March 23, 2011
Koike Akira, the only progressive candidate running in the April 10 Tokyo gubernatorial election, announced a “declaration for disaster prevention” at a press conference held in Tokyo on March 22.
Koike pointed out that the preamble of the Earthquake-related Disaster Prevention Ordinance enacted in 1971 under the progressive Tokyo governor states, “An earthquake is a natural phenomenon, but many earthquake-related disasters are brought about by unsatisfactory efforts to prevent them.”
He said, “What I learned from the preamble of the 1971 ordinance is that it is impossible to prevent an earthquake but earthquake-related disasters can be prevented if a government prepares properly for them. With the hope of realizing the intent of the preamble, I issue this ‘declaration’.”
The main pillar of the declaration is to mobilize the full potential of the Tokyo government to help relieve the victims in the Great East Japan Disaster-hit areas and reconstruct communities and secure Tokyo citizens’ safety; to revise the current Tokyo government’s disaster damage prevention plan by putting more emphasis on protection; and to build a “welfare-friendly city” in which Tokyo residents can have their lives protected when a disaster occurs.
Koike criticized Governor Ishihara for adversely changing the Tokyo government to a government promoting the principle of personal responsibilities under which individuals must protect their own lives by themselves. Koike also pointed out that Ishihara reduced the budget to counter earthquake disaster by more than 100 billion yen from the 1999 level when he was first elected governor, and that Tokyo ranks the lowest in the number of ambulances per capita and 46th out of all 47 prefectures in the number of fire trucks.
Koike expressed his determination to devote himself to make Tokyo’s urban infrastructure more earthquake-resistant and safe.
Koike pointed out that the preamble of the Earthquake-related Disaster Prevention Ordinance enacted in 1971 under the progressive Tokyo governor states, “An earthquake is a natural phenomenon, but many earthquake-related disasters are brought about by unsatisfactory efforts to prevent them.”
He said, “What I learned from the preamble of the 1971 ordinance is that it is impossible to prevent an earthquake but earthquake-related disasters can be prevented if a government prepares properly for them. With the hope of realizing the intent of the preamble, I issue this ‘declaration’.”
The main pillar of the declaration is to mobilize the full potential of the Tokyo government to help relieve the victims in the Great East Japan Disaster-hit areas and reconstruct communities and secure Tokyo citizens’ safety; to revise the current Tokyo government’s disaster damage prevention plan by putting more emphasis on protection; and to build a “welfare-friendly city” in which Tokyo residents can have their lives protected when a disaster occurs.
Koike criticized Governor Ishihara for adversely changing the Tokyo government to a government promoting the principle of personal responsibilities under which individuals must protect their own lives by themselves. Koike also pointed out that Ishihara reduced the budget to counter earthquake disaster by more than 100 billion yen from the 1999 level when he was first elected governor, and that Tokyo ranks the lowest in the number of ambulances per capita and 46th out of all 47 prefectures in the number of fire trucks.
Koike expressed his determination to devote himself to make Tokyo’s urban infrastructure more earthquake-resistant and safe.
