Japan on Monday, November 2, launched the National Disaster Management Agency to bolster its readiness for major natural disasters, including a potential strong earthquake in the Tokyo area and a possible eruption of Mount Fuji.
The new body will act as the government’s central command for disaster response and will be led by the prime minister.
Post-disaster Reconstruction Minister Goshi Hosono is set to become the first disaster management minister in charge of supervising the agency.
The agency was formed through the reorganization of the Cabinet Office’s disaster management division, which has been beefed up in terms of staff and budget to improve the government’s capacity to handle large-scale catastrophes, including massive earthquakes along the Nankai Trough off the Pacific coast from central to southwestern Japan.
Its mandate will cover disaster preparedness, support for affected populations, and restoration and reconstruction efforts in impacted areas.
The disaster management minister will be empowered to issue recommendations to other government agencies, which will be required to give due weight to such guidance. The government aims to ensure a unified approach to disaster management to enable an effective response to major quakes and other calamities.
Placed directly under the cabinet, the agency has a workforce of 352 personnel. It will craft basic policies on disaster mitigation and management, while also planning and coordinating responses to large-scale disasters.
It is composed of four departments handling distinct functions — disaster response including emergency operations, human resource development and drills, planning for damage mitigation, regional disaster response focused on victim support and disaster education, and general policy covering budget management and public relations.
By summer 2027, the government intends to identify sites for planned regional branches of the agency, which will be established to strengthen readiness for potential Nankai Trough quakes as well as earthquakes along the Chishima and Japan trenches off the Pacific coast of northern to eastern Japan.
The regional branches are expected to advance measures that enhance preparedness and put in place support mechanisms for areas once such disasters strike. A number of local governments have already expressed interest in hosting them.
The central government is also looking into establishing a college dedicated to training and research on disaster management.
The National Disaster Management Agency was created based on a proposal by former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. A preparatory office for the agency was opened in November 2024, and the law establishing it was enacted in July this year.