Japan to designate more underground shelters

The country will make maximum use of underground spaces, which are safer, the government said.

Some 61,000 facilities across the country were designated as temporary emergency shelters under the civil protection law as of April 2025 with a capacity of 155.2 pct of the country's population.

Of them, about 4,000 were underground facilities with a capacity of only 5.5 pct.

About 90 pct of the designated shelters are public facilities.

The government plans to promote the designation of private underground arcades and parking lots by setting up an award system to win cooperation from the private sector.

In urban areas, the government aims to have shelters cover 100 pct of daytime population, which includes commuters.

The government plans to enhance shelters' functions to allow people to stay there for several days in case that an evacuation order is in place for a long time.

It also plans to make temporary emergency shelters available during disasters, including for people having difficulty walking home.

The government will conduct research, including on foreign examples, to consider responses to nuclear attacks.