Annual comprehensive disaster prevention drills for 2011 were held on September 1, Japan's National Disaster Prevention Day. Prime Minister Naoto Kan took part in the drills together with all Cabinet members.

This year, the drills were conducted based on a scenario that a metropolitan earthquake occurred at 8:00 a.m., with a magnitude of 7.3, a maximum seismic intensity of 6-upper, and its epicenter in the northern Tokyo Bay, affecting a wide area around Tokyo.

Along with the exercise of confirming the safety of the Cabinet members, 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. After convening a meeting of the Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters, the Prime Minister held a press conference to announce the establishment of the Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters and the Government's response policy, report on the status of nuclear power facilities, and send a message to the people.