Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� September, 2002

Disaster Prevention Day Drills Sunday, September 1, 2002 Click photographs to enlarge A comprehensive disaster prevention drill by the Japanese Government was held on September 1, Disaster Prevention Day. Based on the assumption that a major earthquake is likely to occur in the Tokai region, at around 8:00 A.M Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi convened a meeting of relevant Cabinet ministers at the Prime Minister's Official Residence and received warning from the Director General of the Meteorological Agency of the imminent likelihood of a major earthquake. After circulating documents to all Cabinet ministers for approval as an extraordinary Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister issued a state of alert at around 8:30 A.M. and some twenty minutes later convened a meeting of the Earthquake Disaster Warning Headquarters, with all Cabinet members in attendance. During this meeting Prime Minister Koizumi held television conferences with the Governors of Shizuoka Prefecture and Aichi Prefecture, respectively. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Koizumi observed a disaster prevention drill held at Kashiwa-no-ha Park in Chiba Prefecture, on the assumption of an earthquake directly beneath the southern Kanto region. Upon conclusion of the Disaster Prevention Day drills, remarking on the first disaster prevention drill held at the new Prime Minister's Official Residence, Prime Minister Koizumi stated, "It makes a big difference to be able to come quickly by helicopter from the roof of the Prime Minister's Official Residence," and, "I can capture information on the situation from the regions instantaneously by television. This demonstrates enhanced functionality of the new Prime Minister's Official Residence against disasters." In the evening, Prime Minister Koizumi departed for Johannesburg in the Republic of South Africa to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development.