Basic Act on Disaster Management

Emergency disaster control measures are to be performed with respect to the following matters, when a disaster occurs or is likely to occur, for the purpose of preventing a disaster or preventing the spread of the disaster, or of conducting emergency rescue work:

matters concerning the issuance and transmission of alarms, and recommendations or instructions for evacuation;

matters concerning emergency measures, such as fire-fighting and flood prevention;

matters concerning rescue, aid, and protection of disaster victims;

matters concerning emergency education of children and school children affected by disasters;

matters concerning emergency restoration of facilities and equipment;

matters concerning protection of the living environment and public health such as treatment and cleanup of waste, epidemic control, and others;

matters concerning the preservation of social order at disaster areas regarding crime prevention, traffic control, etc.;

matters concerning ensuring emergency transport;

beyond what is provided for in each of the preceding items, any matters related to measures for prevention of the occurrence or spread of disasters.

The head of a designated administrative organ, the head of a designated local administrative organ, the head or any other executive agency of a local government, designated public corporations and designated local public corporations, and any other parties responsible, by laws and regulations, for implementing emergency disaster control measures must carry out the measures, as provided for by laws and regulations or under a disaster management plan, exercising full care to ensure the safety of those engaged in emergency disaster control measures.

The head of a designated administrative organ, the head of a designated local administrative organ, the head or any other executive agency of a local government, designated public corporations and designated local public corporations, any public organization, and administrators of facilities important for disaster management (hereinafter referred to as "persons responsible for emergency disaster control measures") must endeavor to gather and transmit information related to disasters, as provided for by laws and regulations or under a disaster management plan.

Persons responsible for emergency disaster control measures, in gathering and transmitting information on disasters under the preceding paragraph, must endeavor to utilize geospatial information (referring to geospatial information prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Basic Act on the Advancement of Utilizing Geospatial Information (Act No. 63 of 2007)), information and communications technology, and other advanced technologies.

Persons responsible for emergency disaster control measures must endeavor to share information on disasters and implement emergency disaster control measures in mutual coordination.

In cases where an extraordinary disaster or specified disaster has occurred or is likely to occur, when the Prime Minister finds it urgently necessary for evacuation, the Prime Minister must take measures to let citizens know the presumed condition of the disaster and the measures to be taken for the disaster as provided for by laws and regulations or under a disaster management plan.

The kinds, content, and forms or methods of signals relating to disaster management that the mayor of a municipality employs in the issuance and transmission of alarms, warnings, and instructions for evacuation concerning disasters are prescribed by Disaster Management Agency Order, except as otherwise specially provided for by other laws and regulations.

No person may be permitted to employ a signal prescribed in the preceding paragraph or similar signals without good reason.

When a disaster has occurred in the area of the municipality, as provided for by Cabinet Order, the municipality must promptly report to the prefecture (or to the Prime Minister when it is not possible to report to the prefecture) on conditions of the disaster and provide an outline of the measures taken.

When a disaster has occurred in the area of the prefecture, as provided for by Cabinet Order, the prefecture must promptly report to the Prime Minister on conditions of the disaster and provide an outline of the measures taken.

When a disaster involving the operations of a designated public corporation has occurred, as provided for by Cabinet Order, its representative must report promptly to the Prime Minister on conditions of the disaster and provide an outline of the measures taken.

When a disaster involving the function under the jurisdiction of a designated administrative organ has occurred, as provided for by Cabinet Order, its head must report promptly to the Prime Minister on conditions of the disaster and provide an outline of the measures taken.

When a disaster concerning the report under provisions of paragraphs (1) through (4) is found to be an extraordinary disaster or specified disaster, the municipality, the prefecture, representative of the designated public corporation, or the head of the designated administrative organ must make efforts to gather information needed to gauge the scale of the disaster.

In cases where a disaster has occurred within the area of a municipality, when the municipality is unable to make a report under paragraph (1) due to the occurrence of the disaster, the prefecture must make efforts to gather information on the disaster.

In cases where a disaster has occurred within the area of a prefecture, when the prefecture is unable to make a report under paragraph (2) due to the occurrence of the disaster, the head of the designated administrative organ must make efforts to gather information on the disaster involving the function under the jurisdiction of the head.

When the Prime Minister has received reports under provisions of paragraphs (1) through (4), the Prime Minister is to notify the National Disaster Management Council of the matters concerning the report.

Any person having detected an unusual event which is likely to lead to a disaster must notify without delay the mayor of a municipality, the police officer, or coast guard officer to that effect.

Every person must cooperate so that the notification prescribed in the preceding paragraph may reach appropriate authorities as soon as possible.

Upon receipt of the notification under paragraph (1), the police or coast guard officer must promptly notify the mayor of a municipality to that effect.

Upon receipt of the notification prescribed in paragraph (1) or the preceding paragraph, the mayor of a municipality must notify the Japan Meteorological Agency or any other related organs to that effect pursuant to the provisions of the area disaster management plan.

When the prefectural governor has received from the Meteorological Agency or any other agency of the State a notification of a forecast or an alarm of a disaster pursuant to the provisions of laws and regulations, or when that governor has issued an alarm pertaining to a disaster, as provided for by laws and regulations or under an area disaster management plan, that governor is to make necessary notification or requests to the head of a relevant designated local administrative organ, designated local public corporations, the mayor of a municipality concerned, and other parties concerned in regard to the anticipated conditions of the disaster and measures to be taken in response.

When the mayor of a municipality has received a notification of a forecast or an alarm of a disaster as provided for by laws and regulations, when the mayor has independently learned of a forecast or an alarm of a disaster, when the mayor has issued an alarm pertaining to a disaster as provided for by laws and regulations, or when the mayor has received the notification prescribed in the preceding Article, the mayor must transmit the matters concerning the forecast, alarm, or notification to related organs, residents, and any other related public or private groups pursuant to the provisions of the area disaster management plan. In this case, when found necessary, the mayor may issue a necessary notification or alarm to residents and any other public or private groups in regard to the anticipated conditions of the disaster and measures to be taken in response to prepare for evacuation for refuge.

In issuing a necessary notification or alarm pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the mayor of a municipality must provide necessary information to and take other necessary consideration regarding persons requiring special care in order to ensure their smooth and prompt evacuation.

In cases where a notification, request, transmission, or alarm under the preceding two Articles requires urgency, when there is a special necessity for its communication, as provided for by Cabinet Order except as otherwise provided for by other laws, the prefectural governor or the mayor of a municipality may preferentially use the telecommunications facilities that the telecommunications carriers prescribed in Article 2, item (v) of the Telecommunications Business Act (Act No. 86 of 1984) use for business purposes, use the wire telecommunications facilities or radio facilities installed by persons set forth in Article 3, paragraph (4), item (iv) of the Wire Telecommunications Act (Act No. 96 of 1953), request the key broadcasters prescribed in Article 2, item (xxiii) of the Broadcast Act (Act No. 132 of 1950) to conduct the broadcast thereof, or request persons engaged in business activities provided for by Cabinet Order concerning the provision of information using the Internet to provide information using the Internet.

When a disaster is likely to occur, as provided for by laws and regulations or under the municipal area disaster management plan, the mayor of a municipality must instruct a fire-fighting organ or a flood prevention unit to prepare for action or order it to mobilize, or must seek action by the persons responsible for emergency disaster control measures to prepare to take such necessary measures as mobilizing firefighters (except for the municipal officials), police or coast guard officers, or must request them to do so.

When a disaster is likely to occur, the mayor of a municipality may instruct the occupant, owner, or administrator of equipment or an object which is found likely to spread the disaster if it occurred to remove, keep in a safe space, or take any other necessary measures regarding the equipment or object to the extent it is necessary to prevent the spread of the disaster.

At the request of the mayor of a municipality, the chief of a police station, or the chief of an office of regional coast guard headquarters provided for by Cabinet Order (hereinafter referred to as "chief of a police station and others" in this paragraph and Articles 64 and 66) may issue orders prescribed in the preceding paragraph. In this case, when the orders prescribed in the same paragraph have been issued, the chief of a police station and others must immediately notify the mayor of a municipality to that effect.