthquake striking, tens thousands people are predicted to have thedifficulty in getting their homes as the transportation systems become paralysed. Stop of theenterprise activities brings a serious influence to STAKEHOLDERS.
●MITSUBISHI ESTATE organized TOKYO CENTRAL STATION Commuter Corps in January,
2004. The purpose of this Commuter Corps is an operational unit to tackle the various risks
companies face and to develop practical solutions based on the findings of company personnel who
volunteer their time in the form of "KYOOJO：inter-corporate mutual support".
●Except for the earthquake, flood damage, social threats, terrorism, national defense emergencies,
have also increased. Now, This Commuter Corps attempts to combat new "town" problems.
●So they propose District Continuity Management “D･C･P”. It complements eachenterprise's .BCP.
●If the Town Function, for example electric power,
Figures and Diagram
communication means, water supply and drain are
Upper：The latest aerial Photographsecured, the contents of BCP become really different,
Middle：Stock Performancein a word it becomes easy to make BCP.
Bottom：Disaster prevention Drill at●And if DCP is realized, even if DCP area is a
the Imperial Palace Plaza
small-scale range, that area becomes the foothold of thereconstruction. DCP contributes to the all
STAKEHOLDERS.

14

“DCM”

Normal Times/Emergency Times

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. of Tokyo Central Station Commuters Corps■Tokyo Central Station Commuters Corps’ activities, different at the usual time and the emergency,
are as the followings;
Normal Times;
At the Normal Times, mainly research and study of Business District Risk and drill.
● Reputation to global review of disaster management
Does Tokyo have the world’s highest risk for natural disasters?
● Response to domestic inter-city competition
Public relations appeal as a safe and secure town
● As new tasks, Terrorism and National Defense Emergencies, crime prevention● Disaster Prevention Drill (every year, January 17)● Educational Publicity Campaign (symposium, lecture presentations, tours, etc.)● Liaison with other organizations (respective cities, etc.)● Storage of special equipment, materials, foods, Water and Toilets.
Emergency Times;
On the other hand, at the time of the disaster, securing communication, the first● Two way communication with Chiyoda Ward’s Disaster Countermeasures Head Office throughthe Disaster Prevention Information System
・Collect and transmit personal safety and damage
Photographs
information
Upper：Sampling of the emergency
・Traveling home route guidance
provisions
・Request for assistanceMiddle：article of Yomiuri newspaper● Distribution of Food and Drinking Water,
Bottom：whole country conference of
Set up Sectional Toilets
Commuters Corps● Management of Volunteers＊attention to the instructor● Collection of Governmental Information

15

Trilateral Agreement on Community Disaster Prevention
Daikin Industries, Ltd & 5 Community Associations & Soka City Municipality “Purpose”
Daikin Industries, Ltd

The contents described in the agreement get sustainable, permanent and effective.
By the mutual discussions between agreement partners, the contents are expected to be progressive.
By the periodical meetings between agreement partners, the response to the state of emergency
should be quick and appropriate.
Disaster could be reduced by coordinated prevention measures of agreement partners.
Depending on the disaster circumstances and the conditions of public emergency assistance, thefirst 3 days period of aid could be extended more.

16Trilateral Agreement on Community Disaster Prevention
Daikin Industries, Ltd & 5 Community Associations & Soka City Municipality “Purpose”
Daikin Industries, Ltd

The contents of agreement should be understood by local residents on usual.
The aid flow should be reciprocal between agreement partners, not only one-way.
In the case of financially heavy aid requirements, the municipality should provide appropriate
financial means under the discussion of partners.
It is possible to contribute to build safety and security of local community by the terms of thisagreement.

17

Hands-on Disaster Prevention Education Program"Exploration for Disaster Prevention"
The General Insurance Association of Japan

The "Exploration for Disaster Prevention" program is a hands-on disaster prevention education
program for elementary school students, promoted by the General Insurance Association of Japan.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which occurred in January 1995, was a trigger for
developing this program. In the disaster, people learned about the importance of disaster
preparedness in local communities. To raise disaster preparedness in the community, it is necessary
to raise "peoples' attachment" and "enlightenment and maintenance of peoples' awareness against
disaster prevention". The "Exploration for Disaster Prevention" program was created as a measure
to foster such attachment and awareness without having to make additional efforts while people areyoung.
The "Exploration for Disaster Prevention" program enables children to enjoy exploration of towns
and (1) Find disaster prevention facilities, (2) Draw a map plotting their findings, and (3) Make apresentation on the map.
This program has two effects:
Firstly, children enjoy learning about disaster prevention and finding out about risks in life.
Secondly, children's attachment and interest in the community increase through interaction withlocal people.
As a result, the power of the community grows whilst raising children's awareness of disasterprevention.

18

Hands-on Disaster Prevention Education Program"Exploration for Disaster Prevention"
The General Insurance Association of JapanThe followings are the major activities of the General Insurance Association of Japan (GIAJ) which
promotes this Exploration for Disaster Prevention program.
First of all, the GIAJ organizes the Exploration for Disaster Prevention Map Contest. A total of
1,052 maps from 224 groups were entered in the 3rd Contest held in January 2007. Many of themaps entered featured earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, etc., which local communities canbe affected by. These maps include useful tips to enhance a sense of security and safety from thechildren’s viewpoint.
Secondly, the GIAJ holds seminars to foster Exploration for Disaster Prevention leaders. The
seminar provides leaders, usually college students, with details of the program and measures how tocarry out the program. These leaders support the program all over the country.
Thirdly, the GIAJ made a presentation at the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in
Kobe in January 2005. Mr. Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, gave a speech conveying his
expectations for the program.
The fourth point is the production and provision of a CD-ROM, which introduces the Exploration
for Disaster Prevention program in English. The GIAJ distributes the CD to people not only
domestically but also abroad.

19

Retail Chainstores’ Activities for Disaster Prevention andContinuation of Operations
Lawson, Inc.

On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake hit the Kansai region, destroying
much of the city of Kobe. From that time, Lawson has taken into consideration how to function as
a “town lifeline” by keeping its stores open during disasters. People felt safer when they saw
Lawson’s store sign lit up at night. Its reconstruction activities also attracted considerable publicattention.
Since this earthquake, Lawson has been developing antidisaster measures. After the
Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake in October 2004 and the Noto Hanto Earthquake in March 2007, they
have worked to minimize damage and prevent secondary damage. Even after these earthquakes,
Lawson continued operations, reliably supplying goods to its stores and reconstructing repairingthem. Working with local governments, they supplied daily necessities such as food and drinking
water to people living at evacuation shelters.
I would like to report Lawson’s antidisaster measures determined for their stores nationwide. If
a disaster occurs, they will act based on the basic principles They have stated:① Ensuring the safety of ourselves, our families, our employees, and our customers.
① To maintain economic activities even after a disaster, operating a “town lifeline” by keeping ourstores open if at all possible.
① To contribute to regional communities, sending relief supplies to stricken areas and collecting
contributions for those affected.
Regarding some of our antidisaster activities Lawson conducts antidisaster drills in-house each January and September, following themes suchas “confirmation of safety,” “transmission of information,” “transfer of relief supplies,” and“establishment of disaster relief headquarters.”
They have prepared disaster relief manuals to specify the initial action, emergency measures,
reconstruction action standards, emergency liaison flow, regular maintenance of emergency items,
etc., for each type of disaster.
Working with local governments, they sent relief supplies and enable emergency traffic. They
have signed disaster relief agreements with local governments to support people having difficulties
in returning home.
20Retail Chainstores’ Contributing to and Cooperation with Society
Lawson, Inc.

On October 23, 2004, the Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake hit Niigata prefecture and the Chuetsu
region. From October 24 to October 31, 2004, Lawson voluntarily supplied 39,000 rice balls,
6,000 2-liter bottles of water, 1,000 bakery items, 6,000 cups of instant noodles, 20,488 body
warmers, and 1,000 boxes of wet paper tissues to people living in shelters.
Lawson collected contributions at stores and sent them to Niigata Prefectural Disaster Relief
Headquarters.
When the Noto Hanto Earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula, Lawson voluntarily supplied 2,000 riceballs, 4,000 cups of instant noodles, 4,800 500-ml bottles of drinking water, 120 boxes of wet paper
tissues, 4,000 plastic shopping bags, and 4,000 pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks to Wajima
City Hall. Lawson also collected contributions and sent them to the Ishikawa Prefectural
Government.
For these activities, Lawson signed disaster relief agreements with local governments so thatthey can send relief supplies smoothly when requested. Based on these disaster relief agreements,
Lawson exchanges information with local governments so that they can support the lives of victims
of a disaster.
Lawson has signed disaster relief agreements with 25 local governments, Japan Post, Japan Red
Cross Society, Tokyo Fire Department, Japan Air Lines, and All Nippon Airways.
With 27 local governments, they have also signed agreements on supporting people having
difficulties getting home. Based on these agreements, Lawson’s stores will function as “stations
for supporting people walking home” in a disaster. If its stores can continue operations, they will
support people walking home due to a disaster.
Lawson has also asked other convenience stores and food service chain stores via the Japan
Franchise Association to take part in activities for supporting people who have difficulties in
returning home in a disaster. As a result, many stores agreed them and take part in these activities.
Stores taking part in supporting activities put up a common sticker to show that they support
those trying to get home. They are informing people using public relations magazines issued by
local governments that they can support them, for example, by taking part in disaster drills
sponsored by local governments.
Disasters cannot be prevented by one company alone. Different companies should take part inantidisaster activities. Lawson will work to conduct regular disaster drills and train staff to uphold
our antidisaster activities. If a disaster occurs, Lawson will support victims working with local
governments. Lawson will voluntarily conduct activities to support victims so that they cancontribute to their society.
21Support Activities for Disaster Victims and Community (1)Japanese Consumer Co-op

Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union, JCCU is a national federation of consumer co-ops inJapan. 619 consumer co-op societies are affiliated with JCCU. The total membership is 24 million.
The total business turnover of Japanese Consumers’ Co-ops is 3.4trillionJPY, 28billionUSD mainly
from supermarket, home delivery, co-op insurance, medical and welfare service.
Co-op Kobe, the biggest JCCU member co-op, was seriously damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake in January 1995. 11 employees were killed and its headquarters and 11 stores werecollapsed and 70% of its facilities were damaged.
However, regardless of its damage, Co-op Kobe continued its business at 97 stores on the day ofdisaster and resumed delivery service to contribute for its members’ livelihood.
Over 600 consumer co-ops are independent. However, other consumer co-ops reached out to help
Co-op Kobe and its members. Totally 10,000 co-op staff members from other prefectures gathered in
Kobe and supported Co-op Kobe to provide goods to victims and sometimes carried the bodies ofvictims by Co-op delivery trucks.
At that time, Co-op Kobe has already made a cooperative agreement with Kobe City and other 7municipalities to supply commodities in times of disaster. Pursuant to the agreement, Co-op Kobe
played a significant role to prevent the panic under the disastrous circumstances.
Other consumer co-ops followed this experience. 37 prefectual co-op federations and 57 consumer
co-ops have made agreements to supply goods in a time of disaster with 42 prefectures and 275
municipalities.
22

Support Activities for Disaster Victims and Community (2)Japanese Consumer Co-op

JCCU is promoting a wide-range cooperation plan among co-operatives to support each other interms of logistics, communication, coordinating volunteer staff to continue the co-op business. To
secure commodities to supply to devastated area, JCCU makes agreements with 80 suppliers for 300
items of goods.
JCCU conducts so-called “Map Exercise”, that is disaster simulation, every year with its member
co-ops to prepare for possible disaster such as Tokai Earthquake or epicentral earthquake in Tokyo
Metropolitan area. JCCU and member co-ops deploy 1,000 portable wireless devices and prepare
possible communication networks to confirm the situation.
The exercise became a reality when the big earthquake was occurred in Niigata in Oct 2004. Manykind of support from co-ops across the country reached to Niigata; providing aid supply, feeding
service, delivery by co-op trucks, moving volunteer, etc. 400 Co-op trucks, 1600 volunteers cameand JPY500 million from Co-op members were donated to the local government.
JCCU is a member of International Co-operative Alliance, ICA, which is an internationalorganization of co-op sector. Co-operatives in the world are connected by the same values andprinciples. “Cooperation among co-operatives” and “Concern for community” are principles of ICA
Co-operative Identity, which are based on these activities not only locally but also internationally.
Japanese consumer co-ops gave a helping hand to victims overseas when the Asian Tsunami
occurred in December 2004. For example, Japanese consumer co-ops collected 350 million Japanese
Yen from co-op members throughout the country to donate to the victims through UNICEF.

23

Glass Power Campaign
Protect people with Laminated Glass
AGC Co., Ltd.

When disaster occurred, we saw people injured by broken glass. Even after evacuated in their
shelters, they were scared of falling glass from windows. Cold wind came into rooms from
windows with no glass. Laminated glass is the glass product to protect people as it remains safely
in windows if it is broken. It does not cause injuries and protect people from rain/wind/snow.
However, the penetration of laminated glass is very small and most people don’t know about the
product. AGC decides to create awareness of laminated glass.
AGC sets up a website and communicate the importance of laminated glass from Oct.2005. Theyuse general word ‘laminated glass’ without using their brand name as they truly like to focus onprotecting people with glass.
One of AGC’s activities, they started a one click donation program. Every 20K clicks in aprefecture, they donate/replace one school gym’s all windows by laminated glass. School gyms
are used as local people’s shelters in emergency. AGC has 9 gyms replaced by laminated glass asof May 31, 2007. There are approx. 6000 members in its website and total 340K clicks have doneby them.
24

Glass Power Campaign
Protect people with Laminated Glass
AGC Co., Ltd.

AGC visits schools and provide lessons about glass performances in elementary schools/junior highschools. They conduct demonstrations in public events.
AGC researches opinion on disaster prevention among its website members. They visit cities
suffered disasters to research the behavior of broken glass. The reports are open in its website.
They encourage their distributors to organize local voluntary groups for disaster prevention. First
one has just started in Yamagata, where their first donation of laminated glass was done in July
2006.
The Glass Power Campaign program is covered by media frequently and awareness of laminatedglass has been gradually created. Yamagata city started to have laminated glass in their new schools,
Mori-city describes in their risk management statement that shelters must have laminated glass.
This coming Oct is the 2nd anniversary of this program.
make the program more successful.
25

AGC likes to go on to the second phase toDisaster Reduction Activities: Example of Parts Manufacturer
Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.

The disaster prevention activity is a precondition for the enterprise to guarantee the continuity ofthe business.
Moreover, as a corporate citizen, Aisin Seiki thinks it is a major premise to be with all
stakeholders like the employee, the customer, the local society, and the administration,etc.
On the other hand, enterprise's aspect of securing of the supply chain including thecustomer and the supplier is also important.
They cooperate mutually not only for promoting the business continuity of the supply
chain but also for reducing disaster damage of the whole society.

26

The Subjects at Parts Manufactures
Example of Actual Practice
Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.

"Daily action for disaster mitigation" is important to get good results at the emergency.
Repeating the drills and improving the countermeasure for disaster prevention
continuously are most important though making the manual effective to use is also
necessary.
Aisin Seiki’s activities are based on the principle of "Self-help" which is to keep safety
by themselves.
They cherish the people living in the local society, in their country and in othercountries.

27

To Provide Reassurance to Customers
Responsibility of Product Supply to Semiconductor Market
DISCO Corporation

DISCO Corporation is a manufacturer of equipment and Precision Processing Tools (Blades andWheels), required for semiconductor manufacturing process. They have a dominant share of theworld market in the field of cutting, grinding and polishing of IC chips. DISCO gives top priorityof its BCM to constant supply of Precision Processing Tools, as they are indispensable commodities
that are consumed by the customers in their daily manufacturing process. It was a demand from asemiconductor manufacturer that motivated then to start full-fledged BCM. After September 11
terrorist attacks, companies in the world have become more conscious about risk management, andthey were asked to report what measures they plan to take against an earthquake by filling out asupplier assessment form called SSQA. If DISCO is rated as a high-risk company, their customers
are obliged to look for a second supplier, which is a burden for them. And this does not comply
with the customer satisfaction ideals that DISCO pursues.
The purpose of DISCO’s BCM is to provide reassurance to their customers, so that the customers
can do business with DISCO with a peace of mind. Unlike product assurance, it is impossible to“guarantee” that you are “100% safe”. So they believe that extensive information disclosure isindispensable for customer reassurance and, needless to say, effective and concrete measures
should be actually implemented.

28

To Provide Reassurance to Customers
Responsibility of Product Supply to Semiconductor Market
DISCO Corporation

DISCO believes that information disclosure is key to provide reassurance to the customers. So it
has started providing information about BCM in its website since 2004. DISCO also adopts“Business Continuity Guideline” recommended by the Japanese government, because sharing
common assessment standard with their customers is also important.
Needless to say, their BCM resources are not unlimited. So, for better effect, they have set a clear
focus and priority. Their BCM target is to “constantly supply products and services needed by thecustomers to maintain their current production capacity”. They focus on the measures against large
scale earthquakes and put special emphasis on manufacturing of Precision Processing Tools.
The cost for BCM will ultimately be reflected to the product prices. In this sense, excessive
measures do not necessarily benefit the customers. They need to consider what is optimal for thewhole semiconductor market, including the availability of substitute supplier in the same industry.
They never know when a big earthquake strikes. DISCO makes BCM a management system, in thesame way as other business processes, so that BCM can be well-managed and maintained until
D-day. This way, they can guarantee BCM operation as planned. They are also determined to train
and foster their employees who can assume responsibility in their BCM system.

29

Business Continuity Plan Guidelines for Construction Companies
1. Activities of a large construction industry organization
Japan Federation of Construction Contractors

In preparing for large-scale disasters, not only the government, but also the activities of ordinary
citizens and enterprises are important. Here, we will introduce the activities of the constructionindustry, which is responsible for the construction and improvement of infrastructure.
The Japan Federation of Construction Contractors (JFCC), an organization of large Japanesegeneral construction companies, prepared and published guidelines, based on the standard business
continuity guidelines of the Cabinet Office, tailored to Japanese construction industry organizations
and businesses. The JFCC is actively supporting and guiding member companies in the creation of
BCP using these guidelines and other resources.
It is of interest that their goal is not only to promote the adoption of BCP. They consider rapid
recovery support activities in a large-scale disaster to be a social responsibility of construction
companies and they strongly promote disaster countermeasures as a pillar of construction
companies’ social responsibilities.
After the Construction BCP Guidelines were issued in July 2006, a revised and amended 2ndedition was issued in November. Revision is ongoing.

30

Business Continuity Plan Guidelines for Construction Companies
2. Features of the guidelines and member enterprise activities
Japan Federation of Construction Contractors

The Construction BCP Guidelines have two main features.
First, the greatest potential anticipated risk to the business continuity of enterprises is not terrorism
or infectious disease, but, considering Japan’s earthquake-prone geology, a large-scale earthquake(in the capital region).
Second, in addition to the business continuity (continuation of ordinary operations) of this company,
the guidelines indicate that its BCP should include the handling of emergency operations andcontribution to the general recovery of the community as a whole.
Along with maintaining conditions that save lives, and other topics emphasized in their previous
disaster prevention trainings, companies that have prepared BCP are starting to implement new
training that incorporates BCP approaches. For example, Company A used a holiday to conduct
large-scale disaster countermeasure training for over 6,000 managers in the capital region. In
addition to training for verifying the safety of the managers and their families, they conductedtraining to verify the damage status of structures their company had built. About 700 architecturaland civil engineering structures in the capital region were actually visited by the people in charge of
them.

31

The Loan Program for Promoting Corporate Disaster Management (1)Development Bank of Japan

Development Bank of Japan started the world first corporate finance program with rating system on
disaster preparedness in 2006.
DBJ provides long-term financing and other policy-based schemes to qualified projects as asupplement and inducement to the lending and other services provided by ordinary financial
institutions.
The rating system for disaster preparedness has two criteria based on the existing governmental
policies and guidelines in terms of what kinds of indicators should be included, and has beendeveloped through discussions with the Japanese Cabinet Office. The evaluation process includes
interviews with applicant companies, and these interviews are also expected to serve as consultations
from DBJ with the purpose to support companies which have just begun the disaster preparedness
management regardless of size of companies.
The evaluation process includes credit risk analysis, project analysis, and disaster preparedness
analysis and based on its results, DBJ rates applicant companies on a scale of two and highly rated
companies will be offered financing with more favorable interest rate and conditions. DBJ continues
to monitor the disaster preparedness management of borrowers even after the finance contract has
been signed.

32

The Loan Program for Promoting Corporate Disaster Management (2)Development Bank of JapanIn April 2006, the world first corporate finance with disaster preparedness rating has been provided
to the Yasuda Warehouse, an international warehousing and logistics company, by the Japan
Development Bank (DBJ), a governmental financial institution.
The projects financed by DBJ loans include the renovation of an aging warehouse owned by Yasudain Yokohama, and the creation of back-up information systems.

33

Only the Japanese version is authentic.

Business Continuity Guidelines 1st ed.
― Reducing the Impact of Disasters andImproving Responses to Disasters by Japanese Companies —August 1, 2005

Central Disaster Management Council
Special Board of Inquiry on enhancing disaster management
by utilizing the private sector and markets
Corporate Evaluation/ Business Continuity Working Group
Cabinet Office, Government of Japan34

Table of Contents[Points]
1.

What is Good Practice in Business Continuity?

............................................................ 37

2.

Characteristics of Good Practice in Business Continuity .................................................. 38

3.

Characteristics of these Guidelines

4.

Purpose and Issues Facilitating Good Practice5.

Status of these Guidelines

6.

Using a Checklist

I

Necessity of Business Continuity and Basic Concept............................................................................... 38.............................................................. 39............................................................................................ 40......................................................................................................... 40

1.1 Necessity of Business Continuity and Points................................................... 41........................................................................41

1.1.1 Necessity for Making Efforts to Ensure Business Continuity at the time of a Disaster1.1.2 Points in the Concept of Business Continuity........... 41.......................................................................... 41

1.1.3 Characteristics of Business Continuity Plan in Japan to be Prepared
for Wide-area Natural Disasters

1.2 Basic Concept......................................................................................................................421.2.1 Anticipated Disaster Risks
1.2.2....................................................................................... 42....................................................................................................... 42

Concurrent Requirements Other than Business Continuity...................................................... 43

1.2.3 Status of each Item Enumerated in these Guidelines ................................................................ 44

1.3 Continual Improvement

II.......................................................................................................45

Contents of Business Continuity Plan and Good Practice............................................ 46

2.1 Policy..................................................................................................................................47

2.2 Plan.....................................................................................................................................47

2.2.1 Identification of Disasters to be Examined
2.2.2 Evaluation of Degree of Impact.............................................................................. 47............................................................................................... 48

2.2.2.1 Estimation of Suspension Period and Response Capacity
2.2.2.2 Determination of Critical Operations
2.2.2.3 Setting a Target Recovery Time.....................................................................................48.............................................................................................49

2.2.3 Prediction of Probable Damage to Critical Operations
2.2.4 Extraction of Key Elements.......................................................48............................................................ 49..................................................................................................... 51

2.2.5 Development of a Business Continuity Plan

35............................................................................ 52

2.2.5.1 Clarifying the Chain of Command .............................................................................................52
2.2.5.2 Securing the Functions of the Head office and Other Key Sites
2.2.5.3 Transmitting Information Outside and Information Sharing
2.2.5.4 Backing up the Information System
2.2.5.5 Supplying Products or Services..............................................53....................................................53.......................................................................................54..............................................................................................54

2.2.6 Concurrent Requirements Other than Business Continuity
2.2.6.1 Securing and Confirming the Safety of Life...................................................... 55...........................................................................55

2.2.6.2 Mitigating Possible Damage to Offices, Worksites, and Equipment
2.2.6.3 Preventing Secondary Disasters.............................................................................................57

2.2.6.4 Coordinating with the Local Community and Contributing Thereto
2.2.6.5 Mutual Cooperation and Mutual Assistance

2.3........................................56........................................57...........................................................................58

2.2.6.6 Other Considerations.............................................................................................................58

Exercising and Control......................................................................................................59

2.3.1 Implementation of Response Actions in line with a Business Continuity Plan
2.3.2 Documentation......................................................................................................................... 59

2.3.2.1 Formulating Plans and Manuals
2.3.2.2 Formulating Checklists

2.3.3 Financing........................ 59.............................................................................................59..........................................................................................................60.................................................................................................................................. 60

2.3.4 Confirming whether Plans Function in Practice....................................................................... 60

2.3.5 Importance of Business Judgment in the Event of a Disaster.................................................. 60

2.4

Providing Education and Training......................................................................................61

2.5

Inspection and Corrective Actions......................................................................................61

2.6

Review by the Management

III...............................................................................................61

Recommendations to the Management and the Economic Community

Appendix: Glossary........................ 63............................................................................................................ 6436

[Points]
1. What is Good Practice in Business Continuity?
Interested parties, including clients, require that after damage is incurred due to disasters or
accidents, companies do not suspend critical operations, or if they are suspended, they resume
operations as soon as possible. Business continuity is also ranked by companies as a strategic issue
at a management level to protect the company from losing customers to other companies, decline inmarket share, and negative impact on a company’s reputation due to the interruption of criticaloperations.
A plan that aims to ensure business continuity is called a “Business Continuity Plan” (BCP). Its
contents typically consist of securing back-up systems and offices, immediate response personnel,
and prompt confirmation of safety. These are achieved by ensuring good practice according tobusiness activities and corporate size. Plans should be prepared by every company, considering that
implementation is possible without making large investments.

③To continue
business at thelevel over thepermissible limit
Occurrence ofDisaster

Capacity Utilization(supply of products, etc.)

BeforeAfter (initial response & BCP response)②To recovercapacity utilization
within thepermissible time100%

RecoveryTargets
Permissible limit
Targets Permissible
limit

Present anticipated recovery curve
Recovery curve after
implementation of BCP

Time Axis①Variance between targets and recovery
time to the original condition

Concept of Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
Europe and the United States are ahead of Japan in ensuring good practice in business continuity.
While there are considerable overlaps with previous general disaster prevention measures ofJapanese corporations, there are some areas where core concepts and approaches differ. Therefore,
it is recommended that companies prudently review whether disaster prevention practices conformto the concept of business continuity, with the exception of those that are already advanced in thisfield.

37

2.

Characteristics of Good Practice in Business Continuity

Good practice in business continuity, by which a company develops a business continuity plan
after carrying out the necessary examinations, conducts training, and reviews the plan, has thefollowing characteristics that differ from the previous disaster prevention measures.
(1) A plan is developed in anticipation of great damage that might have significant adverse
effects on business.
(2) It is recognized that the resources to be used after a disaster are limited, and efforts should
to concentrate on critical operations.
(3) Each person in charge of each critical operation extracts cases where the continuity ofcritical operations would be jeopardized by damage, and carries out examinations
continually. As a result, every probable disaster is anticipated.
(4) Important factors (bottlenecks) are identified that are essential for the continuity of criticaloperations, and which would take time and labor for re-procurement and recovery, andmight prevent recovery, and are dealt with selectively.
(5) A target recovery time is set for critical operations and advanced preparations are made for
its achievement through a coordinated approach.
(6) One management system, including business management and decision-making andadministration at the time of emergency is set up. It incorporates elements of crisis
management and emergency response, and includes maintaining the chain of command,
communicating and sharing information, and reflects the importance of business judgment
at the time of a disaster.

3.

Characteristics of these Guidelines(1) Upon recognizing that Japanese companies are well acquainted with natural disasters, andtend to feel unable to act if actual damage is diverse and is not as expected, thesignificance of planning is explained, and how to start is proposed. Specifically, a realistic
approach is illustrated, in which it is recommended that the first disaster anticipated is anearthquake, which is also a concern overseas as one can cause great damage. Then, thetypes of disaster anticipated are gradually increased.
(2) To improve preparations, it is assumed that a large investment is not always needed, and it
is recommended to proceed with specific considerations on what can be done, making themost of existing resources and taking a coordinated approach (it is recommended not todeal too closely with earthquake-resistance refurbishment in planning).
(3) Based on a situation where small and medium-sized businesses, which are integrated into
the supply chain, are required to ensure best practice in business continuity, the goal is not
to satisfy every element of business continuity (as in Europe and the United States) for the
moment, but to deal practically with what can be done. On the other hand, based on aclose look at expected trends of international standardization, efforts are made so thatmeasures are compatible, but an international response that might duplicate investment is
not required outside these Guidelines.
(4) It is made clear that business continuity is not the first priority of companies, but
immediately after a disaster occurs, the focus should be on securing safety of life and38

preventing secondary disasters. The response to business continuity should involve
cooperation with communities to secure consistency with previous disastercountermeasures.
(5) Japanese companies, which have faced natural disasters affecting wide areas, haveincluded cooperation with and contribution to communities, mutual cooperation andassistance in their disaster prevention measures. The administration has also announced
damage anticipated to be caused by wide-area disasters to urge good practice by an entire
community. These Guidelines incorporate such characteristics among their elements. They
are in a position that we should transmit to overseas inclusion of such elements.
(6) It is recommended to carry out continuous improvements and not to seek perfection fromthe outset. It is pointed out that systematic practice by the management of an entire
company is important, and if there is an existing management system, it is recommended
to conduct activities consistent with that system.

4.

Purpose and Issues Facilitating Good PracticeJapanese companies have, based on experience of natural disasters including earthquakes,
carried out measures such as improving earthquake-resistance and developing plans for recoveringfrom anticipated damage, in conjunction with governmental systems and activities, and theresulting disaster prevention measures have been evaluated to be more advanced than those inother countries. But, it must be acknowledged that we lag behind in terms of business continuity
planning, which consists of a business strategy that would prevent the interruption of criticaloperations at the time a disaster or accident is encountered. If we promote good practice inbusiness continuity, the risks to a corporation itself and of chain repercussions will be decreased,
and indirect damage might be reduced. These are the motives for preparing these Guidelines.
Although it continues to be very important to maintain previous disaster prevention measures,
which develop damage mitigation measures in preparation for disasters which are of great concern
in each business office, there are many aspects that differ from good practice in business
continuity in its concepts and approaches. As there is some overlap in the contents ofcountermeasures, it is easier to understand that we take it that “both will be promoted.” (Thecentral and local governments will, for former disaster prevention measures, continue the practiceof estimating and publishing damage anticipated from disasters and the prospects of recovering
infrastructure and investments in disaster prevention activities.)
In facilitating good practice in business continuity, the first concept concerns several points that
became issues in the course of considering these Guidelines, which are stated below.
First, it should be repeated here that securing safety of life is very important at the time of adisaster, although it is recommended that companies pursue business continuity as an important
objective.
Secondly, in a business continuity plan, compared to Europe and the United States, where thefocus is on such human-related risks as terrorism among anticipated risks, natural disasters are thefocus in Japan. Natural disasters generally cause damage over a wider area than artificial risks,
and are difficult to prevent, which we think makes effective measures significantly different.
Therefore, Japanese companies should not follow the examples of business continuity practiced in39Europe and the United States as they are, but develop one that conforms to the situation in Japan.
On the other hand, we aim at a plan with a common framework so that good practice in business
continuity by Japanese companies is at a high level by global standards.
Thirdly, these Guidelines are mainly intended for private enterprises, and emphasize thenecessity and the effectiveness of corporations acting in cooperation, being conscious of supply
chains. To make an effective business continuity plan, administrative understanding and proper
responses are also required. For example, if administrative authorization is necessary for repairing
facilities required by companies to resume business, it is desirable that each related administrative
organ should respond while recognizing the importance of business continuity in disaster damage
mitigation.

5.

Status of these Guidelines

These Guidelines indicate to Japanese companies the outline and the effects of good practice inbusiness continuity, and facilitate companies to determine independently on the basis of the social
significance of disaster prevention, the importance to transactions and the merits received. The
government and the special investigation committee, of course, expect that good practice shall bedisseminated, and it is hoped that each company will consider it positively.

6.

Using a Checklist“Business Continuity Guidelines Checklist” was prepared so that specific application of these
Guidelines can be checked easily.
This Checklist is also useful for confirming what is necessary for good practice in business
continuity. It is expected that the Checklist will be used repeatedly while making continuous
improvements to strengthen the business continuity activities in the company.

40

I

Necessity of Business Continuity and Basic Concept

1.1

Necessity of Business Continuity and Points

1.1.1 Necessity for Making Efforts to Ensure Business Continuity at the time of a Disaster
In Japan, where disasters occur frequently, it is desired to build a disaster-resistant country withcooperation among government, corporations, and citizens. In particular, under circumstanceswhere the interruption of corporate activities might have adverse effects on a global scale due to theglobalization of economies, it is becoming more important for the business sector to develop its
own preparations to continue business at the time of a disaster, and recover critical operations to thelevel prior to the disaster. Looking to communities, it is desired to make companies
disaster-resistant to secure employment and supply chains in a disaster-affected area.
On the other hand, it must be emphasized that elaborate and systematic preparations for disasters
by companies have recently been highly valued by client companies and markets. In particular, it
has become widely recognized that promoting good practice in business continuity by companies,
which is the focus of companies in Europe and the United States, is effective in terms of increasing
corporate value.
1.1.2 Points in the Concept of Business Continuity1
Preparations for natural disasters by Japanese companies are generally advanced by global
standard. Even with this confidence, we should study the concept that "we focus on and makepreparations for business continuity, regardless of type of disaster and risk that are the causes."
In Japan, where natural disasters occur frequently, in companies responding to disasterprevention, it seems that there are many that first anticipate disasters and then develop measuresupon assuming such anticipated disasters. Based on experience of natural disasters, as to specificresponses after a disaster occurs, it is believed that we have no choice but to make a determination
after comprehending actual damage. It is necessary to consider, however, whether this attitude
results in an insufficient understanding of “promoting advance preparation regardless of the type ofdisaster,”2 a key point in the concept of business continuity.
Japanese companies should note that if measures for business continuity are specificallyconsidered on the assumption of an earthquake by each department in charge of critical operations,
there are many common measures for business continuity in the case of other natural andman-made disasters. If thinking has reached this point, Japanese companies can understand thesignificance that foreign companies, where the weight of natural disasters is relatively low in termsof risk, have developed business continuity plans regardless of types of disaster.

1

In these Guidelines, BC (Business Continuity) is described as “business (jigyo) continuity” and changed from theprevious expression (business (gyomu) continuity.” The reason for the change is to make it consistent with documents
recently published in Japan, and also is because it was judged to be easier to explain that “jigyo,” which consists ofseveral “gyomu.”
2
Many aspects of good practice in business continuity fall under preparations made regardless of types of disaster, andas examples that are easy to understand, we may consider implementation of safety confirmation, and emergency contact
and back-ups when we cannot enter offices, and target recovery time.

41

1.1.3 Characteristics of Business Continuity Plan in Japan to be Prepared for Wide-area
Natural Disasters
As stated above, a business continuity plan is not prepared after clarifying potential risks, but isdeveloped for the purpose of continuing critical operations whatever risks arise.3
In Japan, however, as more damage results from earthquakes and wind and water damage, whichcause damage over a wide area, a characteristic of disaster responses of Japanese companies islikely to be cooperation with local communities and other corporations. Expectation forcontributions to the localities by companies were high, and at the time of previous disasters,
alliances with other companies in supply of goods have been made. Therefore, it is conceived thatthe following points will be more actively incorporated than in the case of foreign companies in
specific business continuity plans.
These Guidelines have been developed taking into account a trend toward international
standardization in the business continuity. If such cooperation with local communities isincorporated into a business continuity plan as a voluntary item, it should not be a problem in
conforming to international standards, and it is conceived that Japan is expected to communicate its
characteristics overseas and assert its importance, because many natural disasters occur elsewherearound the world.

1.2

Basic Concept

1.2.1 Anticipated Disaster Risks
When a company develops an action plan for disaster prevention, as it begins to think about what
risks should be assumed, big questions emerge.
As stated above, business continuity plans are developed with the purpose of continuing criticaloperations regardless of risk, and preventing an interruption of business. If “regardless of types ofrisk that could cause an interruption of business” it is initially recognized that “any risk should beconsidered,” Japanese companies might be reluctant to act as they can think of many possible
disaster risks. Therefore, an approach that is easier to understand should be proposed to companies
thinking about where to begin.
On the other hand, if the international standardization of business continuity plans progresses (ascan be imagined from the examples of previous international standards), it seems that “theanticipated risks each company selects” will not be included in the determination of elements that
conform to standards, and will be left to the judgment of individual companies.
Accordingly, in these Guidelines, which have the purpose of encouraging a variety of companies
to have a basic approach to good practice, it is recommended to start in-house activities byassuming earthquakes are an anticipated risk, which is the easiest risk to imagine, and is considered
to be the greatest natural disaster risk that can be faced (also as regarded in other countries). A
company may start by selecting another source of risk (or a number of sources of risk) that is ofgreat concern. 4
3

Major disasters that a business alone can never respond to may be excluded.
Other natural disaster risks such as typhoons and local heavy rains or man-made risks such as closing down an officedue to disease, terrorism, fire, riot, or wide-area black-out may be accepted.
442In sum, it is important to present a job site where critical operations are carried out with working
targets that are easy to tackle with and start considering specific measures required for business
continuity. For that purpose, the example of an earthquake (or any other risk) is illustrated. At thestage when specific measures emerge, if you make personnel think whether the measures are
effective or not for risks other than earthquakes, or they are examined at regular reviews of the plan,
you will steadily come closer to an adequate business continuity plan.5
1.2.2 Concurrent Requirements Other than Business Continuity
The significance and the importance of business continuity are stated above as important mattersto be considered by companies when a disaster occurs, and at least the following three points alsoneed to be considered. Basic disaster responses had been previously taken in Japan. It is true that
there are many overlaps, and it is unlikely that the idea putting too much priority on business
continuity can be understood. In fact, the type and the level of priorities are left to the judgment ofeach company.
○ Securing Safety of Life
In industries where customers visit shops or remain in facilities, priority should be put on
securing the safety of life of customers.
Naturally, securing the safety of life of people engaged in business includes officers, employeesof the company, personnel of affiliates, temporary workers, and personnel of cooperatingcompanies.6○ Preventing Secondary DisasterIn manufacturing industries, for example, it is necessary to carry out drills to prevent secondary
disasters in terms of securing the safety of a neighborhood, which includes fire, collapse ofbuildings and structures in neighboring areas, and leakage of chemicals.7○ Contribution to and Symbiosis with Local Communities
In the event a disaster occurs, the earliest possible recovery of local communities should besought in cooperation with citizens, administration, and client companies. Among local
contributions, provision of aid funds, premises, and materials are generally conceived. It is
desirable to give support using the assets of the company, such as dispatching engineers andvolunteers. It is also desirable that there is close cooperation.8

5

In fact, in the business continuity plans of companies in Europe and the United States, anticipated risks are acceptable
unless the other party, subject of explanation, poses questions. There seems to be a common understanding that what is
important is that a company possesses a business continuity plan and has a process for conducting training and reviews.
6
Specific measures are evacuation plans, confirming safety, stockpiling water, hardtacks, and lavatories; making
earthquake-resistant improvements; stockpiling rescue materials; and, providing education and training.
7
For example, it is natural that companies possessing dangerous substances should always comply with the handlingprocedures provided for by laws and regulations, and it is natural that the importance of doing so will increase at the timeof a disaster. It is essential to communicate the status of dangerous substances to neighboring areas, as well as confirm thesituation quickly.
8
Depending on the willingness of local municipalities, if possible, it is conceivable to execute agreements on local
contributions in advance.

43

Business
Continuity

Contribution toandSymbiosis with
Communities

Prevention ofSecondaryDisaster

Securing
Safety of Life

Targets of Business Continuity

1.2.3 Status of each Item Enumerated in these Guidelines
These Guidelines aim to enumerate common, basic items required for promoting preparations fordisasters and measures for business continuity that are directed to small, medium-sized, and large
enterprises9. They have no intention of being provided as mandatory standards, however, andimplementation of each item is left to discretion of individual companies. Therefore, each item may
be selected depending on site conditions, culture, and strengths of an individual company.
What should be emphasized first are measures deemed desirable by the government, and thatthese Guidelines do not presuppose large investments, but mainly assume measures taken byenterprises to inspect, plan, and use resources effectively. Therefore, it is desirable that companies
specifically consider responses based on these Guidelines as broadly as possible.
These Guidelines explain basic items that are common to all companies. In Japan, otherguide books on business continuity have already been published. They include “Guide Book forDeveloping Contingency Plans in Financial Institutions” by (Foundation) Financial Information
System Center (FISC) and “Business Continuity Plan Development Guidelines” (Report ofStudy Group on How Information Security Governance should be applied in Corporations andReferences) by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. We believe it is natural that existing
guide books should be respected in the relevant business field, and that these guide books will be
informative to companies in other business fields.

9

Although these Guidelines are prepared for private enterprises, the concept of business continuity is useful to allorganizations, including central and local governments.

44

1.3

Continual Improvement

These Guidelines do not seek perfect development and implementation of business continuity
plans at the outset. It is expected that each company will gradually build up a disaster-resilient
structure through continual efforts.
To develop and establish general plans and measures, continual efforts are effective. One
approach is through a management system, which is useful for measures when a disaster occurs.
A management system is a business management technique that is already incorporated inquality control, environmental management, and information security, and has the following threecharacteristics. (1)it is used by the management, (2)a company determines what is to be
implemented, and (3)continual improvements are made.
Continual improvement of the management system means, as shown in the figure below,(1)managers develop policy, (2)develop plans, (3)implement and operate plans as part of routine
business, (4)provide education and training for employees, (5)inspect and correct results, and(6)carry out regular management reviews.
The following merits of a management system may be enumerated as stated in these Guidelines;
managers are involved, measures can be established through the incorporation of self-evaluation
steps in regular activities, an area where companies are rather weak, and human development will
be possible focusing on education and training10. 11 12 13

Continual
Improvement
継続的改善

方Policy針
方 針

経営層による
Review by
経営層による
the Management
見直し
見直し

計Plan画
計 画

Inspection
点検及びand
点検及び
Corrective
Actions

是正処置
是正処置

Implementation

実施及び運用andOperation
実施及び運用Education and
教育・訓練
Training
教育・訓練

Continual Improvement10

See 2.4 Providing Education and Training, infra.
Although methods for establishing disaster measures and business continuity can be achieved by structures other thanthe management system, continual improvement (kaizen) is an area with which Japanese companies are well acquainted
and have strengths.
12
While a management system requires auditing, in these Guidelines, it is considered “desirable for companies that are
advanced in their activities to implement.”
13
Among management systems, a third-party certification system tends to be recommended, but these Guidelines are
not intended to formulate a certification system.
11

45

II

Contents of Business Continuity Plan and Good Practice

Flow of Business Continuity Good Practice

2.1 Policy

2.6 Review by the Management

2.2 Plan

2.5 Inspection and Corrective Actions

2.2.1 Identification of Disasters to be Examined
2.2.2 Evaluation of Degree of Impact
2.2.2.1 Estimation of Suspension Period and Responsive
Capacity
2.2.2.2 Determination of Critical Operations
2.2.2.3 Setting out of Target Recovery Time

2.4 Providing Education and Training

2.2.3 Prediction of Probable Damage to the Critical
Operations

2.3 Exercising and Control

2.2.4 Extraction of Key Elements

2.3.1 Implementation of Response Actions in linewith a Business Continuity Plan

2.2.5 Development of a Business Continuity Plan
2.2.5.1 Clarifying the Chain of Command

2.3.2 Documentation

2.2.5.2 Securing the Functions of the Head office andOther Key Sites
2.2.5.3 Transmitting Information to Outside andInformation Sharing
2.2.5.4 Backing up the Information System

2.3.2.1 Formulating Plans and Manuals
2.3.2.2 Formulating Checklists
2.3.3 Financing

2.2.5.5 Supplying Products or Services
2.3.4 Confirming whether Plans Function in
Practice

2.2.6 Concurrent Requirements other than BusinessContinuity

2.3.5 Importance of Business Judgment in the
Event of a Disaster2.2.6.1 Securing and Confirming the Safety of Life
2.2.6.2 Mitigating Possible Damage to Offices,
Worksites and Equipment
2.2.6.3 Preventing Secondary Disasters
2.2.6.4 Coordinating with the Local Community andContributing Thereto
2.2.6.5 Mutual Cooperation and Mutual Assistance2.2.6.6 Other Considerations46

2.1 Policy
Managers shall prepare a business continuity plan to be implemented when a disaster occurs,
make it thoroughly known without exception, and develop a basic policy. Managers shall also
explain activities concerning business continuity to related parties inside and outside the company,
and obtain their understanding. 14 In such an event, it is necessary for the top management to be
involved. If not, the effectiveness of the plan will be questioned and support from domestic andoverseas companies, which consider responses to ensure business continuity natural, will not be
obtained.
Consequently, this policy should be adopted by a resolution of the board of directors or the
management committee. Further, it is desirable to announce the approved policy.
Managers should also secure business resources, including the necessary budget and personnel toconduct activities in line with the basic policy. It is also necessary to secure the schedule forparticipation in developing the plan of the company.
2.2 Plan
In a company developing an annual plan, it is also necessary to prepare an annual plan on how toensure business continuity when a disaster occurs.15 (This plan must be reviewed regularly (see2.6)). In this regard, the plan should be included in the business plan of the entire company that is
approved by the top management.16
2.2.1 Identification of Disasters to be Examined
As stated in 1.2.1 above, a business continuity plan should essentially be developed with the
purpose of continuing critical operations no matter what risk arises. What risks are anticipated byan individual company is left to the judgment of that company. It is necessary to propose a methodof introduction that is easy for companies to understand when they are thinking about goodpractice.
Therefore, in these Guidelines, it is recommended to start in-house activities by identifying
earthquakes as anticipated risks. In Japan, as there is a possibility of earthquakes occurring
anywhere, an approach is to choose one anticipated earthquake that might affect major facilities,
headquarters, or major factories. You can consider several anticipated earthquakes or select anotherrisk (or a few) to start in-house activities. You may start considering all probable risks, but at thebasic level it is better to gradually increase the risks considered in the course of continual
improvement.

14

Explanations to related parties should be made in line with 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and 2Hs (how andhow much).
15
For example, the cycle from developing a business continuity plan to inspection and review should be implemented inconformity with the main business cycle of the company (fiscal year, closing term, business report).
16
It is necessary to impregnate steady efforts in the entire company. If the status of the plan is unclear and efforts aredelayed interminably, a hard worked plan might become obsolete as prerequisites change.

47

2.2.2 Evaluation of Degree of Impact
As a characteristic of business continuity, in the event that a company suspends businessregardless of the reason, a target recovery time is set, which the business can endure by evaluating
how much the period of suspension will affect the company. On the basis of this evaluation ofdegree of impact, critical operations whose continuity is required need to be identified, and thepriorities for recovery need to be established. The important elements that present obstacles(bottlenecks) to the securing target recovery time are extracted.17
2.2.2.1 Estimation of Suspension Period and Response Capacity
First, it is presupposed that supplies of major products and services are suspended. 18 Then, anevaluation of the impact of the suspension of supplies on the company’s business is made.
Specifically, it is evaluated in terms of decreased turnover, lost profit, compensation, decline ofcredibility (drop off of customers), and deterioration of finances, and a judgment is made on how
long the company can endure suspension.
This evaluation of degree of impact is required for assessing critical operations (2.2.2.2) whose
continuation is required. If an exhaustive analysis is sought, it will involve considerable time andcost. But, an exhaustive analysis is not essential in terms of the purpose of the evaluation, forexample, a simplified quantitative analysis, which uses daily sales and volume of clerical work
handled, might achieve the purpose. Further, if it is difficult to quantify damage liability anddecline in credibility, an evaluation may be based on the scale of impact on management.
In basic practice, it is acceptable to perform a prima facie analysis by conducting a questionnaire
survey of the leaders of each department, as well as an interview survey of the management, andthen proceed to the next step. If continual improvement is added, the plan will be more exhaustive.
In this regard, if too much time is spent on evaluating the degree of impact, it should be notedthat efforts would be meaningless because details will have changed in the meantime.
2.2.2.2 Determination of Critical Operations
If any damage occurs due to a disaster, as it would generally be difficult to continue allbusinesses, it is practical to give priority to critical operations. Accordingly, while keeping theidentified disasters in mind, it is necessary to carefully select and determine critical operations thathave corporate priority as requiring continuity. When determining critical operations, it isappropriate to determine those among operations related to human life, operations generating large
profits, operations producing large volumes of goods, and operations the greatly affect customers
on the basis of an estimation of the suspension period and capacity to respond.
If possible, it is desirable to perform a quantitative evaluation of the degree of impact of each
operation in connection with period of suspension. Points to be organized are names of productsthat cannot be supplied, supply volume, decrease in net sales, decrease in profit, and impact on
17

In the procedures for developing a business continuity plan, conforming to the standards in Europe and the UnitedStates, an evaluation of degree of impact is called a Business Impact Analysis, and is emphasized.
18
If an examination starts by identifying disasters, including earthquakes among disasters subject to examination in
2.2.1, it is sufficient to examine suspension of supplies of products and services due to the occurrence of a specified
disaster.

48

customers, employees, society, and citizens.
Basically, it is sufficient to choose and examine one representative operation or a few of them. It is
recommended to gradually increase the subject operations through continual improvements.
2.2.2.3 Setting a Target Recovery Time
Based on the results of the evaluation of degree of impact, relations with customers andadministration, social mission, etc., a target time that can be permitted for the suspension of criticaloperations of the company shall be set out. This establishes the prerequisites for developing abusiness continuity plan.
In actual disasters, it is natural that the period required for critical operations to be recovered willvary considerably due to the scope of the affected area and damage to infrastructure. Therefore, it issufficient to try to set a target recovery time that seems to be practicable. For example, it may bethree hours later, three days later, or ten days later.
To recover the critical operations within the target recovery time, it is necessary to complete
procurement and allocation of required various business resources within the said target recoverytime.
In this regard, with respect to the target recovery time, it is necessary to set a target time
according to the conditions provided for in agreements, laws, and charters, in the case of(1)infrastructure-providing companies that society requires to recover quickly, (2)financial
institutions that are requested to target recovery in terms of securing stability of the financial
system, and (3)IT service companies that covenant to subscribers the estimated recovery time inservice agreements.19
Specifying the target time for recovery has the effect of promoting disaster-prevention measures
because the personnel in charge in the company will make active efforts to achieve the target.
2.2.3 Prediction of Probable Damage to Critical Operations
The next step is to predict the severity of probable damage to critical operations exposed to a
specific risk, such as a disaster.20 The business impact assessment step in the preceding paragraph2.2.2 predicts the impact of a business shutdown that might occur. In this step, probable damage ispredicted so that specific measures can be established. In damage prediction, consideration is given
to the impacts on a variety of business functions, such as offices/factories, machinery/equipment,
workers, raw materials, transportation, packaging, and customers.21
As mentioned in paragraph 2.2.1, these Guidelines suggest that in-house activities should bestarted on the assumption that a specific earthquake could strike an area in question. If the ongoing
impact assessment has been started with no specific disasters assumed, prerequisites for damage
19

To decide this goal, consideration is also given to coordination with local communities as mentioned later.
The examination of the possibility of an event or impact of a specific disaster that could cause an interruption ofbusiness operations is known as risk analysis. For details of the procedure, refer to JISQ2001 (Guidelines for building risk
management systems) or other appropriate material.
21
For anti-terrorism measures, it seems reasonable to predict that most major sites (factory, head office, IT center, etc.)
could be destroyed completely. Enterprises often make this prediction as a prerequisite for examining their business
continuity plans in terms of terrorist attack. However, not all Japanese enterprises would have to examine
countermeasures on the assumption that most of their sites suffer a total loss.
20

49

predictions are to be established here. Anticipated disasters are sorted from among such risks asearthquakes, floods, fire, SARS, and terrorist attacks considering likelihood, ease of analysis, andso on. In view of the necessity of continual improvement, it is advisable to select some specificdisasters for the damage prediction, and avoid analyzing all possible disasters.

Predicting Seismic Damage
Earthquakes are the greatest threat to the business continuity of companies operating in Japan.
Predicted damage varies with seismic intensity and other factors. If you have two or more sites ofactivity in many parts of the country, it seems unrealistic that all sites would be hit by earthquakes
having a seismic intensity of 7. If you are operating at a single site, the chances are very small thatthe site would be jolted with a seismic intensity of 7 than 5 or 6. The lower the seismic intensity of anearthquake is, the less likely you would be to suffer a total loss, thus giving you more leeway in
examining business continuity methods to determine an appropriate one that allows you to respondon your own.
Thus, it is suggested that the review be started on the assumption, for example, that criticalfacilities are hit by an upper 6-level earthquake. Alternatively, you may refer to the results of seismic
damage predictions of the national or local government to determine the anticipated intensity ofseismic motions that would jolt your head office or main factory. (This technique applies to flood
damage as well.)
It is also necessary to gather information on the anticipated shutdown period of vital utility lines(lifelines) that could affect your business. Although giving consideration to utility stoppages makes it
difficult to carry out a damage prediction, this may be interpreted as suggesting that you decide theprerequisite conditions you think are appropriate.22
Being aware that damage differs from one earthquake or disaster to another. Japanesecompanies operating in this disaster-prone country may be somewhat reluctant to develop responseplans based on anticipated damage. Measures to ensure business continuity, however, are often
effective against disasters other than the anticipated one. Besides, the business continuity plan, if
combined with employee training and periodic review, would sizably enhance the ability of individual
employees as well as the company as a whole to prevent disasters. This might explain why theyemphasize business continuity plans in Europe and North America.

22

When predicting damage caused by an earthquake or other wide-area disaster, companies often look toward estimatedperiods of lifeline disruption, assuming no damage to their own facilities. First, they must recognize that their facilities
would not remain intact either.

50

How to Advance Preparations for Anticipated Earthquakes
Assuming that an earthquake is (one of the major) anticipated risks, you can determine theanticipated seismic intensity of a specific earthquake, and then predict the probable seismic damage
to your business. If a detailed damage prediction is impossible, it is suggested that at least one
damage-causing factor that could affect your production should be examined; for example, such afactor might cause (1)complete collapse of less quake-resistant buildings (as a result, employees
cannot enter them) or (2)breakdown of core production equipment leading to a delay in recovery
which could take as long as one month.23
An earthquake damage scenario is drawn up to determine (1)which buildings would be damaged
and to what extent, (2)which facilities, fixtures, and fittings would be damaged and to what extent,(3)How long it would take to repair and readjust equipment and devices, (4)how many employees
can come to the office or assembly place, (5)what portion of inventories remains intact, and (6)howlong lifelines remain disrupted.
At first, you do not have to be meticulous in drafting a seismic scenario. What is important is to getstarted. You can refine its validity and precision on an ongoing basis.24 25
Generally, a worst-case scenario is used in risk management and business continuity analysis.
(Formerly, the most likely scenario, determined from event probability and extent of damage, hadbeen used.) In a baseline analysis, however, you have only to examine a scenario that is just one ormore steps worse than the most likely scenario.
Some companies may eventually find it impossible to take response measures to meet the
scenario they work out. In this case, you should not stop there, but acknowledge that condition andcontinue with a more manageable scenario that anticipates less damage. More specifically, a
realistic approach might be to anticipate a slightly smaller earthquake you can manage on your own;
for example, anticipate an earthquake with a seismic intensity of lower 6 or upper 5 instead of upper
6. What enhances the earthquake disaster prevention capacity of a local community is that more
and more enterprises look to anti-earthquake measures.

2.2.4 Extraction of Key Elements
On the basis of predicted damage caused to critical operations, major production equipment,
information, or other resources, whose recovery is a decisive factor for the resumption of
production or business operations, key elements (critical path with the longest recovery time,23

To refine damage prediction as part of continual improvement activities, it is advisable to make changes to theconditions of the event, such as the day of the week, time of day, affected site, anticipated earthquake, targeted coreproduct, guiding principle or foundation for corporate activities. It is also advisable to allow for anticipated damage toother companies of a like nature.
24
In the text, earthquake damage to premises is estimated for a specified level of seismic intensity. If a survey ofbuildings, etc. is a burden to the enterprise, simplified procedures with no survey data may be employed, for example, justto determine whether the building in question is still usable if it is affected.
25
In a standard risk management technique, risks are sorted, specified, calculated (event frequency estimation,
vulnerability analysis, and damage extent and impact estimation), evaluated (acceptability determination), and prioritized.
All of these steps, however, are omitted here. As the enterprise gets used to business continuity response activities, it
should introduce standard risk management procedures (JISQ2001 “Guidelines for building risk management systems”)
as part of continual improvement activities, and thereby come up with more rational countermeasures.

51

bottlenecks that place limitation on production output,26 etc.) are selected. Because the number ofdays actually required for business recovery depends on the number of days required for therecovery of these critical resources, measures are examined to minimize the number of days
required for their recovery.
It should be kept in mind here that enforcing such measures turns the key elements into otherresources. For this reason, two or more key elements are picked up as targets of measures and arecontinually reviewed.
In practice, examinations are often repeated back and forth between steps for impact assessment(paragraph 2.2.2) and key element extraction.
2.2.5 Development of a Business Continuity Plan
To ensure the continuity of business, the management develops a business continuity plan thatwill reliably restore critical operations by the target recovery time. In this case, the management
might be able to find various responses by capitalizing on the company’s ambient environment,
scale and business characteristics.
In the process of developing specific countermeasures, the management shall judge from thefollowing standpoints: i.e., how to protect key elements; and, what measures are to be taken in casekey elements suffer damage.
The following items are especially important to ensure the continuity of business in the event of
a disaster:(1) Clarifying the chain of command(2) Securing the functions of the head office and other key sites(3) Transmitting information outside and information sharing(4) Backing up the information system(5) Supplying products or services
If the supply of a product or a service (Item (5)) has been suspended temporarily, this stoppage
may be allowable, provided items (1) to (4) have already been established, and the suspension time
is within the allowable period specific to the product or service involved.
The key items (1) to (5) that are associated with business continuity are explained by item below.
2.2.5.1 Clarifying the Chain of Command
Building a system of organizations for business continuity and clarifying their roles andcommand chains are essential for promoting business continuity activities, and ensuring a
successful response in the event of a disaster. Persons responsible for these organizations should be
appointed from the management. A cross-organizational anti-disaster function may be created ineach department throughout the company, because business continuity measures are not under thesole control of particular departments, such as corporate planning and general administration, butinvolve a variety of extraordinary operations. Some managerial resources are needed to implement
extraordinary activities, so these resources are also to be clarified and procured securely. In small
26

For example, bottlenecks range from business components, such as tasks, processes, departments, distribution of
goods, key people, data and systems, to product production elements, such as machinery, dies, tools, and raw materials.

52and medium-sized businesses, the CEOs themselves often take the initiative in business continuity
activities. In any case, measures are taken with clearly defined responsibilities.
When examining a business continuity plan, there are some points to be fully considered inassociation with the item “clarifying the chain of command,” which include: To ensure efficient organization control in the event of a disaster, chief of the disastercountermeasures headquarters, secretariat, departmental measures implementation
offices, etc. should be organized into a system.
 Because a disaster triggers extraordinary activities that are very different from routine
operations, an inter-department mobilization system should be established. 27
 Authority transfer or empowerment rules should be established in advance in case thechief of the disaster countermeasures headquarters is out of contact or absent.
 In each department, authority transfer or empowerment rules should also be formulated
in case the chief of the measures implementation office is out of contact or absent.
2.2.5.2 Securing the Functions of the Head office and Other Key Sites
In the event of a disaster, there should be a place where the chief of the disaster countermeasures
headquarters, officers, etc. can assemble to decide countermeasures and take command. If the head
office or branch sites are affected, plans should be formulated in advance to define where toassemble in what case, and which operations to carry on.28
When examining the business continuity plan, there are some points to be fully considered inassociation with the item “securing the functions of the head office and other key sites,” which
include: In addition to the possibility of resuming business in the affected area, business
continuity in unaffected areas should be examined (e.g., to check transfer of operational
control to a site or factory outside the affected area). Although transfer of the command
function outside the affected area is not an essential requirement, it is necessary tocarefully consider whether the stakeholders would give consent to this matter without
conducting an examination.
 Active use of document and electronic data storage service in a remote area
 Time-zone differences should be considered. (Information might have to be transmitted
to overseas sites that might be working when Japan is on holiday or at night.)
 Active use of community resources, such as municipal disaster programs andneighborhood disaster-prevention activities
2.2.5.3 Transmitting Information Outside and Information Sharing
After a disaster, it is important to share information with business partners, consumers,
employees, stockholders, citizens, and local municipalities. 29 In this context, measures should be
27

When setting up an emergency organization, one method uses the regular organization as it is, and another reorganizes
it by function, such as information gathering, analysis/evaluation, logistics, exercising/response, and informationtransmission, It is advisable to adapt to circumstances; for example, an on-site countermeasures headquarters should be
set up according to the extent of damage, or task teams, such as customer response, recovery and affected employee
support, should be flexibly reorganized as the situation demands.
28
The assembly point may be enterprise’s sales office, office of an outside company in the same trade or in businesswith the enterprise, chamber of commerce office, company-owned house or dormitory, etc.
29
Information sharing among interested persons on a routine basis is generally known as “risk communication.” On theother hand, post-disaster information sharing is sometimes called “crisis communication.”53

taken to prevent a so-called “blackout” situation, where corporate activities are invisible tointerested persons, and people do not have the least idea what is going on .30 This also emphasizes
the importance of prior consultation with interested parties.
Providing information to business partners and customers in the supply chain is an essential
requirement for middle-standing small or medium-sized enterprises as well.
When examining a business continuity plan, there are some points to be fully considered inassociation with the item “transmitting information outside and information sharing,” which
include: Establishing systems for information collection, distribution, and public relations
 Developing systematic communications with the authorities concerned, residents in theneighborhood, supply chains, etc.
 Securing means of communication and information
2.2.5.4
Backing up the Information System
Information systems are among the key infrastructure functions of a business. It is essential thatnecessary information and data be backed up and stored at two or more places that are unlikely tobe affected by a disaster at the same time. In particular, a well-maintained backup system is needed
for information systems that support critical operations.31 If a disaster should occur, the business
continuity plan would be put into practice with priority given to the critical operations. However, if
the company has moved out of the emergency response phase and finally changed over fromalternate facilities and means to regular ones toward the full restoration of its business, problems
could arise due to loss or mismatch of data required for regular operations. A detailed comeback
plan should, therefore, be developed in advance to prevent such problems. 32
When examining business continuity plans, there are some points to be fully considered inassociation with the item “backing up information systems,” which include: Clarifying the relationship between the critical operations to be protected and theinformation system Developing backup operation, changeover, and comeback plans Implementing redundancy measures for private electricity generation equipment, power
supply, power lines, etc.
 Active use of document and electronic data storage service in a remote area
2.2.5.5 Supplying Products or Services
These days, manufacturers rarely engage in all processes from parts through finished products30

In particular, enterprises engaged in international trade should respond appropriately, because news about earthquake
damage might trigger suspended business relations, postponed contract conclusion, or sharp fluctuation in FOREX orstock prices.
31
For details of backup systems, refer to the “Guidebook for developing contingency plans in financial institutions, etc.”
a publication of the Financial Information System Center (FISC), or METI’s Guidelines for developing business
continuity plans” (a workshop report on ideal corporate information security governance, reference material) or otherappropriate materials.
32
For example, the following considerations may be effective: (1)the backup ordering system, when put into operation,
should be made compatible with the settlement system, and (2)If office work has been done manually, entries in therecovered information system should not be resumed until an inspection is made to ensure that correct entries for the
manually processed portion has been completed.

54themselves. If a disaster damages any link in the supply chain, or a company involved in supplying
a raw material or parts, transportation, production or sale, the product in question is less likely toreach the market. This means that business continuity plans are not self-contained. It is, therefore,
important that information about the business continuity of related companies be gathered on aroutine basis. It is also advisable that a company obtains prior understanding of the conditions of its
business continuity plan from business partners.
The supply of a product or service may be interpreted as continuing when, for example, it isbeing produced in any way, whether it may be due to early factory recovery, alternate
self-production, OEM or other mode of production on an outside basis. Continuing product supply
may also be achieved using the enterprise’s own stocks. Once damaged, factories take time torestore operations, but business continuity may be maintained in some way or other.
When examining business continuity plans, there are some points to be fully considered inassociation with the item “supplying products or services,” which include: In addition to the earliest possible recovery of the affected factory, alternate production
at a factory outside the affected area should be considered.
 It is important to know what damage suppliers of parts or materials could suffer in theevent of a disaster. It is also advisable to secure substitutes or otherwise work together
with them to develop a business continuity plan. 33
 Cooperative relations should be established in advance with purchasers and suppliers inthe supply chain. (In particular, this applies if sites are not dispersed.).
 OEM arrangements and mutual aid agreements with other companies of a like nature
should be used. (In particular, this applies if sites are not dispersed.) Review of proper stock concept (In particular, this applies to cases where the part ormaterial in question is a special one available only from a specific supplier.)
2.2.6 Concurrent Requirements Other than Business Continuity
A disaster response entails many different activities.34 Aside from business continuity, response
efforts should be made to secure the safety of life, prevent secondary disasters, contribute to the
local community, and coexist with the community.
2.2.6.1 Securing and Confirming the Safety of LifeThe largest possible number of eligible rescue and life-saving persons should be secured to savethe lives of customers, executives, employees, cooperative companies’ employees, and temporary
staff. Earthquake retrofits to worksites are very helpful for securing the safety of life (paragraph2.2.6.2). These requirements are especially applicable to industries where many callers come to ashop at a time. 35 36
Should a disaster strike, the safety of officers and employees should be confirmed immediately.
33

In risk management, countermeasures are classified into such categories as avoidance, reduction, transfer, andpossession. This classification is not necessarily imperative, and therefore is omitted here.
34
When taking anti-earthquake measures, for example, they may include damage suppression measures that minimize
probable damage from seismic motion, direct damage mitigation measures that prevent possible fire or chemical leaks inthe event of a disaster, and indirect damage mitigation measures that deal with profit loss, compensation for damage, etc.
35
Consideration should also be given to the need for mental care after a disaster.
36
Attention should be paid to tsunami as well as preparedness for earthquakes and fire. The need for training is
discussed in the section “education and training.”

55

Appropriate safety confirmation procedures should be specified and rehearsed at regular intervals.
This helps in the case of an emergency.37
2.2.6.2 Mitigating Possible Damage to Offices, Worksites, and Equipment
Although examination of alternate places is important for the continuity of the critical operations,
it would be more desirable to find head office, factory, or other worksite and equipment intact aftera disaster. Undamaged office, worksite, or equipment ensures the safety of life, eventually leading
to a quicker recovery.
Among other things, good seismic resistance is essential for buildings in Japan. Efforts to makeproduction machines, ancillary equipment, office fixtures, and fittings fall-resistant are also
important.
Preparedness for storms and floods is also justifiable because they are highly likely to cause
damage. 38
Reinforcing Your Preparedness for Earthquake Disasters
In Japan, earthquake protection is a basic requirement for offices and other worksites to ensure
the safety of life, suppress the occurrence of fire and other secondary disasters, and ensurebusiness continuity and prompt recovery of activities. If your worksite or office building is built toformer anti-earthquake standards, the Government strongly suggests that you create a feasible
mid-term action plan, and check its earthquake resistance and reinforce it accordingly. In thisprocess, you may determine the priority of anti-seismic reinforcements in view of cost-effectiveness,
as well as the results of impact and risk assessments as described in these guidelines.
Recovery will be delayed if production equipment or ancillary facilities such as air-conditioning
systems are damaged, although the building itself remains intact. Utmost efforts should be made to
make equipment and fixtures/fittings, such as lockers, fall-resistant.39
An early response to the need for anti-seismic reinforcement or equipment retrofitting may bedifficult because it requires sizable investment. Despite this difficulty, however, you should neither
give up developing a business continuity plan nor delay your response. It should be noted thatdeveloping a business continuity plan is one thing, and investing money is another.
Aside from earthquakes, Japan is prone to such disasters as typhoons with heavy rainfall,rainstorms (river flooding, etc.), storm surges, and tsunami. If you can get information on anticipateddisaster damage (hazard maps, etc.) from municipalities, it is advisable to refer to it when you workout measures for an anticipated disaster. If your office or worksite is located in an area at risk offlood damage, it may be necessary to protect your production equipment, ancillary facilities, fixtures,and fittings from possible water damage. To do this, you might have to move key equipment to anelevated place or an upper floor.

37

Concrete examples of employee safety confirmation techniques include the creation of a contact network, introductionof an employee safety confirmation system, and a rally point system by which employees are asked to assemble at apredetermined place at a predetermined number of days after a disaster.
38
In today’s information society, loss of data or IT infrastructure can have a great impact on an enterprise. Disastercountermeasures are important for computer servers, disks, and other key equipment as well.
39
Measures to make terminal units fall-resistant should also have an anti-theft capability.

56

2.2.6.3 Preventing Secondary Disasters
Safety measures to prevent fire, check the spread of fire, and prevent blowout or leaks of liquid
chemicals should be implemented to avoid causing problems to the local community. After adisaster, inspections should be started immediately in a systematical manner to see if any of theabove-mentioned problems are present, and if any affected building or structure could fall outside
the premises. If the surrounding area is likely to be at risk, the following actions should be taken
immediately: alert the danger to all residents in the neighborhood or request them to evacuate;
report to the administrative authorities; and take response action with them. All of these actions
should be defined in the plan.
Required safety-measures workforce should be secured in advance, and trained to ensure prompt
assembly.
2.2.6.4 Coordinating with the Local Community and Contributing Thereto
Disasters often strike municipalities, local residents, and enterprises at the same time, as
evidenced by natural disasters in the past. Therefore, coordination with local residents andmunicipalities in the vicinity is essential for smooth recovery following a disaster.
If companies are looking only at business continuity, they would give top priority to securingexternal resources required for their recovery, and develop a business continuity plan. If eachcompany acts in its own best interests, this behavior could invite heavy traffic congestion
everywhere, panic buying of goods, and other problems that would impede the recovery of the local
community. Such a consequence must be avoided by all means. In undertaking the task ofdeveloping these guidelines, the Government intends to ask each enterprise to understand andcooperate in this matter.
Should companies suffer damage to their facilities or equipment, the recovery process would
involve materials and machines carry-in operations, construction noise and vibration, and otherpublic nuisances that need to gain an understanding of the neighborhood. In this sense as well,mutual understanding is important between the company and the community where they areoperating.
For example, companies except vital utilities service providers should not ask employees otherthan those in charge of emergency tasks to report to work but stay at home during the criticalpost-disaster period in which endangered lives could be saved with a high probability (e.g., forthree days or so after an earthquake). In this way, they would have opportunities to save other lives
in the neighborhood, guard against fire, and help the weak, thereby contributing to local safety. 40
This also gives companies a chance to help ease urban-centered traffic congestion if they aresituated at the center of a city.
After disaster damage occurs, companies should cooperate with citizens, the government,
business partners, and others because the community’s earliest possible restoration is beneficial tothem as well. If companies are willing to contribute in their own way to the early restoration of an
40

Especially in metropolitan areas, instructing many employees to report to work with utility and related services not yet
restored could cause a water/food shortage or confusion of response to sewage or garbage issues. If a company asks manyof its employees to report to work, it should address sewage and garbage problems itself to avoid troubling the local
community.

57

affected community or help with disaster-relief services, it may be socially desirable, provided they
confer with appropriate local public entities, and make prior arrangements on what to do in the caseof an emergency.41 Companies should also stay in contact with these entities on a routine basis.42
Companies can contribute to the local community in many ways; for example, (1)donating relief
funds, (2)opening parts of premises or buildings to evacuees, 43 and (3)contributing survival foodand relief goods from stockpiles (this is a common practice), (4)dispatching needed engineers andtechnicians, and (5)encouraging employees to participate in volunteer activities. These are among
the variegated activities companies can do to support disaster-relief operations for the affected local
community. Contributory responses in whatever way possible would also help enhance the value ofthe company itself.
Besides, the spread of a volunteer leave system among enterprises is expected to be instrumental
in promoting volunteer activities of employees on an individual basis.
2.2.6.5 Mutual Cooperation and Mutual AssistanceSelf-help recovery is limited if disaster damage ranges over a wide area. In view of business
continuity, emergency mutual assistance mechanisms should be established in the same industrial
complex, in the neighborhood association, with purchasers in the supply chain and with otherenterprises in the same industry.44
2.2.6.6 Other Considerations
If a disaster should strike during working hours, employees should receive water, food, portable
urinals, and other emergency supplies needed prior to going home. Stockpiles should be secured in
sufficient quantities for the core business recovery members to carry out their tasks until the end of
the recovery period. Besides, crowbars and other rescue tools should be kept at hand to free
employees trapped in collapsed buildings or facilities. 45
Mitigation of damage to employees’ homes is important in itself. What is more, it implies that
more core recovery members and other employees are likely to participate in corporate operations.
So, this might be one of the company-wide agenda items that enterprises should actively consider. 46
41

Cost-reimbursement agreements are sometimes concluded for disaster assistance activities. Disaster assistanceagreements cover a variety of activities ranging from water/food offering to road clearing, equipment repairing,transporting goods, and interpreter services.
42
Companies should keep in contact with NPOs and local municipalities on a routine basis as part of their efforts toenhance routine activities; for example, they may offer meeting places for residents’ associations or NPOs andco-organize seminars for citizens.
43
If companies own hospitals, hotels, terminal buildings, or other facilities that can be turned into first-aid stations or
evacuation shelters in the event of a disaster, they should keep a private electricity generator, private source of drinking
water, alternative fuel, etc., ready in case vital public utilities, such as electricity, gas and water supply, are be disrupted
extensively.
44
There are many response actions, such as supplying products on an OEM basis, using offices, and dispatching
recovery people.
45
In the event of a wide-area disaster, emergency public services, such as ambulance, fire brigade, and police are lesslikely to arrive in a short time. Necessary rescue equipment and materials should be kept at hand, which might be needed
to rescue peers on a self-help basis. Necessities include crowbars, saws, shovels, hammers, wire cutters, jacks, portablewinches, rope, ladders, and dust-protective masks.
46
It is also important for employees to have knowledge about anti-seismic house retrofits, fall-proof measures forfurniture, water /food/toilet stockpile, and earthquake insurance. Experience using an emergency messaging service(number 171) is also instrumental for better confirming the safety of employees’ family members in the event of adisaster.

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2.3

Exercising and Control

2.3.1 Implementation of Response Actions in line with a Business Continuity Plan
After a business continuity plan has been developed, appropriate budgets should be secured sothat response actions can be implemented in the form of an annual program as well as mid- or
long-term plans in line with the business continuity plan. One of the important points for the
response actions to be taken in line with the business continuity plan is that efforts should focus
particularly on developing a response plan as described in paragraph 2.2.4 “Extraction of Key
Elements.”47
Plans are meaningless if they are not put into practice. The point is how existing plans are
implemented as initially specified, and how new plans are put into practice. 48
2.3.2 Documentation49
2.3.2.1 Formulating Plans and Manuals
A complete set of plans and implementation procedure manuals should be formulated bydepartment and by role. They should contain the policies for business continuity measures, damage
prediction data, business continuity plan, advance preparation, business operations in the event of adisasters, ordinary organization control, organization control, and chain of command in the case of47

Basic requirements for response measures may include:
Clarifying organizations in charge of response actions and their roles.

Clarifying business continuity procedures.

Clarifying resources and their suppliers required for business continuity.

Determining where to set up a backup office, and making arrangements to secure manuals, PCs, telephonelines, desks, documents, and office equipment.

Determining what means are employed to back up the information system, select the data to be backed up,
and establish procedures for getting back from the backup system or alternate site.
Backing up critical documents that are vital for the existence of the enterprise, or contain information notavailable anywhere else. (They are known as “vital records,” as listed at the end of this footnote.)Considering the decentralization of production sites.
Considering stock buildup and decentralization of places where stocks are stored.
Considering trading with two or more partners.
Considering OEM agreements with other companies of a like nature.
Establishing an emergency network of contacts. Secure two or more means of communication.

Distributing manuals to officers’ homes as well.
Compiling contact lists of customers, business partners, affiliates, administration offices, and newspaper
advertisement agencies.
Concluding contracts with recovery service providers.

Establishing procedures for alternative manual operations.
* Vital records are classified as documents either directly or indirectly needed in the event of a disaster; the former
including design drawings, layout sketches, and quality control documents, while the latter including documents formaintaining corporate governance or internal control, securing compliance or accountability, specifying rights andobligations, and securing debts and credits.
48
If companies are accustomed to management systems, they have only to implement standard items of the management
system, such as exercising records acquisition, operation control, and document control, in addition to the items listed inthis paragraph.
49
The documents mentioned herein include plans and manuals, as well as all other documents, such as requests for
decision, minutes, training records and disaster response records.

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an emergency, and ongoing improvement procedures.50
The plans should contain methodologies for accomplishing critical operations within targeted
recover time.
The manuals should be used to have employees confirm or familiarize themselves with response
policies and response measures, to hand down expertise to successors following personnel
reshuffles, and in daily study sessions.
2.3.2.2 Formulating Checklists
When a disaster strikes, employees will not have time to consult bulky manuals on the spot.
Therefore, responsible persons who assume leadership roles should have checklists at hand, which
will help them check policy or direction, required minimum actions, progress control, proceduresfor sustaining critical operations, etc.
2.3.3 Financing
Affected enterprises need funds for recovering damaged or burnt-out offices or worksites, as well
as for maintaining financial credit. Financial considerations may involve insurance and reserving
bank’s disaster loans. It is also wise to consider eligibility for public post-disaster loans frommunicipalities.
2.3.4 Confirming whether Plans Function in Practice
It is necessary to confirm whether critical operations are actually recovered within the target
recovery time. For example, confirmatory inspections should be made to see if required recovery
materials and equipment can be procured within the prescribed time. If tasks are supposed to beprocessed manually in the event of a system shutdown, simulation and other confirmatory steps
should be taken to confirm whether the prescribed work load is realistic.
2.3.5 Importance of Business Judgment in the Event of a DisasterA disaster sometimes exceeds the preparedness of companies, even if they carefully examine
response measures against an anticipated level of damage, as described above. 51 Thus, it isimportant that the management (chief of disaster countermeasures headquarters) and its supporting
office do not adhere stubbornly to an existing plan, but use it as a basis for discussion, and makejudgments according to the circumstances.52
50

Generally, the manuals created have a hierarchical structure consisting of “policy,” “regulations,” “standards,”“procedure,” etc.
51
For example, a series of unexpectedly strong aftershocks followed the main shock in the Niigata-Chubu Earthquake.
52
The following are typical time-series steps for what to consider when making decisions in the event of a disaster:
Check damage without delay.
Expect the worst if information on damage is unavailable.

Gain information about damage to the supply chain.
Mobilize office staff as soon as possible, and create task forces.

Dispatch an advance team.
Confirm the extent of impact on business operations.

Establish basic policies for disaster response.

Prioritize the countermeasures.

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2.4 Providing Education and Training
It is important that both management and employees each recognize the importance of business
continuity as a common perception, or as an established culture. This also emphasizes the need tohold education and training sessions on an ongoing basis.53
It is an unrealistic expectation that in the event of a disaster, all interested people can reliably
carry out their assigned tasks simply because all of the required tasks are documented. As a result,
it is essential for drills and training sessions to be held on a routine basis. These sessions should
provide a wide variety of programs ranging from basic knowledge education to desk-top drills anddecision-making training for key people, field evacuation exercises, fire drills, backup system
operation training, and countermeasures headquarters setup drills.
Because emergency situations do not allow employees time to read and understand emergency
response manuals on the spot, people who are familiar with these manuals should be trained as acontingency.
2.5

Inspection and Corrective Actions

Companies should evaluate the conditions of business continuity activities as part of an annual
operation audit (or more frequently at regular intervals). Inspections should be conducted to see
what has and has not been covered by exercises, and insufficiencies should be improved as detected
if treatable during routine operations. The results of evaluations and details of improvements should
be reported to the management.
2.6 Review by the Management
On the basis of the results of regular inspections, the management should sort the items to be
improved, review business continuity activities as a whole, and define the direction of activities foryears to come. To do this, the management should have a correct recognition of the current
situation while keeping up with changes in business activities. Managerial reviews repeated atregular intervals are essential for making companies resistant to disaster risks.54













Establish specific recovery goals.
Give instructions on initial response actions, and control their progress.
Create an emergency organization or team, and appoint its leader.
Determine whether transfer to the alternate place is justifiable or not.
Determine whether the backup system should be put into service or not.
Check recovery of materials.
Obtain information on the conditions of operations resumed.
Check what materials need additional supplies.
Judge whether or not affected operations can get back to normalcy.
Examine preventative measures.
Secure extraordinary budget.
Give explanations to the interested persons.
 Summarize and review the past activities.
53
Personnel reshuffles are common in companies, and many cases of corporate break ups and mergers have appeared inrecent years. Under these circumstances, retention of expertise is gaining importance. This is an additional reason why
education and training are needed.
54
The following applies to paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6: If the quality management system ISO9000, environment
management system ISO14001, risk management system JISQ2001 or information security management system61

In addition to a periodic review by the management, an overall review of business continuity
activities should also be made if a change has been introduced to critical operations, such as
major changes in business or restructuring, business expansion, introduction of a new product, andworksite transfer. Business operations are changing rapidly in Japan today.

ISO17799 is already in service, required actions may be taken as part of the activities of existing management system (i.e.,“monitoring,” “evaluation,” “remedy or improvement” and “audit”).

62III Recommendations to the Management and the Economic Community
Referring to the business continuity framework that has evolved mainly in Europe and North
America, these Guidelines have discussed what companies should and should not do in the courseof taking business continuity measures. Among other things, the management’s unerring judgment
is expected in various situations.
At the conclusion of the guidelines, the Government’s Central Disaster Management Council
Special Board of Inquiry will make the following recommendations for the economic community,
as well as corporate management, to consider when taking measures against disasters:
(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

There is a need to make more companies know that a longer customer list and improved
corporate value derive from their reputations among stockholders, business partners,
consumers, administrative officials, and employees for their preparedness with business
continuity measures against possible disasters. The task that lies ahead is to actively expand
this preparedness.
Should a disaster strike, it may be necessary for the affected enterprise to decide to narrow
down the list of key operations and concentrate a limited workforce on them. It should also
be noted that this narrowing-down step might be required not only just after a disaster whenbusiness continuity countermeasures are to be taken, but also in mid- and long-term
perspectives looking at later recovery periods.
There is a need to make more companies know that examining business continuity measures
is conducive to business management because it allows companies to learn what to prioritizeamong critical operations, processes, and materials, to take effective disastercountermeasures according to the level of risk and importance, and eventually to achieve
higher cost-effectiveness and investment efficiency in terms of disaster response.
Japanese companies’ earthquake risks are of deep concern to overseas investors as well. To
dispel their anxiety, it is advisable to actively disclose details of earthquake risk along withresponse measures by some means (e.g., financial statement, sales report, and social
environment report). This posture might also reflect credit on the enterprise itself.
There is a need to make more enterprises know that preparedness for disasters and response
to a disaster that has occurred are just part of the management’s responsibilities.
This notion should also be made ubiquitous among companies in terms of corporate social
responsibility. Economically, mitigating disaster damage and ensuring business continuity
give an company a chance to reduce its stockholders’ economic losses and benefit fromrestoration-related demand that ensues. Environmentally, measures to prevent secondary
disasters, such as environmental pollution, would be highly rated. And socially, earlyrecovery of business operations would help to secure jobs in an affected area along with afavorable reputation in terms of safety of life.

63

Appendix :Glossary

BCP (Business Continuity Plan)
Defined as a business continuity plan.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
International Organization for Standardization is an international organization for standardization,
comprised of standardization organizations representing each country and engaged in development andamendment of international standards for all industrial fields (mining and manufacturing, agriculture
and pharmaceuticals, etc.), except for electricity, electronic technology and communication fields.
JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards)
Japanese Industrial Standards are national standards established under the Industrial Standardization
Law (1949) for the purpose of facilitating industrial standardization in Japan.
NPO (Non-profit Organization)
Non-profit organization collectively refers to non-profit organizations that are voluntarily engaged insocial contribution activities. Law to Promote Specified Non-profit Activities (NPO Law) provides acorporate status granting system for organizations to acquire corporate status through simplified
procedures.
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing)
Original equipment manufacturing is a production consignment system to provide components andfinished products under the brand of the purchaser.
Decision-making Training
Defined as training on deciding and giving directions in a short time as how to cope with and how to
procure organization, personnel, and funds, assuming an incident or an accident occurred.
Business Suspension Losses
Defined as a decrease in sales and accompanying loss of profits arising from suspension of business.
Desk Training
Desk training is one of the forms of decision-making training. It involves training on important items
along a time axis based on a scenario of incident or accident.
Previous Earthquake-proof Standards
Provisions for earthquake-proof in the Building Standard Law, enacted in 1950, were revised twice in1971 and 1981, based on experiences of earthquake damage following Tokachioki Earthquake (1968)
and Miyagikenoki Earthquake (1978). Here they refer to the building standards used before 1981. There
are great concerns about the earthquake-resistance of buildings built under previous
earthquake-resistance standards.
Crisis Communications
Sharing of information in case of an emergency, including press conferences at the time of an
emergency. Crisis communications are included in risk communications.
Critical Path
Where there are several bifurcations in the process of a project, the critical path is the working path thatcan complete all processes in the shortest time. It is necessary to monitor it selectively as a delay on thispath will affect other processes.
Contingency Plan
Defined as a previously prepared plan for procedures to respond to emergencies.
Disaster Loan
Many municipalities have systems of loans for disaster damage and lend money to the victims ofearthquakes, major fires, and wind and water damage. Subjects and terms of loans are published on thehome pages of municipalities. Regarding loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, governmental
financial corporations establish systems for loans to aid recovery from disasters.

64

Supply Chain
Defined as a series of business linkages that connect suppliers to consumers, including development,
procurement, manufacture, distribution, and sales. Supply chain involves suppliers, manufacturers,
distributors (wholesalers), retailers, and consumers. Management method that attempts to haveintegrated management of and more efficient placement and receipt of orders between clients,
procurement of materials and component parts, inventory, production and delivery of products andimprove corporate income is called “Supply Chain Management.”
Service Level Agreement
In executing an agreement, a written agreement that provides for the level of service quality requiredthat is based on the scope and contents of services to be provided and presupposed matters, as well as
provides for operating rules to realize details of the agreement.
Assistance Agreement
Prior agreement executed between municipalities and enterprises on business arising after disasters. It
provides for supply of foods, provision of evacuation sites, and support to open up roads.
Business Continuity Plan
Business strategy that would not interrupt specified critical operations at the time of a disaster and if
business activities are interrupted, enables a company to resume critical functions within the target
recovery time, and protects the company from an outflow of customers to competitors, and declines inmarket share and valuation of business in connection with an interruption of business. Such measures asimproving back-up systems, securing back-up office, speedy confirmation of safety, securing personnel
and alternative production facilities are carried out. (Business Continuity Plan: BCP) plans here do not
merely mean plans, but include holistic management. If management is emphasized, the term BCM(Business Continuity Management) may be used.
Initial Response System
Defined as the system immediately after occurrence of accident or disaster. It is an organization thatdesignates the chief of the headquarters and can make decisions. It has the authority to give commands
and orders to the sites and has an information-gathering function.
Information Security GovernanceIn terms of information security, formulation and operation in the company of corporate governance(mechanism of corporate decision-making), paying attention to social responsibilities, and an internal
system mechanism (internal system and process to be formulated and operated for the company toperform business properly and efficiently).
Earthquake-proof Repair Promotion Law(Law concerning Promotion of Earthquake-proof Repair of Buildings)
Law enacted as of December 25, 1995, which has the purpose of improving the safety of buildings
against earthquakes and thus contributing to securing public welfare through taking measures forpromoting earthquake-resistant repair of buildings to protect life, body and property of people frombuildings collapsing due to earthquakes.
Third Party Certification System
A system, in which regarding whether a certain organization or a person has been engaged in activities
conforming to the requirements of the standards, an organization (third party) that has no directtransactions with the organization or person makes an examination and provides certification.
Certification by each organization such as an enterprise or municipality or a person shall be referred toas first party certification, certification by the other party of the organization or person, including theclient, shall be referred to as second party certification.
Opening-up of Roads
Defined as removal of obstacles to traffic on the roads to secure traffic route.
Hazard Map
A hazard map is a map that shows forecasted damage. Municipalities engage in disclosing andpublishing hazard information depending on the situations of localities and cities. Items include
volcanic eruptions, areas with a danger of landslides, and flood or evacuation sites, evacuation routes at
the time of an earthquake.

65

Back-up Office
An office secured in advance in preparation for the cases where main office becomes unable to be used
due to natural disasters or terrorism. It accommodates personnel required for business continuity and isequipped with facilities and functions required for operations.
BIA: Business Impact Analysis
Process that confirms the impact on operations and financing by the business interruption. It identifies
critical business, operations and processes and relevant business resources and performs analysis of the
impact on business continuity.
For example, it follows those procedures set forth below: (1)sorting out of critical businesses,(2)analysis of business processes, identification of critical elements (bottleneck) in business continuity,(4)determination of priority in recovery, (5)setting out of target recovery time.
Blackout
It means the conditions in which interactive exchange of information is impossible between theorganizations and related parties.
Bottleneck
The original definition is the narrow part of a bottle by the lip. Here it means, in business continuity andoperation recovery, the key elements without which the entire process is prevented from progressing.
Management System
Defined as a standardized method of management. Managers participate and repeat a cycle of policy
development, planning, doing, checking, and reviewing.
Rally Point System
Defined as a system by which people rally at a designated place and time. For example, have theemployees know in advance without exception that they should rally at xx forty-eight (48) hours after
the occurrence of a disaster, and tell them future responses etc. of the company at the rallying site.
Risk Communications
Defined as activities and processes for promoting mutual understanding of risks through a sharing ofrisk information between senders and receivers of risk information. Information sharing includes boththat between organizations and within the organization (see, Crisis Communications).
Quantification of Risks
Defined as numerically making an objective assessment of the frequency and the degree of impact ofrisks by some method.
Risk Management
Defined as anticipating risks and contriving to minimize the impacts of risks if a risk is realized. Itmeans management, expertise, system, and countermeasures for overcoming risks.
Risk Analysis
Defined as identifying causes using available information systematically and analyzing the event
probability and degree of impact of identified events.

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Conclusions,
Active involvement of the corporate sector and public private partnership for disaster risk reduction
is recognized as one of the important pillars of the “nationwide movement for disaster reduction” inJapan. The publication of Business Continuity Guideline 1st edition by the Central Disaster
Management Council gave great publicity to the idea of business continuity among the major
enterprises. In the course of formulation of this Guideline, many companies were given
opportunities to demonstrate their undertakings in disaster risk reduction and business continuity, at
the Central Disaster Management Council, which is one of the esteemed councils in Japan. The
financial incentives given in the form of special low interest loan by Development Bank of Japan
towards enterprises active in disaster preparedness also gave publicity. Also a new non-profit
national platform, BCAO, was organized for dissemination of good business continuity practices.
In 2007 BCAO provided awards to organizations active in PPP for disaster risk reduction &business continuity. Thanks to these positive initiatives, a positive cycle was formed to encourage
more enterprises to join these activities. More and more enterprises are describing their business
continuity & disaster risk reduction activities in their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
reports.
Through these initiatives, it is expected that there will be less human and economic damage in theevent of future major disasters in Japan.

67