Japan Earthquake plan targets half-or-less Tokyo quake losses
The Japanese government on Friday revised its basic plan for a possible powerful japan earthquake directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area, setting a new target to cut deaths and buildings destroyed or burned down to half or less of the latest estimates. Those estimates, released in December 2025, put deaths at up to 18,000 and building losses at around 400,000.
The plan covers Tokyo and nine prefectures in and around the Kanto region and is the first revision since 2015. It also raises the number of policy goals from 47 to 189, giving the next decade of preparedness a far more detailed checklist than the previous version.
Tokyo and Kanto prefectures
Friday's revision puts seismic circuit breakers at the center of household preparedness, with a target for almost all homes in Tokyo and nine prefectures in and around the Kanto region by fiscal 2035. The share of households with those breakers is targeted to rise from 20% in fiscal 2024 to almost all households by fiscal 2035.
The government said about 70% of earthquake-related damage is caused by fires, which is why the plan also pushes building-level and home-level fire prevention measures. The previous plan aimed at roughly halving deaths and destroyed or burned buildings; the new version tightens that language to half or less.
Food, furniture and drills
The revised plan sets a target for homes to stockpile at least three days' worth of food, rising from 60% in fiscal 2025 to 100%. It also aims for a 100% rate of securing furniture, a step aimed at limiting damage inside homes and apartments when a strong quake hits densely populated neighborhoods.
That push toward staying put also reflects a practical limit: the number of shelters in the Tokyo metropolitan area is expected to fall short, so the plan promotes sheltering at home. In condominiums, the government wants disaster drills held at least once a year.
Businesses and return routes
The plan also reaches beyond households. The government aims for business continuity plans to be complete at 100% of major firms and 80% of midsize companies, while also securing temporary accommodation facilities for people who may have difficulties returning home after a disaster.
For people who try to go home on foot, the plan includes providing necessary information. The government will also track progress on the numerical targets every year and carry out follow-up measures, making the fiscal 2035 goals a standing test of whether Tokyo and the Kanto region are moving faster than the risk they are preparing for.
