日本東京預防地震

Recently Mainichi News reported the following:

　増え続ける超高層マンションの地震対策が新たな課題として浮上している中、東京都中央区の「リガーレ日本橋人形町」（３９階建て、３３５戸）の住民が区と協力し、地震発生時の対応マニュアルを作成した。行政の応援を待たず、住民同士の連携で避難行動や救助・救護活動を進める内容で、モデルケースとして注目されている。 不動産情報サービス会社「東京カンテイ」（東京都品川区）によると、高さ６０メートル（２０階建て）以上の超高層マンションは９９年から増え始め、０９年までに全国で約８００棟が完成した。東京都中央区でもマンションに住む人の割合が８割を超え、超高層マンションも４２棟ある。区は０６年度からマンションの管理組合にマニュアル作りを呼び掛け、既に３棟が作成した。「リガーレ」のマニュアルはＡ４判５５ページ。住民１１人で作る防災対策委員会が中心となり１年半かけて作成した。震度５強以上の地震が発生して電気、水道、ガスがストップ、エレベーターも使えなくなったとの想定で、３日間の取るべき行動を詳細に示している。 まず１２階以下の住民が１階の防災センターに集まり、対策本部を設置。１３階以上は５階ごとに５ブロックに分け、住民の安否情報を各ブロックの拠点階に集約、非常用電話で対策本部に伝える。対策本部は状況を整理し、３階の集会室への避難を順次指示する。 ２～３日目は、倉庫に備蓄した水や食料、救援物資などをブロックごとに配布する。時間帯などによって在宅者が変わるため、住民の役割分担は集まった人の中で決める。 管理組合の鈴木健一理事長（４９）は「首都直下地震が近い将来起こるとされる中、マンションの構造や環境に応じたマニュアルが必要だと考えた」と説明する。 高橋和義・区防災課長は「大地震が起きると公的機関も被災し、交通途絶の恐れもあるため、３日間程度は救助に向かえない可能性がある。まずは住民に自力で対応してもらうことが、減災につながる」と訴えている。

Translation:

When the question on how super high buildings would handle the problem of earthquake began to surface and became a new topic amid the appearance of high buildings, in co-operation with the district resident of "[Riga-re] Nihonbashi Ningyocho" of Tokyo Middle Ward (39 stories with 335 households), a manual was made that laid down procedures for super high rise apartment buildings when earthquake occurred. The manual drew attention in that it was a model on how, without waiting for the assistance from the administration, the residents could carry out evacuation activity and rescue relief activity by themselves through resident's cooperation. The super high-rise apartment buildings of 60 meters or more (20 stories) in height began to increase from 1999, and about 800 houses were completed in the whole country by 2009 according to Real Estate Pages service company "Tokyo [kantei]" (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo). In Tokyo Middle Ward, the ratio of the person who lived in the apartment house was exceeding 80 percent and there were 42 super high-rise apartment buildings. In fiscal year 2006, there were calls on the management union in the apartment house to make the manual, and three districts had already made it. The manual of "[Riga-re]" was in A4 size with 55 pages. The 11- resident disaster prevention task force took the leading role and spent 1 and a half years to complete it. Assuming the earthquake of class five in the seismic intensity would occur, it could stop electricity, water service, gas, and the elevator, making them all impossible to use for three days. The manual showed in detail the action that should be taken. Residents of the 12th floor and below would first gather in the disaster-prevention center on the first floor and form a task force. It would divide other floors into five blocks with every fifth floor, disaster information about the residents would be consolidated on block basis, and the task force would be told about information on the 13th floor and above by an emergency telephone. The task force would handle the situation, and would direct shelter on the third floor meeting room in a orderly manner. Water, food, and the rescue supply, etc. saved at the warehouse would be distributed to blocks on the 2nd to 3rd day. Because the person who would be at home may differ during different time period, therefore depending on the person who would be gathering, resident's roles would be decided. Chief director Kenichi Suzuki (49) of the management union explained, " assuming that the capital inland earthquake would happen in the near future, it is thought that a manual corresponding to the structure and the environment and their apartment house is necessary". The district disaster prevention section chief Kazuyoshi Takahashi said that "There is a possibility that they cannot have rescue for about three days because public organizations would be hit when a large earthquake occurs, and there is fear of traffic suspension, too. At the start, if residents could use their effort to start self help, it would mitigate the disaster".

From the above, it seems that Japanese people living in high rise buildings in Tokyo are quite well prepared in the event of an earthquake.