The Noto Peninsula earthquake that struck the Noto region on New Year’s Day recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7, causing extensive human and material damage. The following day, a tragic accident occurred on the runway of Haneda Airport, where a Japan Coast Guard aircraft carrying relief supplies for the disaster-struck area collided with a Japan Airlines plane, resulting in the death of five coast guard personnel. Amidst a turbulent start to the year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s inadequate disaster response has rapidly drawn increasing criticism. The Political Landscape and Kishida’s Response Some LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) insiders suggested that the Noto Peninsula earthquake presented an opportunity for the Kishida...

Introduction Ibaraki Prefecture’s Tokai No.2 Nuclear Power Plant, surrounded by a population of 920,000 within a 30-kilometer radius, recently made headlines with the release of a “radiation dispersion simulation” in November last year. The simulation results have raised concerns about the preparedness and the adequacy of evacuation plans in the event of a severe nuclear incident. The Simulation and Its Implications Based on calculations by Japan Atomic Power Company, the simulation showed that in the event of a northeast wind, cities such as Mito downwind could see up to 170,000 people needing evacuation. This number surpasses the 160,000 people evacuated during the Fukushima nuclear disaster and could swell significantly when...