The government on March 28 outlined a policy of reducing by 80 percent in 10 years the death toll of 332,000 currently anticipated from the massive quake that is predicted to happen in the Nankai trough, a 900-km subduction zone off the Pacific coasts stretching from Shizuoka Prefecture to Shikoku. It also plans to reduce by 50 percent the number of buildings expected to be destroyed from the quake — now estimated at 2.5 million.
As for the major quake predicted to occur under Tokyo, the government called on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and prefectural governments concerned to work out a five-year plan to cope with the anticipated damage.
Since there are limits to what the central and local governments can do once major disasters strike, it is important for local communities to develop networks in advance that will enable citizens to help one another. Municipalities should realize that they can play an important role in helping local residents organize such networks.