Japan: Preparing For Megaquake
Channel: onthewaytoextinction
Date: 2013-05-29

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/

PANEL SUBMITS REPORT ON NANKAI QUAKE MEASURES

 A government study group says food and water should be stored in areas that could be hit by a massive earthquake off Japan's Pacific Coast.

The group on Tuesday issued its final report on measures to prepare for a huge quake along the Nankai Trough -- a 900-kilometer deep sea trench stretching from central to western Japan.

The report suggests that in areas likely to be hit by such an earthquake, households need to store enough supplies of food and water to last at least one week.
It says damage is likely to affect wide areas, making it hard to deliver relief supplies.

The report says if the quake affects too many people, there may be a shortage of shelters. It says people should be admitted to shelters according to their need.

The study group's report also says Tokyo and other prefectures should consider drafting a framework for working together to help affected areas. It recommends that less-affected prefectures try to handle disaster measures by themselves, and help other regions with more serious damage.

Earlier, the study group estimated that 320,000 people may die in the worst-case scenario if a massive earthquake and tsunami occur along the Nankai Trough.

May 28, 2013 - Updated 10:33 UTC

RULING PARTIES DRAFT NEW QUAKE MEASURES

 Japan's ruling parties are compiling draft legislation to invest in escape roads and other facilities to minimize damage from a projected mega-quake.

Seismologists are predicting a mega-quake and tsunami in the Nankai Trough region, which extends along the Pacific coast of central to western Japan. The area has been hit by large quakes throughout history.

The governing Liberal Democratic and New Komeito parties are discussing bills to fortify social infrastructure along the area.

Under the plan, the national government would bear 2-thirds of the cost if local governments build infrastructure such as roads and stairs for residents to escape tsunami.

The national government would also partly subsidize the transfer to higher ground of housing, and educational and medical facilities.

In the northeastern Japanese region hit by the massive quake and tsunami 2 years ago, moving of buildings to higher ground and other measures are now underway to create more disaster-resistant communities.

The draft bills call for the central government to establish a basic plan for disaster preparedness and municipal governments to work out concrete disaster response and evacuation strategies.

Lawmakers say they hope to submit the bills to the current Diet session.

May 20, 2013 - Updated 00:52 UTC

HEALTH SURVEY BEGINS IN JAPAN'S QUAKE-HIT REGION

 A group led by Japanese universities has launched a long-term health survey in 2 prefectures that were hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The survey conducted by Tohoku University and Iwate Medical University covers 150,000 residents of coastal communities in northeastern Japan. In these communities, 3 generations of a family typically live under the same roof.

The project aims to collect their medical data for health promotion and development of new drugs.

The group held a meeting on Monday for residents of one of the towns devastated by the tsunami.

It took the residents' blood and urine samples during the session.

The residents were asked to complete and send in a questionnaire regarding preexisting conditions, eating habits and other issues.

A man in his 50's says he wanted to improve his health management after having gained weight since the disaster. He says he hopes the data he is providing will be used productively.

Masayuki Yamamoto, the head of the group, says data acquired through the survey will help advance medical services. He says he hopes the project will bring together medical professionals involved in groundbreaking research to help rebuild the region's medical system.

May 20, 2013 - Updated 05:21 UTC

REASONS FOR SLOW PROGRESS OF DECONTAMINATION

 Workers use water to wash houses and roads and remove surface soil from gardens by hand.

Local authorities say the work by hand takes a lot of time and workers often have to suspend their activities due to weather, like heavy snow in winter.

Sometimes the authorities cannot contact owners of houses that have been evacuated.

Local governments have difficulty in finding temporary storage sites for soil they have removed, and other contaminated materials.

Officials and experts say radioactive material gets into extremely small gaps in asphalt or roofs, making it difficult to completely remove it by washing or wiping.

They also say radioactive material remains in forests, farmland or vacant lots that have not been decontaminated, or are outside the target areas, and this is another reason radiation levels remain relatively high.

May 17, 2013 - Updated 10:31 UTC