A friend indeed will answer calls from a friend in need, as Japan readies to provide its earthquake-resistance expertise to Italy at the Group of Eight summit in L'Aquila.
"We are preparing some proposals, which Prime Minister Taro Aso will pitch to Prime Minister (Silvio) Berlusconi when the two hold a meeting," Shinsuke Shimizu, minister at the Japanese Embassy in Italy, told The Japan Times.
"I certainly feel there is keen interest in our knowledge on earthquakes," Shimizu said, explaining that officials from the embassy have been interviewed by the Italian media about quake resistance. Japan's experience of surviving and reconstruction following the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that killed nearly 6,500 people was broadcast on national television, he said.