Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A best-selling book written by a Special Secretary for Governor’s Affairs with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government depicts the worst-case scenario for a major earthquake in Japan with the possibility of over a hundred thousand building catching fire.

MIYACHI Miyoko’s “Capital Defense” warns that the danger of earthquakes comes not only from violent shaking and tsunami, but also fires. The damage projection for a major earthquake directly beneath the capital, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, estimates that approximately 118,000 buildings could be affected by fires. 

Major quakes in Kobe, Tohoku and the Noto Peninsula have shown the deadly effect of fires in areas of collapsed wooden buildings.

The national government and local governments constantly remind citizens to be prepared, but there is a fear that many people are not ready for a major quake. Tokyo is long overdue for a big earthquake and there is also a worry that Mt. Fuji could erupt as it is an active volcano. The last eruption was 300 years ago.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is trying to eliminate significantly dangerous urban areas, especially dangerously densely populated urban areas where there is a high risk of fires spreading.

In regions where wooden houses line the streets, the urban infrastructure is often inadequate and there are often difficulties for emergency vehicles in gaining access to disaster-hit areas.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is bringing in measures such as removing aging wooden houses and making road improvements to halt the spread of fires. “The challenges posed by densely populated wooden areas are also weaknesses of the capital,” Miyachi writes.

Unfortunately, earthquake prediction is not easy, and a major quake could strike anywhere in Japan at any time. Being prepared and being aware are essential for citizens to survive.