a. Disaster Response by TEC-FORCE (Technical Emergency Control Force)

In order to respond to the occurrence or likelihood of large-scale natural disasters, the TEC-FORCE (Technical Emergency Control Force) was established in fiscal 2008 and is available for deployment to smoothly and rapidly implement technical support for the local government of the affected area to carry out various emergency disaster measures such as rapidly assessing the extent of the disaster, prevent or contain damages, and rapid recovery of affected areas. In fiscal 2013, approximately 1,600 members were dispatched to 41 prefectures and 113 municipalities for a total of 6,100 man-days in response to the Yamaguchi and Shimane heavy rains of July, Typhoon Man-yi in September, and the Oshima-machi landslides caused by Typhoon Wipha of October to implement assessments of damages immediately following occurrence as well as technical support including the minimization of further damages. Also, in fiscal 2013, the number of TEC-FORCE dispatches reached its highest number since inception.

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Responding to the Large-Scale Sediment-related Disaster in Oshima-Machi, Tokyo Metropolitan Area - Assistance and Strengthening of Sediment Disaster Measures by TEC-FORCE -

On October 16, 2013, Typhoon Wipha caused the greatest torrential rains in observed history in Izu-Oshima with 24-hour rainfall totaling 824 mm.

This torrential rain resulted in surface failure across a wide range in Oshima-Machi, Tokyo Metropolitan Area which upstream Ohkanazawa flows into and a large volume of sediment and driftwood went beyond the basin area and flowed into residential areas including the Motomachi Kandatsu district, causing great damage including 39 dead or missing persons and 111 partially or wholly damaged housing units.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism immediately dispatched sediment-related disaster specialists and liaisons (frontline correspondents) to Oshima-Machi, Tokyo Metropolitan Area to gather information on damages to concentrate all efforts assessing the assistance needs of the city and disaster prevention helicopters belonging to the Kanto, Chubu and Kinki Regional Development Bureaus were used to aerially confirm large-scale sediment-related disasters and up to 84 persons/day from the Kanto, Hokuriku, Chubu and Kyushu Regional Development Bureaus' TEC-FORCE for a total of approximately 1,300 man-days were dispatched to the site.

Based on the disaster information gathered, the first TEC-FORCE team from the Ministry and the Kanto Regional Development Bureau were dispatched via Japan Self-Defense Forces transport aircraft on October 16th and on the 17th damage assessment surveys were conducted on site and on the 18th members of the Hokuriku, Chubu, and Kyushu Regional Development Bureau TEC-FORCE joined on site activities.

The mission carried out on site was to prevent secondary disasters from additional rainfall by swiftly implementing emergency inspections of risky areas that are vulnerable to sediment disasters that could affect human life and based on the results, to advise and provide information to Oshima-Machi, Tokyo Metropolitan Area as well as the Japan Self-Defense Forces, police, and firefighters searching for missing persons.

In particular, the emergency inspection of dangerous areas to relieve resident evacuation orders after the passing of Typhoon Francisco, activities involved extremely dangerous field conditions involving inspections by foot of mountain streams immediately after rainfall in danger of debris flow. As a result, since there were no major changes to conditions before rainfall, these inspection results were reported to the city and relevant agencies conducting search operations and was used to make decisions regarding the relieving of evacuation orders and resuming search operations.

In addition, for search operations lighting cars belonging to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism were used to assist the carrying out of night tasks.

Also, surveillance cameras were installed in five areas to monitor areas at risk of sediment flows to develop and establish sediment flow monitoring framework and the images were broadcast to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Oshima-Machi, and Cabinet Office via satellite and also technical