The past three weeks have proved the necessity of better information-sharing and coordination among the central government and municipalities to provide aid more effectively to disaster victims, mayors from 14 cities and towns agreed at a symposium in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Predicting that the reconstruction of the damaged regions may take years, they also urged the central government to draw up a plan soon as an example to local governments to prepare needed support.
Local governments have sent emergency supplies and are continuing to dispatch fire crews and medical professionals to the quake- and tsunami-hit regions. Some are also providing shelter to the thousands of displaced families. However, local governments' initial actions varied depending on their preparedness for disaster relief, and the mayors acknowledged their lack of coordination.