When the Hanshin Earthquake struck Kobe in 1995, professional responders as well as volunteers worked courageously to rescue the survivors, but Japan lacked a comprehensive system for disaster management, resulting in numerous delays and problems in the response.Following this catastrophic event, the Japanese government began sending emissaries to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) where I worked in Washington D.C., looking for ideas on how to strengthen Japan's disaster response.For years after that, Japanese authorities would continue to study the idea of establishing a F…READ FULL ARTICLE
