At initial stages of this disaster, access toward the affected areas was difficult. In the areas where towns were destroyed by the huge tsunami, the safe livelihood of evacuees could not be secured, especially with threats of possible secondary disasters due to damages and to the loss of coastal protection facilities. The shortage of flat land on higher grounds made securing building sites for temporary housing difficult. The construction of temporary housings was confronted with issues that were completely different from the case in the recovery from the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. $ ^{1} $

MLIT decided to use land owned by the Japanese government or by other national organizations as building sites, and provided the information needed to support the procurement of those lands. At the same time, MLIT also decided to use farm land or lots owned by private corporations, and offered each prefecture with necessary advice. In Iwate, private land was promoted for use.

Because the tsunami destroyed large coastal areas where there were not only a lot of businesses, but housings as well, MLIT saw how difficult and how time-consuming it is to build temporary housing for the afflicted. It is essential to research and grasp the situations, and to promote necessary measures to be taken in advance.

A shortage in construction materials was initially a concern because of damages on production bases, logistical obstacles, planned outages, etc. Accordingly, countermeasures have been progressed in case there are any problems with securing necessary materials. Examples include MLIT's request to the Japan Federation of Housing Organizations to cooperate in adequate construction orders based on actual demand and restraint of excessive storage in combination with promotion of construction of temporary housings; and its other request to concerned ministries and agencies to collaborate to conduct an emergency survey regarding supply and demand for construction materials.

MLIT supports each prefecture's efforts to promote provisions for local construction business operators (e.g. builders' offices) in order to achieve the creation of jobs in and the complete restoration of the affected areas.

From lessons learned after the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the utmost consideration has been made to maintain local communities through temporary housing for the afflicted, especially the elderly. MLIT helps and guides each prefecture, taking into consideration such measures as building a meeting place for those in temporary housing.

MLIT has also tried to use vacant units in rented accommodations such as public housing and the UR (Urban Renaissance Agency) to secure residence for the afflicted.

In order to provide information about public housing where the afflicted can live, and to lead applicants to contacts, the "Information Center of Public Housing for Disaster Victims" was set up in the Federation of Housing and Community Center on March 22. This center has promoted support for securing residences, adding private rental housing and national officers' housing on their menu on March 28, as well as public housing managed by local municipalities and rental housings managed by the UR.

These approaches succeeded, and 6,671 units out of the 23,560 vacant public housing, nationwide were occupied. Of the UR-leased units, 839 out of 5,134 had been occupied as of August 8.

Municipalities in the affected areas are allowed to rent privately rented houses and utilize them as temporary housing. As of August 11, 49,937 of such residences had been occupied.