Japanese policymakers will consider providing government aid for building bomb shelters in an effort to better protect the population against potential missile attacks, Report informs referring to Nikkei.
The updated National Security Strategy calls for ensuring various types of evacuation facilities. Japan wants more commercial buildings and private homes to be equipped with shelters, in addition to public facilities.
As of April, Japan had 52,490 designated temporary evacuation facilities considered strong enough to provide some protection against missile attacks. However, only about 1,500 of them are located underground and can provide significant protection.
The authorities want not only public spaces, but also commercial buildings and private homes to be equipped as shelters. The refurbishment of the premises will require a significant amount of money, so the government is considering the allocation of appropriate subsidies.
When studying the issue, the government refers to foreign experience. In particular, Taiwan has 105,000 shelters, whose capacity is three times the population of the island, in Israel all new houses must be equipped with a security room with reinforced walls, and public buildings have shelters in case of bombing. Reference is made in Japan to the experience of Singapore, the US and Switzerland.
The topic of building shelters from missile attacks is being discussed in Japan in the light of the North Korean missile and nuclear program, the experience of the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the aggravation of the situation around Taiwan.