No Idea of Escaping

In the World War II, the leaders of Japanese military government believed that they could shoot down American bombers with bamboo spear jabbed into the sky from the ground, and taught the people to exercise it. This is how the Japanese bureaucrats do against threat. Nothing has changed.

The government of Japan released a report to deal with future great earthquake underground of Tokyo, which aimed to reduce victims. Although the plan includes reinforcing infrastructure, there is no concept for escaping from natural disaster, which was the greatest lessen the Japanese had learned from the tragedy four years ago. This government always escapes from complicated project.

The likeliness of a great earthquake in Tokyo in next thirty years is said to be seventy percent. The government estimated that the number of deaths will be twenty-three thousands two years ago. Fire and collapse of building were the likeliest cause of deaths, they examined.

New plan set a goal of halving the deaths by eliminating dense wooden houses area, increasing ratio of quake-proof houses and prevalence of breakers to shut electricity down in each house and building. The talking point in the government right now is how to reserve the budget for those policies, as their routine manner.

Scrap and build of old housings will be required for the plan. Demand for that will help housing makers. Devices for anti-earthquake houses and extinguishing fire will be incentives for manufacturers, with expectation of new business chance contributing to economic growth. So, do they work for weapons fighting against great natural disaster?

The people in Pacific coastal area in Tohoku reconfirmed that the best remedy against tsunami was not blocking the tide at shoreline, but escaping. If the government has ten years to next earthquake in Tokyo, their policy choice has to be moving the residents to safer area. For convincing the people of importance for evacuation, political leaders and bureaucrats need to leave Tokyo first.

But, they never do that. The revised plan recommended ministries in Kasumigaseki to reserve water and food for bureaucrats to work for a week at least. They greedily think their survival first. It is concerned that bureaucrats may consume resources that should be distributed to the people suffer from the quake and fire, if the more needed. All the Japanese need for next disaster is building new Kasumigaseki in safer area, or independence from bureaucratic rule.