(Using rivers with the occurrence of disaster in mind)

If the Great East Japan Earthquake is taken into consideration, it is necessary to use ports at normal times so that they can be used safely and reliably in case of emergency. Therefore, in September 2011, the Ministry established a council to promote utilization of rivers in Tokyo's lowlands. The council consisted of members from local governments such as the Tokyo metropolitan government as well as Tokyo's Sumida, Koto, Katsushika, and Edogawa Cities, organizations related to tourism, education, and water surface utilization, and academics and experts. In March 2012, it put together basic policy for promotion of use of ports on Arakawa and other rivers.

In February 2012, the Ministry organized a council to implement plans for utilizing the lower course of Arakawa River with the aim of contributing to swift disaster-prevention measures by effectively and smoothly using the bed of the river and its disaster-prevention facilities such as emergency river bed roads and emergency ports and developed a new operation manual. The council comprised members from Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, and nine municipalities, the police, fire stations, and the Self-Defense Forces.

(Establishment of multiplex information and communications networks)

The recent earthquake interrupted information and communications networks with local governments in stricken areas, hindering relief activities. Taking these circumstances into account, the Ministry will utilize optical fiber lines, which connect to local governments to exchange video and data for road and river management, to lay new telephone lines that can be connected to micro carrier telephony, enabling local governments to exchange information and communicate with MLIT and other government agencies even if information exchange and communication through public telephone lines or similar become impossible.

(Establishment of bases and systems to distribute support supplies at the time of disaster)

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake was

an unprecedented large-scale disaster, not only local governments but also the national government procured and transported support supplies. In this process, the latter recognized the importance of support supplies being transported by many distributors.

Based on these lessons, the Ministry established a council to establish disaster-resistant distribution systems in each of the four regions of the country: Kanto, Tokai, Kinki, and Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu. In order to ensure smooth distribution of support supplies, each council, which consists of members mainly from the national and local governments, experts, distributors, and industry organizations, put together plans to analyze matters to be addressed at the time of disaster and division of roles; coordinate local governments, distributors, and industry organizations to enter into agreements to work together at the time of disaster; select private distribution centers to concentrate, manage, and deliver support supplies; and conduct drills at normal times. It also listed 395 private distribution centers nationwide, which will be utilized as supply centers at the time of disaster.

### Chart. 69 Areas Covered by Each Council

Areas affected by an earthquake that is expected to occur directly below greater Tokyo or similar	Kanto region council	Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi
Areas affected by a Tokai earthquake or similar	Tokai region council	Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu, and Mie
Areas affected by a Tonankai or Nankai earthquake or similar	Kinki region council	Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama
Areas affected by a Nankai earthquake	Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu region council	Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi, Oita, and Miyazaki
Source: MLIT