Millions of people around the country observed the 74th anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake on Sept. 1 by taking part in antidisaster drills.
Some 7.7 million people participated in drills in the Tokai and Kanto regions. In all, 12 million people are expected to mobilize for quake drills throughout this week, designated as Disaster Prevention Week.
The 1923 Kanto quake and ensuing fires devastated the metropolitan region, killing more than 100,000 people and destroying countless numbers of buildings. Since then, Tokyo and many municipalities across the country have held large-scale antidisaster drills annually on Sept. 1.