Japan’s Leading Party to Outline Measures on Strengthening Disaster Prevention Measures; Revisions to Law Based on Noto Earthquake Response

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:39 JST, January 2, 2025

An outline of a bill put forward by the Liberal Democratic Party to strengthen the nation’s resilience as a disaster prevention measure has been revealed.

The revision to the Promotion of Peninsulas Law, made in light of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, will require the government to formulate basic policies for peninsula development. After obtaining approval from opposition parties, the LDP intends to propose bill in the ordinary Diet session that convenes on Jan. 24.

The law currently covers 23 peninsula regions throughout Japan, including the Noto Peninsula, and has been revised every 10 years since its enactment in 1985. The current law is set to expire at the end of this fiscal year.

The basic principles of the proposed revisions include the promotion of measures to prevent the isolation of residents and the implementation of disaster prevention measures based on the principle of national resilience. The proposed revisions are a response to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which left communities isolated, caused serious damage to roads and cut off water supplies. Specific targets for the measures include roads, ports and the development of water and sewage systems.

In addition to disaster prevention, the outline also includes measures to promote regional public transportation such as railways. The revision also includes measures to encourage relocation and settlement to peninsula areas and for the enhancement of education using digital technology.

The outline also requires the government to take the lead in revitalization by formulating basic policies to promote the peninsula areas. Supplementary rules also state that policies would be reviewed every five years after the plan’s enforcement to allow for a flexible response to any problems.