Basic Act on Disaster Management

Based on the basic principles and in the interest of protecting the area of a prefecture, and the lives, bodies, and properties of its residents from disaster, the prefecture has the responsibility to formulate a disaster management plan concerning an area of the relevant prefecture with the cooperation of related organs and other local governments, implement the plan on the basis of laws and regulations, and at the same time, assist in the implementation of affairs or operations concerning disaster management handled by municipalities and designated local public corporations within the area, and undertake the overall coordination of the implementation.

Organs of a prefecture must, in performing the functions under their jurisdiction, mutually cooperate so that responsibilities of the prefecture prescribed in the preceding paragraph may be fulfilled.

Based on the basic principles and in the interest of protecting the area of a municipality, and the lives, bodies, and properties of its residents from disaster, as a local government at the base level, the municipality has the responsibility to formulate a disaster management plan concerning the area of the relevant municipality with the cooperation of related organs and other local governments, and implement the plan on the basis of laws and regulations.

In order to fulfill responsibilities under the preceding paragraph, the mayor of the municipality must endeavor to sufficiently employ all capabilities of the municipality, by keeping the organization of fire-fighting organs, flood prevention units, etc., in good condition, by enhancing organizations related to disaster management, voluntary disaster management organizations, and other public groups within the area of the municipality, and by promoting voluntary disaster management activities among the residents.

In performing the functions under their jurisdiction, fire-fighting organs, flood prevention units, and other organs of the municipality must mutually cooperate in order that the responsibilities of the municipality prescribed in paragraph (1) can be fulfilled.

The local governments must endeavor to mutually cooperate when necessary to fulfill their responsibilities prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1) and paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.

In view of the importance of the roles which disaster management activities by volunteers play at the time of a disaster, the State and local governments must respect their independence and endeavor to cooperate with volunteers.

The State must endeavor, through public relations activities, awareness-raising activities, etc., to deepen the interest in and understanding of disaster management activities by volunteers among companies and citizens, and to take the promotion of the taking of leave and other measures necessary to promote the participation of citizens in disaster management activities by volunteers.

Based on the basic principles, designated public corporations and designated local public corporations have the responsibility to formulate disaster management plans concerning their respective operations and implement the plans on the basis of laws and regulations, and at the same time, to cooperate with the prefecture or municipality so that the State, the relevant prefecture, or the relevant municipality can smoothly formulate and implement their disaster management plans under this Act.

Designated public corporations and designated local public corporations must contribute through their respective operations toward disaster management, in light of the fact that their operations are for the public good and interest.

Based on the basic principles, as provided for by laws and regulations or under an area disaster management plan, public organizations, administrators of facilities important for disaster management, and other parties having responsibilities under laws and regulations for disaster management within the area of the local government must fulfill their responsibilities in good faith.

Based on the basic principles, persons engaged in the business of supplying goods or materials or providing services necessary for emergency disaster control measures or recovery and reconstruction must endeavor to continue these business activities even in the time of a disaster and, with respect to the relevant business activities, to cooperate with the disaster management measures implemented by the State or a local government.

Beyond what is provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, based on the basic principles, local residents must endeavor to take measures to store goods of daily necessities such as food and drink and to prepare for disasters by themselves and contribute to disaster management by voluntarily participating in disaster reduction drills and any other disaster management activities, and by handing down lessons learned from past disasters and any other instructive activities.

The State and local governments must exercise care so that all measures which they will carry out will contribute to preventing disasters which harms the national land and the lives, bodies, and properties of the citizens, both directly and indirectly.

In the interest of preventing a disaster from occurring and of preventing the spread of a disaster that has occurred, the State and local governments must particularly endeavor to carry out the following matters:

matters concerning scientific research on disasters and their prevention and putting the findings into practice;

matters concerning forest conservation, flood control, and other matters concerning conservation of the national land;

matters related to the earthquake-proofing of residential land, the fireproofing and strengthening of buildings, and the improvement of structures for disaster management in the cities in other forms;

matters concerning disaster management measures corresponding to the concentration of urban functions such as traffic, information communications, etc.;

matters concerning the establishment of facilities and organizations concerned with operations necessary for disaster management such as the observation, forecasting, and information gathering of meteorological phenomena, terrestrial phenomena, and hydrological phenomena, and facilities and organizations concerned with communication necessary for disaster management;

matters concerning the improvement of disaster forecasts and alarms;

matters concerning the improvement of methods for publicizing earthquake forecasting information (referring to earthquake forecasting information prescribed in Article 2, item (iii) of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Countermeasures for Large-scale Earthquakes (Act No. 73 of 1978));

matters concerning international cooperation with respect to consolidation of a network of meteorological observation;

matters concerning international cooperation with respect to human control of typhoons, and other necessary research on disaster management, observation, and exchange of information;

matters concerning measures for long-term disasters caused by volcanic phenomena, etc.;

matters concerning the establishment of facilities and organizations for flood prevention, fire-fighting, rescue, and other emergency disaster control measures;

matters concerning conclusion of agreements on mutual support of local governments, wide-area evacuation prescribed in Article 61-4, paragraph (3), and wide-area temporary stay prescribed in Article 86-8, paragraph (1) and an agreement on ensuring the cooperation of private groups;

matters concerning the encouragement of citizens to engage in voluntary disaster management activities such as fostering voluntary disaster management organizations, enhancing the environment for disaster management activities by volunteers, supporting activities to hand down lessons learned from past disasters, and other activities;

matters concerning the improvement of an environment in which persons engaged in support for disaster victims can carry out activities smoothly and effectively in areas where a disaster has occurred;

matters concerning ensuring the mental and physical health of disaster victims, securing places to reside, and any other matters related to protection of disaster victims;

matters concerning the reconstruction of the lives of disaster victims;

matters necessary for disaster management measures for the elderly, disabled persons, infants, and others requiring special care (hereinafter referred to as "persons requiring special care");

matters concerning the acceptance of disaster management assistance from other countries;

matters concerning the provision of accurate information to disaster victims and consultation initiated by them;

matters concerning education and drills necessary for disaster management;

matters concerning the dissemination of disaster management thinking;

matters concerning the utilization of information and communications technology and other advanced technology necessary for disaster management.

The government must undertake legislative, fiscal, and financial measures necessary to achieve the purpose of this Act.

The government must report to the Diet each year regarding its plans for disaster management together with the general situation of measures undertaken for disaster management, as provided for by Cabinet Order.

Handling of affairs concerning disaster management is governed by the provisions of this Act, except as otherwise provided for by other laws.