Tag - disaster-preparedness

 
 

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

JAPAN
Aug 31, 2023
Century since Kanto quake, expert warns of 'blind faith' in disaster resilience
For many, grasping the potential devastation of a future major quake remains as elusive as it was 100 years ago.
Czech firefighters watch smoke rising as a wildfire burns at the Dadia National Park in the region of Evros, Greece, on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT
Aug 30, 2023
Wildfire-preparation tactics every community should consider
Looking at lessons from past disastrous fires, here are steps that can help reduce fire risk at the home and community level.
Residents clean up debris in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, in October 2019.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / OUR PLANET
Aug 20, 2023
A Japan research team dares to ask: Can typhoons be controlled?
Researchers in Yokohama are probing whether tropical cyclones can be weakened or diverted, with energy they produce also tapped to generate power.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 20, 2023
Tokyo aiming to eliminate areas congested with wooden houses
As of 2020, Tokyo had some 8,600 hectares of such areas that are expected to suffer particularly severe damage in the event of a large quake.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 9, 2023
Japan prefectures drift away from posting disaster warnings on X
A growing number of prefectures have stopped posting disaster warnings on the platform due to limits on the number of free posts allowed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 10, 2023
Ukraine envoy to Japan sees major role for Tokyo in reconstruction
The ambassador expressed his hope of tapping into Japan’s vast experience in rebuilding after natural disasters like the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 30, 2023
New research finds Mount Fuji may have erupted more often than previously thought
Scientists found that there were six eruptions between 5,050 and 3,900 years ago — a period of time that was previously thought to have seen little volcanic activity at Japan's highest peak.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jun 30, 2023
U.K. braces for wildfires as climate change prompts 'significant shift' in risk
The threat of wildfires is starting to spread to new areas including northern Europe, where traditionally cooler and wetter climates are giving way to hotter and drier summers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 16, 2023
What a smoky U.S. can learn from past climate denialism in Australia
National disasters, such as the bush fires in Australia and now Canada and the U.S., can sway voters — but the shift is often only slight.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 6, 2023
As flood risks rise, New Orleans neighborhoods build resilience
Community-led projects in New Orleans are helping the city to cut flood risk and improve water management as climate change fuels more extreme weather.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 30, 2023
Michi no eki stations evolving into more than just roadside resting spaces
According to the National Michi-no-Eki Association, the facilities rack up combined sales of about ¥250 billion per year.
JAPAN
May 24, 2023
Japan plans to send 150,000 relief staff if quake hits northeast
The measures are based on the latest estimate that up to 199,000 people could die in a possible earthquake off the Pacific coast between Hokkaido and Tohoku.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 19, 2023
Why natural disasters seem worse than our most dire predictions
It’s human nature to latch on to the most easily available snippets of information, particularly when it comes to understanding climate change.
JAPAN / Explainer
May 9, 2023
Alert for 'long-period ground motion' issued for Ishikawa quake. But what is it?
The lesser known type of quake can cause violent shaking on the upper floors of tall buildings, as well as major structural damage.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 22, 2023
In Puerto Rico, solar power microgrids boost hurricane resilience
When Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico and decimated the Caribbean island's power grid five years ago, the lights stayed on in one building in the mountain town of Adjuntas.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 7, 2023
Disasters can be deadly, but the aftermaths can be deadlier
Largely forgotten, more people died in the days, weeks and months after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes due to illness and depression than in the quakes themselves.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 4, 2023
Japan weighs bomb-shelter bill with eye on China and North Korea
While there are vast networks of subways in major Japanese cities that could be used for civil defense, the majority of homes in the country don’t have basements.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Mar 13, 2023
Miyagi to start use of smartphone app to aid nuclear accident evacuation
The app is aimed at speeding up evacuation by enabling residents to skip the process of having to go to evacuee reception stations to be allocated to shelters.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 10, 2023
Preparing the SDF for tomorrow’s fight and today’s needs
How does the SDF balance between posturing for the combat operations of tomorrow and the disaster relief missions of today?
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Mar 5, 2023
Japan Times 1998: Sumida most vulnerable if big temblor hits Tokyo
When there hasn't been a big earthquake for a while, people start to worry and prepare. That seemed to be the case in 1998.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past