Tag - disaster

 
 

DISASTER

A ride-hailing service vehicle in Sendai. In times of disasters, such services will be available more widely.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2024
Japan to allow use of ride-hailing services in disasters
Demand for transportation tends to increase during disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, as well as in the recovery and reconstruction process.
Portable power supply devices at a Bic Camera electronics store in Tokyo
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2024
Sales of portable power supply devices surge amid heightened disaster preparedness
Jackery, a U.S.-based major portable power supply solution firm, saw a sharp climb in sales in Japan after the possible Nankai Trough quake alert issued on Aug. 8.
A small fire department vehicle makes its way to a disaster site during rescue operations following the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2024
Japan to deploy smaller rescue vehicles after lessons learned from Noto quake
Based on the experience, the agency plans to provide disaster response teams with smaller rescue vehicles capable of operating over rough and narrow roads.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a meeting on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2024
Japan to enhance evacuation system for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant
The move is aimed at gaining the understanding of Niigata Prefecture residents for a restart of the plant before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida steps down this autumn.
Elevated water levels on the Tama River in Kawasaki on Friday after Shanshan dumped torrential rain on wide areas of Japan.
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2024
Slow-moving storm Shanshan downgraded to tropical depression
The storm lingered south of Mie Prefecture on Sunday afternoon, unleashing widespread torrential rain across the country.
A shelf for emergency goods is seen almost empty at a hardware store in the city of Shizuoka on Aug. 9.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 1, 2024
20% take no action over Nankai Trough quake warning
The emergency information was lifted on Aug. 15 as there was no particular change in the state of the plate boundaries near where the quake is expected to occur.
A map of western Japan shows the Nankai Trough and, to its north, the hypocentral region where the energy for an earthquake is thought to be building.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 30, 2024
Did you feel that? It may be time to refresh your disaster kits — and vocabulary.
Part of Japan got a scare when the first-ever megaquake alert was issued earlier this month, a reminder that knowing the right terms in a disaster is crucial.
A member of the Self-Defense Forces wipes away sweat as he conducts a search and rescue operation at a landslide site caused by heavy rain in Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture, on July 11, 2018.
ENVIRONMENT / Boiling Point
Aug 29, 2024
Can Japan handle a heat wave and natural disaster at the same time?
Recent typhoons and the Nankai Trough megaquake alert have put the spotlight on how the country would deal with a dual disaster.
An illustration of the Japan Coast Guard's planned patrol ship, which will be its biggest ever
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2024
Japan Coast Guard to build its biggest patrol ship
The coast guard's new ship will be around 200 meters long and will weigh about 30,000 tons.
The Meteorological Agency forecasts that warm, moist air surrounding the typhoon will create unstable atmospheric conditions, leading to thunderstorms.
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2024
'Very strong' Typhoon Shanshan could see Kyushu landfall on Thursday
Shanshan could make landfall as a strong storm, with the weather agency urging the public to remain vigilant.
Demolition works were still being carried out on July 1 in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, six months after the New Year's Day earthquake in the Noto Peninsula.
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2024
Land ministry highlights disaster reduction measures in budget request
The budget request is up 18.1% from the previous year at ¥7.03 trillion.
A huge seawall has been constructed along a coast in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2024
Infrastructure ministry to boost aid for port flood prevention
The ministry also plans to provide tax breaks to companies working on raising seawalls systematically.
Typhoon Shanshan is expected to become more powerful and hit western Japan on Tuesday, after which it is forecast to make its way north throughout the week.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2024
Typhoon Shanshan to hit western Japan on Tuesday
By Wednesday, the maximum wind speed is expected to reach up to 162 kilometers per hour around Amami Oshima island and southern Kyushu.
Typhoon Shanshan is forecast to approach or make landfall on the islands of Honshu or Shikoku by Tuesday afternoon, with rough weather expected from western to eastern Japan through Wednesday before hitting the country’s northeastern areas late Wednesday into Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2024
Typhoon Shanshan gains steam as storm projected to hit broad swath of Japan
Authorities are urging residents near the typhoon's projected path to brace for strong winds and heavy rainfall.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has asked Japan to name its representatives for a joint task force on disaster relief hub.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024
U.S. urges Japan to name disaster relief hub task force members
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel asked Japan's foreign and defense ministers to provide the names of four officials at its "earliest convenience."
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui offers flowers for the victims of the massive landslides on the 10th anniversary of the disaster during a ceremony in Hiroshima on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2024
Victims of Hiroshima landslides remembered 10 years on
The landslides, which occurred in the early hours of Aug. 20, 2014, claimed the lives of 77 people and completely or partially destroyed 396 houses.
People wait to board a Tokaido Shinkansen train at Tokyo Station on Aug. 10.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2024
Bon holiday train passengers up 7% despite quake and typhoon worries
The possibility of a megaquake and news that a powerful typhoon was approaching Japan did not dissuade people from traveling for the holidays.
Earthquakes are a fact of life in Japan, but there are strategies to keep yourself from spiraling into stress and despair over future catastrophes.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 17, 2024
Dreading the Big One? How to manage pre-disaster anxiety.
Anxiety about potential natural disasters can take its toll, but mental health experts say there are practical solutions.
An electronic signboard at Tokyo Station displays information about a megaquake alert last Saturday. The government lifted the alert on Thursday but urged continued vigilance.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 15, 2024
Japan lifts megaquake alert after no major seismic activity detected
Authorities note that although the alert is lifted, a large-scale earthquake remains a possibility.
Designed by Bob Foundation in collaboration with Sugita Ace, the Sonaete series of disaster preparedness kits are packaged in bags, boxes and pouches that look attractive in homes.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Aug 13, 2024
Stylish emergency goods can save precious seconds when disaster strikes
Eye-catching go bags, canary-inspired whistles and more aesthetically pleasing emergency preparedness items you'll want to keep within arm's reach.

Longform

A woman passes an "akichi" (vacant lot) in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The capital is littered with such small lots in part because of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
Dealing with rising land vacancies as Japan shrinks