15 Years 0n: Miyagi Governor Sees Changing Tasks

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Tasks that must be resolved for local residents change nearly 15 years after Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan was hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Governor Yoshihiro Murai has said. “Challenges remain in restoring local communities and providing mental health care for residents,” Murai said in a recent interview. “When you get 15 years older, your health conditions and other circumstances change. Tasks change as each year passes,” said Murai, who has been in office since 2005. Among postdisaster infrastructure projects, three seawalls have not been completed, he said, adding that he intends to have them finished before his current term ends in 2029. Asked about decreasing populations in coastal areas, Murai said that such a development should be fully taken into account. “Fortunately, infrastructure development in the coastal areas has progressed significantly,” he said. “It’s essential to sustain local vitality by increasing sightseeing visitors while making full use of the infrastructure.” While state funds for postdisaster reconstruction have shrunk, Murai showed an appreciation for the support provided so far. “We’ve been able to come this far thanks to the public, who even accepted a tax increase,” he said. “We should incorporate (reconstruction) efforts into ordinary prefectural projects without relying on the central government from now on.” “What I learned from the disaster is the importance of disaster response measures prepared in advance,” he said. “We would have been able to conduct reconstruction work much earlier at far lower costs if postdisaster town planning had been discussed and decided at each local municipality.” The prefecture aims to host a regional base of a planned Disaster Management Agency. On this, Murai said, “It would be a way of repaying for the support we received.” Even just after the quake, it was possible to travel between Miyagi and Tokyo by car and Shinkansen bullet train, he said. “That means that we would be able to travel from Miyagi for help if a severe disaster hit the Kanto region (including Tokyo).” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]