6. Strengthening crisis management systems for a safe and secure city

Everything, from the power of the city to keep on growing to stay aligned with other cities of the world, to the power of people who shine vibrantly, can only be demonstrated on the foundation of safety and security. We must achieve urban resilience as soon as possible in order to protect the lives and assets of people from various imminent threats. We will work ceaselessly to shore up preparations from both hard and soft infrastructure.

Bolster preparations for storm damage

First, we have to prepare for storm and flood damage that are growing increasingly serious due to the climate crisis. Priority must be given to building regulating reservoirs more quickly in light of the recurrence of floods, and we will launch a new project for the Meguro River drainage basin. By connecting this with the Loop Road No. 7 Multi-basin Underground Regulating Reservoir, which is currently under construction, it will become an underground regulating reservoir with the largest storage capacity in Japan. Moreover, we will study how river facilities should be built in order to stand up to ever-larger typhoons and frequently occurring torrential downpours. We will also draw up a flood control plan next month for our sewerage system, and newly designate 10 districts in the ward area for priority development. Through such initiatives, we will raise our sewer system to levels that can handle 75mm of rainfall an hour.

Accelerate the earthquake- and fire-resistance of the city

Next, we must make our city earthquake and fire resistant. We will increase subsidies to large condominiums and other buildings located along disaster response routes, to further accelerate earthquake resistance. Construction has begun on all 28 segments of designated routes for improvement, which are at the core of developing communities that do not burn or spread fire. In order to have all the routes developed by fiscal 2025, we will surge forward without letting up on our efforts.

Further acceleration of removal of utility poles

Regarding the removal of utility poles, propelled by the acceleration strategy that was formulated last year, we will speed up our efforts. Notably, in districts with close-set wooden houses, where the toppling of utility poles could lead to serious consequences such as obstructing evacuation routes, the TMG will bear all expenses of construction work related to private routes for the quick realization of utility pole removal in these areas. And in the Tokyo islands, which are often hit by typhoons in addition to the increasing imminence of the Nankai Trough Earthquake, the removal of utility poles is a truly pressing necessity. We will push forward with initiatives for the complete removal of utility poles on the islands. This will be done by thoroughly examining the unique problems of each island, and promoting measures such as quickly selecting islands for priority development while coordinating vigorously with the local municipalities and other organizations.

Strengthening disaster response through soft infrastructure

We will also strengthen response from the aspect of soft infrastructure. We will launch the development of a 3D simulator for virtual reproduction of large-scale disasters occurring from storms and flooding and raise the precision of operations during a disaster. Regarding Tokyo My Timeline, which will facilitate proper evacuation activities in times of storms and flooding, not only will we add an app version that can be easily operated on smartphones, but we will strive to have more people use it through cooperation with municipalities and schools.

In addition, from normal times we will build connections between the TMG and companies, and create a “disaster-response leader” system to promote the building of stockpiles at the office and calling on employees to refrain from attempting to return home en masse. Along with this, we will strengthen measures for stranded commuters, such as building a system for visualization of congestion on roads and crowding in places such as facilities for temporary stay, utilizing technology such as GPS.

In order to improve the rescue system, we will bolster Tokyo DMAT, our dedicated team providing emergency and disaster medical assistance, and will also begin operations of the “Doctor Helicopter” service, which makes broader transportation of emergency patients possible. The Tokyo Fire Department will be the first fire agency in Japan to introduce a sediment vacuum car that will be very beneficial at sites of sediment disaster. Such efforts will lead to quick and proper rescues.

In the Tokyo islands, we will make great use of the power of digital transformation, such as drone and satellite technology, to speedily grasp the damage situation at port facilities and other places. Moreover, we will work for quicker restoration after disasters by building an information platform that can collate the data acquired and share it in real time.

Urban resilience project

The crux of crisis management is to be extensively and solidly prepared. Giving consideration to the lives and assets of Tokyo citizens, and those living in the future, we will launch projects to build our urban resilience. In order to overcome the crises facing Tokyo, such as climate change, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, terrorism, and infectious diseases, we will conduct reviews based on accumulated data, and clarify the measures that must be taken from a long-term perspective.