Japan Govt Conducts Drill for Japan, Chishima Trench Quakes

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government conducted a disaster drill Tuesday under the scenario that a major earthquake had struck along the Japan and Chishima trenches off the Pacific coast from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido to the Tohoku northeastern region. In the drill, an emergency response headquarters, headed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, was set up at the prime minister’s office. The government received online reports on the situation in the affected areas from Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki, Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita and others. The government holds an annual disaster response drill on Disaster Prevention Day, which falls on Tuesday this year. This year’s drill assumed that an 8.3-magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Tokachi in Hokkaido at around 7 a.m., registering 7, the highest level on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, in the eastern part of the Hidaka region of the prefecture. At the emergency response headquarters meeting, Suzuki said, “As we anticipate a large number of evacuees, we ask for the prompt provision of emergency relief supplies.” Takaichi responded, “The government will swiftly implement proactive support to ensure that necessary supplies are fully provided at evacuation centers.” The prime minister held a press conference after the meeting to explain the government’s response. She called on the public to “take action to protect their lives, such as evacuating to a safe place.” Ahead of the drill, cabinet members came to the prime minister’s office on foot, assuming that a powerful earthquake had occurred directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area. According to the government’s damage estimates, if a 9-magnitude quake occurs along the Japan Trench or the Chishima Trench, tsunami heights could reach about 30 meters, with fatalities estimated at up to about 199,000 along the Japan Trench and 100,000 along the Chishima Trench. The government is working on measures to reduce damage, including improvements to evacuation routes. After the drill, Takaichi moved to Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, to inspect a joint disaster prevention drill conducted by nine prefectures and cities, based on the scenario of an earthquake occurring beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area. She took part in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation training session using an automated external defibrillator. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]