Japan’s land and infrastructure ministry decided anti-earthquake action plans for the Nankai Trough Earthquake and the Tokyo Metropolitan Inland Earthquake. The plans include quake resisting works of infrastructure and buildings in urban areas and anti-tsunami measures on the Pacific coast. It also aims to complete redevelopment of built-up areas and quake resisting of rail stations ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games. The ministry considers initiating public and private collaborations.
Following enforcement of the relevant laws last year, the basic plans were decided earlier. Based on them, the action plans provide that the ministry promotes approaches against the projected huge earthquakes by local municipalities and the private sector through subsidies and tax benefits as well as practice public construction works by its own hands.
According to the government’s projection, it is predicted that the Nankai Trough Quake can cause floods in some 450 municipalities on the Pacific coast due to the tsunami. Large-scaled fire occurs in urban areas, burning down 410,000 buildings in the worst scenario when the Inland Earthquake hits Tokyo. (2014/04/03)