A government panel on Tuesday adopted emergency measures to be taken in the event of a possible major earthquake off the Pacific coast between the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the Tohoku northeastern region.
The measures, decided at a board meeting of the Central Disaster Management Council, include the deployment of up to 150,000 police officers, firefighters and Self-Defense Forces members in total to the affected areas.
The measures are based on the latest estimate that up to 199,000 people could die in the possible earthquake.
They will be activated if an earthquake registers upper 6, the second-highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale, or higher in Hokkaido, or lower 6 or higher in the prefectures of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi in Tohoku, triggering a major tsunami warning for seven Pacific coastal prefectures including those four and Chiba, east of Tokyo.
The measures call for securing routes for the transport of relief supplies, conducting rescue operations and providing medical aid and fuel.
In light of snowfall and frequent cold weather in Hokkaido and Tohoku, the measures also include removing snow from emergency transport routes, using winter tires and providing warm clothing and heating equipment.