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Disaster Prevention Day Drills for FY2008


Monday, September 1, 2008
Photograph of the Prime Minister holding a press conference Photograph of the Headquarters for Emergency Disaster Measures Photograph of the Prime Minister receiving an explanation on the use of tents for temporary housing Photograph of the Prime Minister delivering an address at the closing ceremony of the Disaster Prevention Drills
Photograph of the Headquarters for Emergency Disaster Measures Photograph of the Prime Minister receiving an explanation on an outdoor bathing facility

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Annual comprehensive disaster prevention drills were held on September 1, Japan's National Disaster Prevention Day.

This year, the drills were conducted with the scenario of a magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurring with the epicenter off the southern coast of Wakayama Prefecture. The drills involved the operation of the government headquarters at the Prime Minister's Office, which is in charge of ensuring the implementation of emergency measures for earthquake disasters, among other tasks.

In the drills, the members of an emergency team gathered at the Crisis Management Center and an extraordinary Cabinet meeting took place after the Chief Cabinet Secretary's press conference. Afterwards, the Prime Minister held a press conference to announce the Government's policy, the establishment of the Headquarters for Emergency Measures, and the message to the people. Then, a meeting of the Headquarters for Emergency Disaster Measures, comprised of all the Cabinet members, was convened, and the Ministers received a report on the extent of the damage from the Governor of Osaka Prefecture via teleconference.

Under the coordinated initiatives with prefectures in the Kinki region jointly conducting disaster prevention drills, Prime Minister Fukuda led a government inspection team and flew to Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture, on a Self-Defense Force (SDF) airplane in the afternoon to observe the outdoor cooking drills to prepare meals for the earthquake victims and the ones conducted by SDF members and the police to rescue the injured, among other on-site drills.

After the observation, Prime Minister Fukuda said, "I saw the people seriously taking part in the drills, which was very reassuring. The question is what arrangement, realistically speaking, we can make in the face of actual disasters. I would like each one of you to think how we can apply the lessons learned from today's drills to disasters that may occur in the future."