Japan Press Weekly

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2011 June 22 - 28 TOP3 [TOKYO]

Only 301 houses in Tokyo funded for quakeproof renovation

Japanese Communist Party representative Kachi Kayoko on June 23 revealed that only 301 wooden houses in Tokyo were funded for their earthquake-resistant work in the last five years and urged the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to improve its quakeproof-retrofitting subsidy program.

Kachi at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly session pointed out that about 600,000 wooden dwellings still remain un-renovated despite the urgent need to remake the urban structure vulnerable to huge quakes into a disaster-resistant city.

Kachi estimates that over one trillion yen is needed for the quakeproof renovation work of these houses and 460 billion yen for improvement of sewage manholes.

However, Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro and the central government have put a higher priority on road construction costing 3.5 trillion yen. Furthermore, Ishihara is seeking to set aside 400 billion yen in funds to lure the Olympic Games to Tokyo again.

Kachi said, “Tokyo citizens will not accept this.”

Citing that eight locations in Tokyo suffered liquefaction because of the March 11 earthquake, she demanded that the metropolitan government promote the rebuilding of damaged homes, increase the strength of ground resistance, and take effective countermeasures against tsunamis.