Yonaguni
© Reuters/KyodoYonaguni island in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture is only 111km from Taiwan.
NHK has learned that the Japanese government is making arrangements to build new evacuation shelters on remote islands and elsewhere in the event of emergencies, including a contingency in Taiwan.

Government officials have been discussing how to protect residents in Okinawa Prefecture and elsewhere situated close to Taiwan.

Their plans include building new shelters positioned as special emergency evacuation facilities for those who cannot evacuate quickly.

The shelters would be built with a robust reinforced concrete structure, and walls would be designed to have a thickness of more than 30 centimeters to withstand missile blasts.

Local municipalities granted financial support from the central government would construct the shelters in the basement of public facilities and other buildings.

The accommodation capacity would be determined based on the needs of each municipality. The envisioned shelter would provide a space of around 2 square meters per person. It would be equipped with a warehouse and electric and communication systems for evacuees to shelter for about two weeks.

The central government plans to compile design guidelines by the end of next month and present them to municipalities and other entities.