By Karim Hammam
Japan launched a new National Disaster Management Agency on Monday to centralize and strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and reconstruction in one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
Agency Structure and Leadership
More than 350 workers will staff the agency, which is headed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and managed by Reconstruction Minister Goshi Hosono. The agency was created not in anticipation of a specific calamity but to fill a longstanding gap exposed by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear disaster that killed nearly 20,000 people.
Immediate Preparedness Demands
Hosono issued "emergency requests" urging municipalities and citizens to check the quake resistance of homes, anchor furniture safely, evaluate evacuation procedures, and stock water and portable toilets for at least three days. He emphasized personal responsibility, saying, "Please think about it for yourself and take action."
Preparedness Gaps Highlighted
Less than half of municipal officials in Japan have received disaster management training in the past five years, and only 15% of municipalities have evacuation contingency plans for elderly and handicapped residents requiring assistance, according to Hosono. Previously, Japan relied on reactive, temporary teams assembled from different ministries without a cross-departmental command center.
Major Risk Scenarios
Government assessments warn of a potential megaquake along the Nankai Trough that could cause an estimated 298,000 deaths, 6.5 million evacuees, and 2.35 million lost homes. A separate major quake off northern coasts could kill nearly 200,000, while a Tokyo metropolitan quake could cause 18,000 deaths and 4.1 million evacuees. A Mount Fuji eruption could affect 790,000 people and disrupt critical infrastructure.
Evacuation Center Improvements
The agency aims to upgrade poorly equipped evacuation centers — often gymnasiums and classrooms lacking privacy, bedding, clean toilets, or hot food — by introducing clean portable toilets, kitchens for hot meals, hot bath facilities, and cardboard beds. Harsh shelter conditions were linked to 3,810 deaths after the 2011 disaster.
Recent Disaster Context
In July, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture killed 38 people, destroyed or damaged more than 69,000 homes, and left wide areas without water and power for weeks. Under extreme heat, many evacuees avoided shelters lacking air conditioning and stayed in vehicles instead.
