鎮魂の日 重い教訓を明日への備えに

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 12, 2012)
Utilize lessons of March 11 to better prepare for disasters
鎮魂の日　重い教訓を明日への備えに（3月11日付・読売社説）

We have reached a day of remembrance, one year after the major disaster on March 11. A memorial service is to be held by the central government in Tokyo, and similar ceremonies are scheduled to take place in the affected regions as well.
　大震災から１年、鎮魂の日を迎えた。政府主催の追悼式が東京で行われるほか、被災地でも式典が予定されている。

To pray for the repose of victims' souls, we will offer at 2:46 p.m. a silent prayer from the bottom of our hearts for those who died in the disaster.
　午後２時４６分、亡くなられた方々のご冥福を祈り、心からの黙とうを捧(ささ)げたい。

The death toll is now 15,854, while more than 3,100 people are listed as missing. The people who are still looking for their beloved relatives must be filled with sorrow. Our hearts ache for them.
　犠牲者は１万５８５４人にのぼる。行方不明のままの人も３１００人を超す。いまだに肉親を捜し求める人たちの悲しみはいかばかりか。胸が痛む。

　◆被災地の復興に「落差」◆

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Gaps in degree of recovery

In a coastal district of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, a seawall destroyed by the tsunami stands in horrible condition. Huge piles of debris and a vast number of abandoned automobiles can be seen.
　宮城県石巻市の沿岸部。津波で破壊された防潮堤が無残な姿をさらし、巨大ながれきの山と、無数の廃車の集積地が目に入る。

A factory area facing the sea and residential areas that stretched inland were almost completely washed away by tsunami. Only a fraction of these areas have finally managed to start post-disaster reconstruction.
　海に面した工場地帯と、内陸側に続く住宅街は、ほとんどが津波にさらわれた。再建にこぎつけたところはほんのわずかである。

Part of the quay at a nearby fishing port sank into the sea. Local fishermen have resumed fishing but say pieces of debris occasionally get caught in their nets.
　近くの漁港は岸壁の一部が海に沈んでいた。漁は再開できたが、網にはしばしば、がれきがかかるという。

"If processors resumed their business operations at our port, it would regain its vitality," the skipper of a fishing boat said hopefully.
漁船の船長は「港で加工業者が営業を再開すれば、活気も戻る」と、望みをつなぐ。

A senior official of a local economic organization said: "There are large gaps in the degree of recovery among industries, business firms and families. It's a far cry from post-disaster recovery for the whole region.
　地元経済団体の幹部は「復興状況は産業、企業ごと、家族ごとに大きな落差がある。地域全体の復興にはほど遠い」と語る。

"But everyone strongly wants to keep hanging in there."
「ただ、誰もが『がんばろう』という強い思いを持っている」

We support such feelings. Local governments must respond more carefully than ever.
　その気持ちを支えたい。自治体には、これまで以上にきめ細かな対応が求められる。

Offering mental care to people affected by the disaster is also an important task. Many people have complained about sleeplessness, anxiety and frustration since immediately after the disaster.
　心のケアも重要な課題だ。震災の直後から不眠や不安、イライラを訴える人は多かった。

Even after they moved into makeshift houses or housing units leased by local governments, the number of people suffering emotionally has shown no sign of declining. Rather, there has reportedly been a sharp increase in the number of people who have become addicted to heavy drinking or gambling, or quit their jobs for emotional reasons.
　それが、仮設住宅や自治体の借り上げ住宅などに移った後も一向に減らない。むしろ、過度の飲酒やギャンブルにのめり込む人、精神的理由で勤め先を辞める人が急増しているという。

A local psychiatrist believes many are suffering because their unemployment benefits will end soon, they cannot find jobs despite their growing concern, or they have no prospect of ever returning home.
　地元の精神科医は「雇用保険の支給が終わる。不安は募るが仕事は見つからない。帰宅のメドもたたない」ことが原因と見る。

The psychiatrist said many people's mental anguish could likely be eased if authorities provided a clear picture of the future.
行政が将来の見通しを明確に示すことで、精神的な痛みが緩和される人は多いはず、と指摘した。

It is important for both the central and local governments to present and implement visibly a post-disaster reconstruction plan through which affected people can find hope for their future lives. We hope the Reconstruction Agency helps them with all its power.
　政府と自治体が、今後の生活に希望を見いだせる復興計画を示し、目に見える形で実現していくことが重要だ。復興庁は全力で支援してもらいたい。

　◆「想定外」を想定し直す◆

The lessons learned from the catastrophe must be utilized to enhance the nation's readiness for a future major disaster.
　教訓を、次の大災害への備えに生かさねばならない。

The March 11 tsunami, which was said to be on a scale "beyond expectation," triggered the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No.1 nuclear power station.
　「想定外」の津波が甚大な被害をもたらしたのが、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故だった。

The spread of large amounts of radioactive substances wreaked havoc on agricultural, fisheries and other industries in the disaster-struck areas. Along with the resulting public anxiety over food safety and human health, harmful rumors about the threat of radiation have lingered, casting a shadow all over the country.
　放射性物質の拡散が農業、漁業など産業に大打撃を与え、食品や健康への不安、風評被害も広がって、日本中に暗い影を落としている。

More than 62,000 people from Fukushima Prefecture are still living outside the prefecture.
今も６万２０００人以上が福島県外に避難している。

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Review standard assumptions

An expert panel of the government's Central Disaster Prevention Council chaired by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda came out with a set of proposals in autumn. The panel called for a thorough review of the conventional assumptions about earthquakes and tsunami as well as antidisaster countermeasures "on the premise of the maximum possible earthquake and tsunami and taking each and every conceivable possibility into account."
　政府の中央防災会議の専門調査会は昨秋、「あらゆる可能性を考慮した最大級の巨大地震・津波」を前提に従来の地震・津波想定と防災対応の見直しを提言した。

Regarding major earthquakes anticipated in the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai regions on the Pacific coast, a study team of the Cabinet Office is scheduled to soon make public its estimations about the maximum intensities of temblors and largest possible heights of tsunami.
　東海・東南海・南海地震については、内閣府の検討会が近く、最大級震度分布、津波高などの推計結果を明らかにする。

A study group of the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry recently announced research findings regarding a Tokyo metropolitan epicentral earthquake, in which the focus would be just beneath the metropolitan area.
The findings showed that extensive areas of the metropolitan area could be subject to an earthquake more powerful than previously forecast, a quake with the strongest intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic scale.
　首都直下地震では文部科学省研究班が、従来想定より大きい震度７の揺れが広範囲で予想される、との研究結果を公表した。

The 11,000 fatalities and economic damage of 112 trillion yen previously forecast for a metropolitan epicentral earthquake must be reviewed, the study group has said.
死者１万１０００人、経済被害１１２兆円の被害想定は見直される。

The central government and local governments must study and implement specific measures on the basis of these disaster risk evaluations by public bodies.
　こうした公的リスク評価を踏まえ、具体的な対策を検討し実施するのが政府と自治体の役目だ。

Plans for enhancing earthquake resistance should be promoted further for such public facilities as schools and hospitals, as well as buildings on arterial roads.
　学校、病院といった公共施設や、幹線道路に面したビルの耐震化をさらに進めたい。

In coastal regions, it is vitally important to work out tsunami countermeasures combining such "hardware" efforts as strengthening seawalls with "software" aspects centering on effective evacuation, such as the improvement of hazard maps.
　沿岸部では、防潮堤などを強化するハード面と、ハザードマップ整備といった避難を中心とするソフト面を組み合わせて、津波対策を立てる必要がある。

Also of utmost significance is that residents of every community be more prepared for disasters. At the very least, residents must confirm hazard maps and participate in antidisaster drills.
　肝心なのは、住民が防災意識を高めることである。ハザードマップを確認し、防災訓練に参加するのは最低限の務めだ。

Residents should draw up evacuation plans for their communities on their own initiative. They should consult expert opinion to secure evacuation routes and evacuation sites such as earthquake-resistant buildings of about five stories, and higher ground.
　地域の避難計画を、住民が主体となって作成しておくことも求められる。専門家の意見を聞き、避難ルートや安全な中層ビル、高台などの避難場所を確保したい。

Recently, large-scale exercises have been conducted in such big cities as Tokyo and Osaka for commuters who will have difficulty returning home in the event of a major disaster. It is important to scrutinize what is effective in such drills and also consider what should be improved to make subsequent drills more effective.
　最近は東京、大阪などで大規模な帰宅困難者対策訓練が実施されている。成果と反省点を検証し、それを次の訓練の充実につなげることが大事だ。

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'Disaster reduction' a key goal
　◆「減災」の追求を誓う◆

The government--in light of the terrible experience of dealing with the earthquake and tsunami calamities while simultaneously coping with the nuclear crisis and radiation problems--is studying how to prepare for and address a "complex of disasters."
　政府は今回、地震・津波被害への対応と同時に、原発事故の鎮圧作業や放射能対策にも追われた経験から、「複合災害」への備えと対応策の検討を始めた。

The government will have to make special responses, for example, when a major earthquake in a large city results in such multiple problems as fires over an extensive area, leakage of toxic gases from factories and serious accidents involving means of transportation.
　例えば、大地震に続いて都市部の広域火災や工場地帯の有毒ガス漏れが発生したり、交通機関で大事故が起きたりした場合、政府は特別な対応を迫られる。

The order of priorities in government responses to a complex of disasters and clarification of the chain of command must be thoroughly studied without delay.
　複合災害が起きた際の対応の優先順位付けや、指揮命令系統の整備などの検討を急ぐべきだ。

The concept of "disaster mitigation" or "disaster reduction" to minimize damage in the aftermath of a calamity--however catastrophic--is of pivotal significance in this regard, as we must be "prepared even for the unforeseeable."
　いかなる大災害にも「想定外」を想定し、被害を最小限にとどめる「減災」を追求する――。

We must pledge anew on this occasion that the precious lives lost in the Great East Japan Earthquake will not have been lost in vain.
尊い犠牲を無駄にしないために、誓いを新たにしたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 11, 2012)
（2012年3月11日01時12分 読売新聞）