Japan has established a Disaster Management Agency to serve as the government's command center for disaster response, staffed with about 350 people — 1.6 times the headcount of the Cabinet Office disaster unit it replaces.
The agency is headed by the prime minister and is tasked with focusing on pre-disaster mitigation in ordinary times, then handling everything from the outbreak of a disaster through recovery and reconstruction without gaps. It plans to open multiple regional "disaster bureaus" across the country by July 2028 to serve as coordination hubs with local governments.
Japan is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries but has been described as a "disaster prevention laggard." Harsh conditions in evacuation shelters in particular have caused many disaster-related deaths.
A power never used
Disaster policy spans several ministries: earthquake-proofing of buildings falls under the land ministry, while medical and welfare matters are led by the health ministry. The new agency is meant to break through that sectionalism, and the key is the disaster management minister's recommendation power. From a position overseeing the work, the minister can issue recommendations to other ministries whose efforts are deemed insufficient, and those ministries are obligated to respect them.
The Reconstruction Agency and others hold similar powers, but none has ever invoked one, and the power is mocked as a "drawn sword that is never drawn." Delays and gaps in disaster measures bear directly on people's lives, and the editorial called on the disaster minister to use the power without hesitation.
Shelters and the last mile
Shelter reform is the most urgent task. Preventing disaster-related deaths requires what officials call TKB48 — toilets, kitchens and beds in place within 48 hours of a disaster. The current situation falls short, the editorial said. In the July Kumamoto earthquake, people slept packed together on the floor for more than a week, repeating the poor conditions seen in past disasters.
One cause is the "last mile" problem: relief supplies pile up at collection points and never reach evacuees. It is also a weakness of push-style support, in which the government sends supplies without waiting for requests from affected areas. Companies and private groups with logistics expertise are essential to preventing bottlenecks, and the agency should draw on them to run shelters as well.
The agency must coordinate not only ministries and local governments but the private sector, leading drills on shelter operations and raising standards nationwide.
Preparation gaps
Preparation for a major earthquake is pressing. A Nankai Trough megaquake and a quake directly under the capital are both assumed to occur in the near future, and volcanic eruptions also require vigilance. Global warming has brought record downpours and disaster-level heat waves, and the agency must also respond to compound disasters in which these occur at the same time.
In the July Kumamoto earthquake, a paper mill's smokestack collapsed and an explosion occurred at a large shopping complex, among a series of unanticipated damage. Risks of every kind need to be identified quickly.
The editorial raised one concern: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made research and development of disaster technology part of her growth strategy, and budget allocations are skewed toward it. The need is understood, but financial support for local governments struggling to stockpile supplies, and training of personnel, should come first.