[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the 18th meeting of the Emergency Response Headquarters for the Earthquake Centered in the Kumamoto Region of Kumamoto Prefecture 2016 at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, reports and discussions were held on the situation pertaining to damage and the response of each ministry and agency.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

“Restoration of the transportation infrastructure to support the recovery and restoration of the affected areas is steadily advancing. A trial running of the Kyushu Shinkansen has just begun, and if all goes well, all lines between Hakata and Kagoshima will be operational as soon as this afternoon. Also, all sections of the Kyushu Expressway will resume service by the end of this month, and we will restore the major roads connecting Kyushu from north to south. Further, gas services are gradually beginning to return, and through the assistance of volunteers, cleanup of homes is progressing and the return of some evacuees to their homes is also advancing. Meanwhile, as the cleanup progresses, a large amount of waste products is also steadily growing. Currently, with support from all corners of the country, more than 200 waste collection trucks are being operated full-time to collect this waste. In Mashiki Town, where the temporary waste collection sites had become full and further disposal there had been stopped, new temporary waste collection sites have already been established. As soon as the weather has improved and safety has been confirmed, they will restart acceptance of waste. 

Starting today in Kumamoto City, the clearing away of the rubble that had been piled up on the streets, composed of items such as tiles, concrete blocks, and furniture, is being rapidly accelerated, with the assistance of the Self-Defense Forces. In regard to the securing of housing, through cooperation on many fronts, the securing of and acceptance at secondary evacuation centers such as ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) and hotels, and emergency housing such as public housing, is advancing. In regard to decisions on residents, by employing a flexible response such as allowing the presentation of Disaster Victim Certificates later rather than now, decisions are gradually beginning to be made. I would like you to further speed up these processes.

This morning I issued directions to urgently implement procedures to achieve a Cabinet decision to designate the earthquake as a Specified Emergency Disaster, in order to protect the rights and assets of all those affected by the disaster. By doing so, a wide range of special measures may be utilized for the affected people, such as an extension of the period of validity of their driving licenses or business permits for operating a dining establishment. What can we do now for rebuilding of the lives of the affected people, and for the recovery and restoration of the affected areas? I request that all of you continue to exert all your efforts to share our collective wisdom.”