①The National Disaster Management Council is established in the Disaster Management Agency.

②The National Disaster Management Council takes charge of the following affairs:

③The Prime Minister must consult the National Disaster Management Council with respect to the following matters:

①The National Disaster Management Council is composed of a chairperson and members.

②The Prime Minister serves as chairperson.

③The chairperson directs and supervises the affairs of the council.

④When the chairperson is incapacitated, a member named by that chairperson in advance performs duties on behalf of the chairperson.

⑤The members are appointed from among the following:

⑥Expert advisors may be appointed to the National Disaster Management Council in order to investigate matters requiring expert knowledge.

⑦The Prime Minister appoints expert advisors from among officials of relevant administrative organs or designated public corporations and persons with relevant knowledge and experience.

⑧The National Disaster Management Council has executive secretaries, and the Prime Minister appoints them from among the officials of the Cabinet Secretariat or heads of designated administrative organs (except for the Ministers of State) or their officials.

⑨The executive secretary assists the chairperson and members with respect to the function under the jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Council.

⑩Beyond what is provided for in each of the preceding paragraphs, necessary matters related to the organization and operation of the National Disaster Management Council are prescribed by Cabinet Order.

①With respect to the function under its jurisdiction, the National Disaster Management Council may demand the submission of materials, statement of opinions, and other required cooperation from the head of a relevant administrative organ, the head of a relevant 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 concerned.

②The National Disaster Management Council may provide necessary recommendations to local disaster management councils (meaning prefectural disaster management councils or municipal disaster management councils; the same applies hereinafter) or the joint committee of local disaster management councils (meaning the joint committee of prefectural disaster management councils or the joint committee of municipal disaster management councils; the same applies hereinafter) on performing the function under its jurisdiction.

①A prefectural disaster management council is established in a prefecture.

②A prefectural disaster management council takes charge of the following affairs:

①A prefectural disaster management council is composed of a chairperson and members.

②The prefectural governor serves as chairperson.

③The chairperson directs and supervises the affairs of the council.

④When the chairperson is incapacitated, a member named by that chairperson in advance performs duties on behalf of the chairperson.

⑤The members are appointed from among the following:

⑥Expert advisors may be appointed to the council in order to investigate technical matters.

⑦Expert advisors are appointed by the governor of the relevant prefecture from among officials of a relevant local administrative organ, the relevant prefecture, a municipality within the area of the relevant prefecture, or relevant designated public corporations and local public corporations or persons with relevant expertise.

⑧Beyond what is provided for in each preceding paragraph, necessary matters related to the organization and operation of a prefectural disaster management council are prescribed by a prefectural ordinance based on standards provided for by Cabinet Order.

①A municipal disaster management council is established in a municipality in order to formulate an area disaster management plan concerning an area of the relevant municipality and promote the implementation of the plan, and also to deliberate on important matters relating to disaster management concerning an area of the relevant municipality in response to consultation from a mayor of a municipality.

②Beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, municipalities may set forth a constitution after deliberations and jointly establish a municipal disaster management council.

③When a joint municipal disaster management council has been established pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, or when it is inappropriate or difficult to establish a municipal disaster management council, the municipality may choose not to establish it, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1).

④When the municipality has decided not to establish a municipal disaster management council pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph (except for the case where a joint municipal disaster management council has been established pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2)), the municipality must promptly report to the prefectural governor to that effect.

⑤When the prefectural governor has received a report under the preceding paragraph, that governor is to consult the prefectural disaster management council, and when found necessary, that governor may provide necessary advice or recommendations to the municipality.

⑥The organization and the function under the jurisdiction of a municipal disaster management council are prescribed by an ordinance of the municipality (a constitution in the case of a municipal disaster management council established pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2)) following the case of the organization of the prefectural disaster management council and the function under its jurisdiction.

①When it is found necessary and effective among prefectures or among municipalities to formulate a multi-prefectural or multi-municipality area disaster management plan for the area of the prefectures or municipalities, in whole or in part, the relevant prefectures or municipalities may set forth a constitution after deliberations and establish a joint committee of prefectural or municipal disaster management councils.

②When a joint committee has been established pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister must be notified in the case of a joint committee of prefectural disaster management councils, and the prefectural governor must be notified in the case of a joint committee of municipal disaster management councils.

Beyond what is provided for in Article 17, necessary matters related to a joint committee of local disaster management councils are prescribed by Cabinet Order.

When the prefectural disaster management council and municipal disaster management council (including a joint committee of local disaster management councils; hereinafter referred to as "local disaster management councils, etc." in the following Article) find it necessary for the performance of the function under their jurisdiction, they may seek the provision of materials or information, expression of opinions or other necessary cooperation from the head of a relevant administrative organ, the head of a relevant local administrative organ, the head or any other executive agency of a local government, designated public corporations and local public corporations, and other parties concerned.

①Local disaster management councils, etc., must cooperate in the performance of the function under their respective jurisdiction.

②The prefectural disaster management council may provide necessary recommendations to the municipal disaster management councils with respect to the performance of the function under its jurisdiction.