Japan’s Tsunami & Disaster

Management

Deepti Reddy – AMBA 61

 Facts about Japan
Called NIPPON or NIHON in Japanese

Was founded in 660BC

Has an area of 3,77,944 square kms

Population of 12,73,60,000 ( 2010 estimates)

GDP of 5,390,897 (millions of USD)/ 5.3 trillion – IMF 2010*

Japan’s FDI India-US$ 3,714 million (April 2000 - March 2010)

 DISASTER

11th March 2011 at 14:46 local time

(11:16 IST), a sequence of earth quakes
the biggest at 8.9 and 10 meter high
waves, what we call TSUNAMI shook
Japan sending it into chaos and it was
the biggest natural disaster ever face by
Japan in the modern times.
SENDAI was the first place to be hit
 What happened after?

The Earth quake in the deep ocean cause 10 meter high and caused immense to the
properties and assets of the nation. The Tsunami swept all that was in its way
causing more damage than the earthquake itself.

Word Bank estimates the damage at US$235 billion

9,079 people dead and 12,645 unaccounted as on 21st March, 2011

 What is Disaster Management

Planned steps taken to minimize the effects of a disaster, and to be able to

proceed to business continuity stage.

With a history of Earthquakes, Volcano's and Tsunami’s Japan is always prone

to natural calamities. Japanese government has built various systems to face
these emergencies and keep the risks to a minimum. These measures have
helped the country to get up and running at fast pace.

Let us see some of the DISASTER MANAGEMENT plans put in place since a
decade by the Japanese Government.
•To protect national land as well as citizens’ lives, livelihoods, and property from
natural disasters is a national priority.

•Enactment of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act,1961, which formulates a

comprehensive and strategic disaster management system.

•Japan’s disaster management system addresses - disaster phases of prevention,

mitigation & preparedness,emergency response as well as recovery & rehabilitation.

•In 2001 massive changes have been brought into the ACT and now the Prime
Minister of Japan is directly involved with the Central Disaster Management
Council.
Source: www.bousai.go.jp
 We will be
looking into
Earthquake
(EQ) and
Tsunami
Measures
Disaster Counter Measures
• Invest into R&D and advanced
early warning systems and
utilization of EQ Early warning
Information
• Disaster Prevention &
Preparedness where land is
conserved, building good
communication systems and
building Disaster management
bases.
• Issuing Evacuation orders,
measuring required assistance
• Disaster reduction drills and
Exercises and building houses
which are EQ resistant.
• Recovery and Rehabilitation
done through loans,
compensation &insurance tax
reductions/exemptions, lively
hood support ,etc
 Historical Damaging Tsunami’s along
Japanese Coast (in last 150 years)
Name (Magnitude) Year Dead or Missing

Meiji-Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami (M8.5) 1896 22,000

Showa-Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami (M8.1) 1933 3,064

Tonankai Earthquake (M7.9) 1944 1,251 1)

Nankai Earthquake (M8.0) 1946 1,443 1)
Chile Earthquake (Mw9.5) 2)
1960 142
Tokachi-Oki Earthquake (M7.9) 1968 52 1)
Nihonkai-Cyubu Earthquake (M7.7) 1983 104 1)
Hokkaido-Nansei-oki Earthquake (M7.8) 1993 230 1)

1) The number includes dead or missing from earthquakes.

2) Tsunami generated at far off Japanese coast.
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 Tsunami Counter Measures

•Tsunami warning with in 2-3 minutes of EQ

•Tsunami arrival time and height of waves
•Tsunami hazard maps
•Tide prevention gates & walls have been built
•Moving people to safe areas & shelters.
Tsunami Hazard Maps
Purpose

- Identifying and showing vulnerable areas

- Enhancing people’s awareness

・ Showing information on disaster

risks and evacuation routes, etc.

・ Letting residents in coastal areas

and visitors know the hazard map
through various opportunities
・ Tsunami drills

Tsunami Hazard Map （ Susaki City ）

National Government prepared a guideline for help local authorities to make and
use hazard maps.
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Tsunami Warning System Elements

Communication & Transmission of Tsunami Warning

to Localities & Civil Defense Authorities

TSUNAMI
ＷＡＲＮＩ
ＮＧ

Local
Tsunami
government
Central Government Signboard

TSUNAMI
ＷＡＲＮＩ
ＮＧ
Radio

TSUNAMI
ＷＡＲＮＩ
ＮＧ

ＴＶ /Radio Station TV （ Telops, Warning maps ）

 Promoting Basic Knowledge about
“TSUNAMI” Disaster

Safe Evacuation
+
Route Early Warning

=
Understanding of
Hazardous Areas

Appropriate Risk Awaweness of Local

Communities
Safe Evacuation 16
 Pictogram on Tsunami

Tsunami Hazard Area Tsunami Evacuation Area Tsunami Evacuation Building

There is a high possibility to Safe place/hill for evacuation Building for evacuation
be flooded in this area against Tsunami. against Tsunami.
when earthquake occurs.

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