Japan as a whole is a disaster-prone country, mostly due to its position on the Pacific Rim fault

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Japan as a whole is a disaster-prone country, mostly due to its position on the Pacific Rim fault line, but also because of climatic and seismic factors. However, for the purpose of this assignment I will be focusing specifically on the region of Tokyo-Yokohama. Yokohama is a city of 3.7 million located on the western coast of Tokyo Bay, roughly 17 miles south of Tokyo. Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan, beaten out only by Tokyo. The combined population of Tokyo and Yokohama Metropolitan Area is 16,889,000 – so roughly 17,000,000 people are living in 1,013 square miles, making for extremely densely populated conditions. (These households and population data are based on the results of the Population Census 2010.) Yokohama's…show more content…
Tokyo is on the ocean side of the island, making the city incredibly susceptible. Typhoons can cause flooding and landslides, which can be extremely dangerous to people and cause destruction such as collapsed buildings and fallen trees. The volcanoes belong to the Pacific Ring of Fire, caused by subduction zones of the Pacific plate beneath continental and other oceanic plates along its margins. Japan lies in a zone of extreme crustal instability. Mount Fuji poses the biggest threat the Tokyo. Located only 60 miles from Tokyo, this stratovolcano is very much active and could cause mass hysteria for many people when it next erupts. A volcanic eruption can pour ash and lava all over the city. Over the years, Japan has taken lots of steps to lighten the damage future earthquakes could inflict. Scientists are studying ways to predict the occurrence of quakes more accurately. Authorities have put strict laws on the construction buildings so they are more resistant to quakes. Many local governments have adopted an earthquake-prevention plan that outlines the steps that should be taken in case a major earthquake strikes, including the regulation of traffic, closing of banks and department stores, and evacuation of residents. The Tokyo metropolitan government conducts periodic checks on the safety of buildings in designated "danger zones." At schools and workplaces, evacuation drills are held several times a year.

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