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Gov't approves contingency plans for 21 prefectures+
(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, Jan. 20_(Kyodo) _ The government on Friday approved contingency plans for 21 prefectures that feature a series of measures designed to protect the public from foreign military attacks or major terrorist attacks.
The move is part of a 2004 law that comprises a set of 10 laws introduced in 2003 and 2004 as Japan's first post-World War II legislation to counter foreign military attacks and other emergencies.
With the approval, the number of prefectures with their own war contingency plans totaled 23, following Fukui and Tottori prefectures, which formulated their plans last year. The government expects the rest of Japan's 47 prefectures to submit their plans by the end of March.
The prefectural contingency plans are based on a model plan drafted by the central government while taking into consideration such factors as local geography, climate, population density, and the presence of nuclear plants and other key facilities.
Saitama Prefecture lists measures targeted at specific scenarios, including "spraying of sarin nerve gas in a terminal station" and "bombing of an expressway."
Osaka Prefecture asks its residents to immediately take shelter inside in the event of a guerrilla attack before evacuating to a safer place. In a nuclear attack, it asks the residents to evacuate toward the direction of the wind.
A plan by Kyoto Prefecture features measures to protect cultural assets and evacuate visiting tourists, while Shimane, Yamaguchi and other prefectures with remote islands describe how to evacuate residents by boat.
Hokkaido and three prefectures in northern Japan address the issues of heating and snow removal in shelters, while Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Saga and others focus on measures to be taken around nuclear facilities.
In June 2004, the Diet passed seven laws to complete Japan's war contingency legislation enacted a year earlier that are designed to counter attacks by a foreign military or terrorists.
Two of the seven laws are intended to facilitate U.S. military operations in the event of an attack or imminent attack on Japan and to enable Japan to supply provisions to the U.S. forces not only in peacetime but also in such an emergency.
The other five address measures to be taken in an emergency to evacuate and protect the public, to raid ships in and around Japanese waters, give priority to military use of public facilities, and ensure proper treatment of prisoners of war.
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