Japan Press Weekly

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2012 March 21 - 27 [TOKYO]

Tokyo gov’t should promote quake-proof houses

Japanese Communist Party member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Shimizu Hiroko demanded that the Tokyo metropolitan government improve its subsidy program for seismic reinforcement at a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly meeting on March 26.

The amount spent for earthquake damage prevention and disaster relief decreased to 376 billion yen in FY 2010 from 524 billion in FY 2002, the JCP assemblyperson pointed out.

Shimizu argued that the reduction reflects Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro’s irresponsible demand to rely on “self-responsibility”.

Although only 69 percent of detached wooden houses are earthquake resistant, the subsidy program for seismic reinforcement is not being fully utilized.

In the program, the government is planning to pay subsidies to 22,000 households in 10 years from FY 2006, but the total number of households that received the subsidy during FY 2006 to FY 2010 remains under 300, she claimed.

The assemblyperson demanded that the program cover the whole area of Tokyo, and that households with elderly or disabled persons receive additional payments. A metropolitan government official in charge, however, turned down her request.