Tokyo’s Backup Plan

Natural disasters are at the top of Japan's collective mind, where officials and residents alike are keen to avoid a repeat of the devastation brought on by March's earthquake and subsequent tsunami. More than 200 square miles of the country were flooded in the disaster, forcing the evacuation of more than 320,000 people. That massive and rapid destruction was bad enough, but officials can’t help but wonder if, instead of the wrath of nature wiping out the north eastern coast of the country’s main island, a disaster were to occur in an arguably more important part of the country, like its capital city of Tokyo.

With faultlines crisscrossing the country, earthquakes are a real threat, and officials are concerned that a big one could take out Tokyo. The prospect is real enough that the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is thinking about creating a “backup” city to assume the seat of power should Tokyo be destroyed, according to a recent article in the Telegraph.