Municipalities must now make efforts to create individual evacuation plans for those in need of specific assistance following the May 2021 revision of the disaster countermeasures law.
A particularly urgent issue is for municipalities to come up with ways to support severely ill people undergoing treatment at home who use respirators and other medical devices.
The case of Shota Sato, 18, of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture, provides some insight into how municipalities can help.