A powerful earthquake that rattled the greater Tokyo area on Oct. 7 registered an upper 5 on the 7-point Japanese seismic scale in parts of the capital's 23 wards, marking the first time for the area to experience a jolt of that intensity in a decade since the Great East Japan Earthquake.

       The quake caused a multitude of damage to infrastructure and threw citizens' lives into turmoil, highlighting the megacity's vulnerability to earthquakes once again.

       It has been predicted that there is a 70% chance of a magnitude 7-class earthquake hitting directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area within the next 30 years. It is imperative that our experience in the latest quake be utilized for future countermeasures.

       Firstly, the Oct. 7 temblor left many people unable to get back home immediately. After the quake struck at 10:41 p.m., services on JR, subway and other train lines were temporarily suspended, stranding many commuters and others at stations and their vicinities.

       Railway operators subsequently resumed services even beyond what would normally have been the last-train time, while taxi companies assembled their cabs near railway stations to shuttle passengers home one after another.

       If an earthquake occurs directly beneath the capital, it is estimated that up to 8 million people will be stranded. The figure is well beyond the actual number of people who remained stranded in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

       As disruptions to public transportation systems would inevitably be prolonged, people may have to walk home, among other means. But if the roads are overcrowded with people on the heels of a quake, it may block the passage of ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

       The central government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have been urging companies to keep their employees from going home after a big quake hits as much as possible. They are also calling on corporations to stock up on at least three days' worth of water and food on the assumption that workers may have to stay at offices for a while.

       For post-quake operations, teleworking will be effective to keep business flowing. This work style has been widely adopted in Japan under the coronavirus pandemic.

       The disruptions to train services continued the morning after the Oct. 7 quake. Entry to some JR stations was restricted, prompting commuters to form long lines near some stations. Companies should at a time like this have instructed their employees to work from home.

       If businesses maintain their remote working systems even after the pandemic is brought under control, they will be able to achieve business continuity even after their office buildings are damaged by a quake.

       There was also an array of cases where elevators in buildings and condominiums were rendered temporarily unusable after the latest temblor. If a megaquake hits the metropolitan area, it is feared that restoration of elevators will be delayed, leaving residents in upper floors isolated. It is essential for each household and condo management association to stockpile food, water and other necessities.

       Government bodies, businesses and residents are urged to review once again if they are prepared to keep confusion to the minimum level possible in the event a large magnitude earthquake strikes.

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