Questions raised over disaster preparedness in wake of Typhoon Hagibis
A remark commonly heard in Japan in the wake of a natural disaster is, “We couldn’t predict such a thing.” In the case of Typhoon Hagibis, which ravaged the eastern and northern parts of the archipelago in mid-October, the unpredictable thing was the amount ...
Japanese startups develop innovative ways to supply clean water amid disasters
In a country particularly vulnerable to typhoons and earthquakes, startups across Japan have been developing innovative systems to provide people with clean water during times of disasters. With residents of Chiba Prefecture still reeling from the effects of powerful Typhoon Faxai, which caused major power ...
Natural disasters: Preparing for the unexpected
Disasters can strike anywhere at anytime. Japan must be prepared.
On the eve of Disaster Prevention Day in Japan, communications experts urged authorities using social media to improve messaging targeting foreign residents of Japan and visitors to the country so that what they are trying to convey will come through loud and clear. Amid an ...
Western Japan marks first anniversary of deadly mudslides and flooding that killed 275
Memorial services were held Saturday to mark the first anniversary of flooding and mudslides triggered by torrential rains in western Japan that claimed the lives of 275 people. The worst rain disaster in decades killed 137 people in Hiroshima Prefecture, 79 in Okayama Prefecture and ...
The agriculture ministry said Tuesday it has found 63,722 reservoirs across Japan that may pose danger to people if they are affected by natural disasters such as torrential rain. The figure as of the end of May was some 5.6 times higher than the number ...
Magnitude 6.8 quake temporarily triggers tsunami warning for eastern Indonesia
Indonesia's geophysics agency said it has ended a tsunami warning that was triggered by a strong earthquake Friday east of Sulawesi island. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at a relatively shallow depth of 17 km (10.5 miles), had a magnitude of ...
Bridge linking Miyagi Prefecture's disaster-hit Oshima Island with Kesennuma is opened
A bridge connecting Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture with a nearby island in the Pacific Ocean went into service Sunday. The bridge to Oshima was built as a lifeline for its residents. When the island's ferry port was damaged during the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, ...
A major volcanic eruption of Mount Fuji, similar to the one that occurred in 1707, could leave a layer of ash up to 1.5 cm deep in central Tokyo over 15 days, according to a recent estimate.
Quake-battered Kumamoto shaken by temblor with intensity of lower 6
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government had established an emergency task force at the Prime Minister's Office to deal with the quake.
Japan saw record 3,451 rain- and quake-induced mudslides in 2018
A record 3,451 mudslides occurred in 2018 due to torrential rains and earthquakes, according to land ministry data. The preliminary figure is the highest since comparable data became available in 1982 and more than three times higher than the annual average of 1,015 through 2017, ...
Japan's government to earmark ¥1.15 trillion for infrastructure in second extra budget
The move to strengthen infrastructure follows a string of natural disasters earlier this year.
