Prime Minister Naoto Kan held a meeting of the Central Disaster Prevention Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, following a silent prayer for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a briefing was given by Council member Katsuyuki Abe on the characteristics of the Earthquake and the challenges Japan now faces. After that, discussion took place on response measures undertaken to date and other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "Today, we are holding a meeting of the Central Disaster Prevention Council. This is the most important meeting in the field of disaster prevention in Japan. Tomorrow marks the 49th day from the occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and I perceive great significance in the holding of this meeting a day before that landmark date.
The recent earthquake was of a scale greatly surpassing anything previously predicted or envisaged by this Council or other bodies. The damage it caused was enormous. I think that we must thoroughly consider whether or not we were sufficiently prepared for such a large earthquake, reflect on the events that occurred in the wake of the disaster, and overhaul our approach to disaster preparedness in order to plan for the future."