administrators through local governments have been created for emergency transport roads and other roads that are important for disaster-prevention purposes.

With respect to projects concerning ports and harbors, we are endeavoring to increase the quake and tsunami resistance of port facilities and fortify industrial ports and harbors, constituting locations within domestic and overseas wide-area networks according to the level of disaster imminence and the importance of the given port functions in order to ensure a socioeconomic system that remains workable, improve the competitiveness of our country, and earn international trust as we prepare for an earthquake occurring along the Nankai Trough, an inland earthquake originating immediately below Tokyo, or any other disaster expected to give rise to considerable damage.

For airport works, in addition to serving as the base of emergency transport when earthquakes and other disasters occur, seismic strengthening of government facilities to ensure necessary control functions and basic facilities that are absolutely essential is being implemented for airports considered important for maintaining air transport as well as the aviation network and ensuring the continuity of hinterland economic activity.

For railway works, in preparation for the Nankai Trough Mega Earthquake and Tokyo Inland Earthquake, earthquake measures for major stations, elevated bridges, and other railway facilities are being promoted. Also, the fortification of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge's (Hon-Shi Bisan Line) earthquake resistance will be steadily implemented to avoid and reduce damage due to the Nankai Trough Mega Earthquake and other events and secure the railway network that connects Honshu and Shikoku.

For sewage works, to ensure the functions required of sewers during earthquakes, disaster prevention, such as strengthening the earthquake and tsunami resistance of water pipeline infrastructure and water treatment facilities that connect disaster prevention bases with treatment plants and disaster mitigation that aims to minimize damage in anticipation of disasters striking are being combined for the promotion of integrated earthquake measures.

## (viii) Countermeasures against Sediment-related disasters to Large-Scale Earthquakes

In preparation for large-scale earthquakes such as the Nankai Trough Mega Earthquake, implementation of effective sediment-related disaster countermeasures with combination of structural and non-structural measures are being promoted for the areas at risk of sediment-related disasters where important facilities and important transportation networks will be damaged and communities will be isolated by the landslides.

In the wake of a major earthquake, it will be important for us to collaborate with relevant organizations and entities, promptly ascertain disaster conditions, and properly carry out emergency measures. For this purpose, we are reinforcing ties to relevant organizations, carrying out practical training, and otherwise promoting the development of a crisis-management system.

## (ix) Japan Meteorological Agency Initiatives

To prevent and mitigate disasters caused by earthquakes, seismic activities in and around Japan, as well as crustal deformation in the Areas under Intensified Measures against Earthquake Disaster (Tokai Region), are being monitored on a 24-hour basis to provide Earthquake Early Warnings, earthquake information, and information on the Tokai Earthquake as swiftly and accurately as possible.

With respect to Earthquake Early Warnings, the Japan Meteorological Agency is developing the calculation system software with a view to introducing techniques to precisely estimate the epicenters of earthquakes even when multiple earthquakes strike at the same time and techniques to forecast ground motion appropriately even for a significantly large earthquake for which ground motion forecasting is difficult by the current method. In order to improve the precision with which the epicenter of an earthquake is pinpointed and increase the rapidity with which information can be released, the use of data provided by seismometers installed in sea areas and deep underground by relevant organizations began at the end of FY 2014. The use of land and submarine-based seismometers by relevant organizations will continue to be promoted.

With regard to long-period ground motion, information on observation of long-period ground motion is being issued on a trial basis from March 2013 to provide useful information that will contribute to the initial response immediately after the earthquake, such as the early detection of human and fixture damage. In addition, studies are being conducted to provide a forecast of long-period ground motion.