Wednesday, February 8, 2012

"Backup" Tokyo (Capital of Japan) to Be Considered Somewhere in Japan to Preserve Government Functions in Case of Disaster

Locations already jockeying for the front-runner position to become a "backup" capital include Hokkaido, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

There they go again, looking for another construction boom in the land of earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear accidents.

From Jiji Tsushin (2/8/2012):

首都機能バックアップ検討へ=10日に初会合-民主

Democratic Party of Japan to consider backing up of the capital functions

 民主党は、「首都中枢機能バックアップ作業チーム」(座長・馬淵澄夫元国土交通相)の初会合を10日に開く。東京が直下型地震などで壊滅的な被害に遭った場合に備え、代替策を検討する。首相官邸や中央省庁などの機能を一時的に移す地域を特定するかどうかが焦点。3月中に政府に報告書を提出する。

Democratic Party of Japan will hold the first meeting of "the working group for backing up the core functions of the capital" (headed by Sumio Mabuchi, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation) on February 10. It is to prepare for the case of Tokyo devastated by an epicentral earthquake. The focus will be whether the group designates a location to temporarily move the function of the Prime Minister's Official Residence and the central government ministries. The group will submit the report to the government by the end of March.

 東日本大震災を受け、国交省の有識者会議は昨年12月、首都機能のバックアップに関する議論を開始した。同会議は具体的な地域名は決めないとしているが、既に北海道、大阪府、福岡市などが名乗りを上げるなど、誘致合戦が過熱し始めている。

The expert committee at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation started the discussion on backup functions of the capital last December, in light of the March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami. The committee says it won't specify the location [to which the functions will be moved], but heated campaigns to become a "backup" capital have already started among locations including Hokkaido, Osaka, and Fukuoka City.

Well, even after the Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident, they still do not (or cannot) say they should consider a potential nuclear disaster when planning a backup capital. If they do consider, there may be nowhere in Japan that's suitable.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see them move to a floating city ala Laputa.

It'd probably be possible by now if humans weren't always busy blowing each other up over cash and shiny things.

mike in tokyo rogers said...

I vote for Kabukicho or Yoshiwara... That way when the politicians leave work to go to bars and drinking joints (and getting hand job under the tables), they won't have to take such a long taxi ride. Will save us taxpayers hundreds of millions in the 1st year.

Anonymous said...

I thought they already decided on Itami, Osaka?

Anonymous said...

I vote for Akihabra, full of pervy geeks so the slimy politicians will feel at home there and can pop into the maid cafe for some voyerism and general leering..

Anonymous said...

FIRST--they need to define WHAT they do as "government"..that will be the real problem...

Morbid said...

Anyplace but being too close to Fuku seems to be the goal.

Atomfritz said...

They probably believe that we also have backup worlds available.

Anonymous said...

I say no such need, no need to move to preserve government functions, etc... There has been no functioning government to begin with, we've all seen it, you've proven to the world the complete lack of competency of JP government in national emergency. There is no government brain to be saved in the first place.

If they still want to move, move to Wakasa Bay in Fukui Prefecture, the neon district of the nuclear power plants... because as they've repeatedly said, nuclear power plants are perfectly safe and pose no danger.

Anonymous said...

US government has contingency plans, bunkers and back-ups and what-all to continue if they get the us in US blown up. Doesn't seem right to me. Captain is supposed to go down with the ship and all...

Anonymous said...

No, these days a captain is supposed to do a fancy trick with the ship under the direction from the higher-up, and when that spectacularly fails he is the first one to get off the ship. You know, like that cruise ship off Italy.

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