Tokyo Govt to Help End Sleeping on Floor at Evacuation Centers

Tokyo, Nov. 2 (Jiji Press)--The Tokyo metropolitan government is planning to include in its fiscal 2025 initial budget subsidies for municipalities to end the practice of people at evacuation centers sleeping on the floor.

The Japanese capital hopes to improve living conditions at evacuation centers and boost its disaster response capability, amid concerns that a huge earthquake may occur directly underneath the Tokyo metropolitan area and force up to around 2 million people flee to evacuation centers.

Tokyo will also support efforts to enable evacuees to bring their pets with them.

Living conditions at evacuation centers set up following natural disasters remain severe around the country, such as people being forced to sleep on the floor in gymnasiums. Such issues were also evident following the Noto Peninsula earthquake this January.

This has prompted metropolitan assembly members to call for a review of how evacuation centers in Tokyo are operated. While such centers are run by Tokyo's special wards, cities, towns or villages, the metropolitan government has drawn up related guidelines and is already in the process of revising them.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]