The Cabinet Office on Friday released improved public relations measures regarding the government’s emergency alert system for a megaquake that may occur in the Nankai Trough off the country’s Pacific coast.
The first such alert, issued in August, caused confusion and unrest among organizations and local people as the system was not widely recognized. Learning lessons from this experience, the government will beef up its efforts in normal times to make the alert system better known and enable local governments and citizens to decide in advance the measures they should take when an emergency alert is issued.
In its past public relations activities, the government as the first step aimed to have the alert system and related quake response measures known. From now, it will put importance on clearly showing megaquake risks and the difference in response measures between normal and disaster times, and urging people to decide actions they should take.
