earthquakes among other disasters.

Five hundred and sixty-one municipalities have an independent section on earthquake preparations in the form of an "earthquake preparation section" in the local disaster prevention plan.

One thousand, four hundred and sixty-six municipalities include earthquake preparations in a separate paragraph of the local disaster prevention plan on the same level as "fire disaster" or "water disaster", and 199 municipalities include earthquakes among other disasters.

Nineteen prefectures and 400 municipalities have a section on "response to an earthquake alert" in the "earthquake preparation section" of the local disaster prevention plan.

(2) Pacts to provide mutual assistance in times of earthquake disaster

Local public bodies have adopted various support-cooperation measures, such as mutual-assistance pacts with other local public bodies and other public organizations, in order to carry out disaster emergency measures quickly and accurately, because serious and wide-spread damage is anticipated should a major earthquake strike.

Some local public bodies have been especially active in concluding pacts after the great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. From the occurrence of the earthquake to July 1996, 16 pacts (total 111 prefectures) were newly concluded and 3 existing pacts (total 27 prefectures ) were reviewed.

The situation regarding the conclusion of pacts is shown in Chart 9.

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