OSAKA — So far, the response to Friday's earthquake and tsunami has been better than the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake thanks to better official communications between Tokyo bureaucrats and politicians and local governments, and also the existence of the Internet and social media.
But those who experienced the 1995 quake, which killed more than 6,400 people and measured 7.3 on the Japanese scale, are concerned there are not enough trained medical personnel in the country to deal with the disaster, and that those who are now in northeastern Japan will soon be overwhelmed.
Worse, the damage at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear facilities and the threat of massive radiation leaks presents an unprecedented set of problems facing rescue workers and medical personnel.