The 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in January and the upcoming fourth anniversary of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami give us all the chance to think more about our vulnerability and our roles in natural disasters. It should also provide community leaders and planners a chance to ascertain to what degree preparedness is continuing for future similar catastrophes.

Japan is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, whether they be earthquakes (and tsunamis), typhoons, massive rainfall and flooding, or a host of other potential havocs. As a result, Japanese citizens have a fairly high level of consciousness and preparedness when it comes to being ready for a disaster.

This has paid off in the various mitigation efforts over the years, as well as in the relatively calm responses to disasters. For example, Oshima Island in Miyagi Prefecture, which served as a natural barrier at the bay entrance to Kesennuma City and was divided in two by the tsunami waves that struck there on the afternoon of March 11, 2011, "only" lost 31 people (out of a population of more than 3,000) that tragic day, in part because of the islanders' high state of readiness and their quickness to evacuate to higher ground after feeling the quake.