### d. Implementing Practical and Wide-Area Disaster Prevention Training

Assuming the worst-case scenario that can occur, realistic training was actively carried out including coordination with relevant organizations and dispatching the TEC-FORCE from Regional Development Bureaus. Also, more realistic and participatory water disaster prevention training and other exercise were carried out with more participation from regional residents, businesses, NPOs, and others as well as evacuation training using the hazard map.

Additionally, the Great East Japan Earthquake reaffirmed the importance of coordination between relevant organizations during large-scale disasters, therefore efforts to improve and strengthen a wide-area disaster prevention framework in preparation of massive earthquakes and other large-scale disasters through the implementation of various joint exercises between multiple organizations centered around regional offices and bureaus including designated local government agencies, fire fighting organizations, and the Japan Self-Defense Force is being promoted to promote initiatives to enhance and strengthen wide-area disaster prevention readiness in preparation for large-scale disasters such as great earthquakes.

### e. Preparing for Initial Response at Sea

The Japan Coast Guard deploys patrol vessels, crafts and aircrafts around the clock to allow for rapid responses in the event of a disaster. Also, in accordance with the scale of the disaster a countermeasure headquarters is established to implement damage assessment surveys and rescue operations through patrol vessels, crafts and aircrafts for an immediate and appropriate response.

## (12) Management of Existing Stock with ICT (Information and Communications Technology)

An optical fiber network is being set up to enable the management of public facilities and sophistication of crisis management by taking advantage of ICT (Information and Communications Technology). Specifically, measures are being promoted for safe road use such as sophisticated management using optical fiber for continuous monitoring of the road slope and providing disaster information through the Internet. Also, in addition to remote control of floodgates and the remote monitoring of river flow conditions and volcanic regions, sewage treatment plants and pump stations are connected with optical fibers for remote monitoring and control as well to make management more sophisticated.

In addition, to speed up and consolidate the control of floodgates and other facilities, the development of tsunami and storm surge disaster prevention centers to prevent damages from tsunami and storm surge is being supported through social infrastructure improvement general grants and other means.

## (13) Disaster Recovery of Public Works Facilities

In 2013, damages to public works facilities under the authority of MLIT (rivers, roads, coast, sewage, etc.) came to roughly 219.7 billion yen (15,197 cases) of reported damages due to many domestic large-scale disasters such as the heavy rains of July and August, mainly in Yamaguchi and Shimane Prefectures, as well as Typhoon Man-yi and Wipha.

Regarding these natural disaster damages, TEC-FORCE and others were deployed immediately after the disaster and swiftly carried out restoration and reconstruction as well as provide technical advice to prevent secondary disasters.

Also, for municipalities in which damages were concentrated in particular, the general price unit of spending limits for disaster assessments were expanded from less than 10 million yen to less than 50 million yen and for assessments involving only desk work, the monetary limit for assessments was raised from the usual less than 3 million yen to less than 10 million yen to simplify assessments and greatly reduce the administrative paperwork leading to project adoption in the interest of facilitating rapid disaster recovery to support early recovery.

Furthermore, the districts (30 cases) affected by natural disasters such as heavy rainfall caused by Typhoon Man-yi and rainy season; strong winds, heavy snow, and waves from low atmospheric pressure; as well as slope collapses and snow