Japan Enacts Bill on Disaster Prevention Measures for Peninsulas

   Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--The Diet, Japan's parliament, on Wednesday enacted a bill aimed at boosting disaster prevention measures in peninsular areas of the country.
   The bill to revise peninsular areas development law aims to conduct the measures with consideration for the geographic features of peninsulas, which are surrounded on three sides by sea. The law, which was originally set to expire at the end of this month, will be extended for a decade through the revision.
   Under the current system, 194 municipalities in 23 peninsular regions across the country are designated for special measures and have been subject to industrial promotion measures including tax benefits.
   The powerful earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year's Day last year showed that peninsular areas can become isolated after disasters, as routes to the affected area are limited.
   Therefore, the revised law states that disaster prevention and regional revitalization measures will be enhanced in all peninsular areas. It also expands the scope of matters that the central and local governments should bear in mind in regions where the measures are implemented, such as utilizing digital technology to gather information in times of disasters.

(2025/03/26-18:59)

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