Disaster management minister visits areas in Kumamoto affected by July quake

Kumamoto – Disaster management minister Goshi Hosono visited on Tuesday areas affected by a major earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in July.

During his first visit since taking office, Hosono toured an evacuation center that accommodates pets and a bathing facility providing services to people affected by the disaster.

“The central government must support local governments so that differences in their capabilities do not affect areas or people affected by the earthquake,” he told reporters Tuesday, stressing the need to improve conditions at evacuation centers.

Following the visit, Hosono met with Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura at the prefectural government office. Kimura requested that a disaster management bureau, a regional branch of the National Disaster Management Agency, be established in Kumamoto, according to Hosono.

In response, the minister said that he wants to “create a system capable of providing comprehensive coverage across the country.”