and property of the people (residents) of Japan, building on the important lessons learned from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
The national government is carrying out a major revision of the basic plan for disaster prevention, which has determined the basic concept of disaster prevention countermeasures.
In turn, the local public bodies are reviewing the practical regional disaster prevention plans which determine policy for disaster prevention activities in the local area.
Earthquake preparation facilities are being set up urgently by local public bodies in areas suffering direct damage, because an earthquake is a wide-ranging and complex disaster, involving the outbreak and spread of fires, etc..
Local public bodies use national grants to push forward the provision of anti-disaster facilities, such as earthquake-proof water storage tanks to ensure a water supply for initial fire-fighting and a supply of drinking water; fire-fighting systems using sea water; stockpiles of goods, materials and machinery for an emergency; disaster-prevention information systems (seismic intensity information network, picture transmission systems, etc.) for quick initial mobilization in times of disaster; and in addition to these, small portable power pumps for the autonomous disaster-prevention organizations made up of local residents to carry out initial fire-fighting; earthquake simulation vehicles and the earthquake workshop wagons for rescue operations in an earthquake disaster.
