### 4. Issues with Mitigating Damages Caused by Large-Scale Disasters

Establishment of Response system for Problem-solving under the Estimation of Disaster Damages. In the Great East Japan Earthquake, not only did a huge earthquake and massive tsunami occur, but there were also nuclear power plant accidents that turned out to be an unprecedented, widespread and complex disaster. For these disasters that happened one after another, emergency countermeasures were continuously required. Since the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the progress was seen in the reinforcement of disaster protection systems (such as initial and crisis management systems) and the large-area rescue systems; various disaster agreements between public and private sector. However, especially in a widespread disaster over a large area like this time, it is necessary to enhance preparations for systems that can tackle problems immediately and efficiently. The primary policy, after checking problems to be managed urgently and intensively in advance, should be to save lives, on the presumption that there are a variety of situations where hard and soft measures taken preliminarily can be useless.

The cooperation of concerned organizations is vital in understanding damage conditions or rescue activities; strategic management for temporary restoration of land; maritime and aviation transportation in order to secure urgent transportation networks; the securing of shelters or travel support for a great deal of evacuees and persons who cannot return to their homes under trains operation suspension; emergency supply transportation towards spotted shelters and other victims; efficient transportation and logistics for the normalization of livelihood and economic activities in the affected areas; and the securing of land, materials, and manpower for immediate construction of temporary housings. Now we are required to research and verify the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake to reinforce cooperative and collaborative systems between the private and public sectors.

## Establishment of Large-Area Traffic and Transportation Networks to Act as Lifelines During Disasters

In regards to emergent countermeasures during this disaster, one of the most required activities was, as well as lifesaving, securing traffic and transportation networks immediately to help people evacuate. We recognized the importance of disaster-resistant large-area traffic and transportation networks.

If the predicted earthquakes in the capital central area, and the Tokai, Tonankai, and Nankai areas happen, great damages over widespread areas may occur. Large-area networks for traffic and transportation will be the lifeline during such disasters. In order to secure them, we should take general and comprehensive measures.

Included in the hard measures is the promotion of construction and the retro-fitting of earthquake-resistant infrastructure facilities so that traffic and transportation will not be damaged. In addition, it is necessary to formulate traffic and transportation systems according to the actual situations of each area and with consideration to multiple routes that could still function as a network even if parts of it are damaged.

Included in the soft measures is the sharing and storage of supplies, and the coordinated procurement and transportation system by land, maritime, and aviation. We need to discuss ideal cooperative systems between the public and private sectors, and the enhancement of systems that collect, provide, and share traffic information (including the usage of IT technology like GPS). Taking into consideration the possibilities that information infrastructures may be damaged or that local municipalities in the affected areas can not function themselves, systems that can be used on the spot when a disaster happens need to be developed.

## Shift to Disaster-Resistant National and Regional Structures

Along with the above said review and reinforcement of various disaster protection measures and buildup of large-area traffic and transportation networks, we need to discuss how national and regional spatial structure should be in terms of duration against widespread, massive disasters.

In the period after World War II when disasters of the Great East Japan Earthquake scale did not occur, cities had expanded in dangerous areas for disasters against a background of soaring populations and rapid economic growth. Created was an overconcentration and a one-axed national land structure where a large population and important functions are gathered in the Pacific Belt Area with Tokyo in the center.

On the other hand, before this earthquake, Japan had entered an era of structural change in the socioeconomic environment – such as depopulation, a decreasing birthrate coupled with an aging society, an enormous financial deficit, aggravation of international competition due to other Asian nations' rapid growth, etc. – and it was just searching for how it should realize sustainable development.

Considering the said problems, discussions about the correction of and the shift from overconcentration and a one-axed national land structure have been carried out. After this last disaster, worries about the vulnerability of such national spatial structure have been increasing. We need to rebuild national and regional spatial structures so that the security and safety of people's lives and livelihoods are not jeopardized, and we need to deliberate on deconcentration and backups for various functions.