TB - PH - WEL 10 
NATIONAL DISASTER LAW (LAW NO. 118) 
PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE TECHNICAL BULLETIN 
PH&W SCAP APO 500 JANUARY 1948 
1. Purpose 
a. The purpose of Law No. 118 is to provide for the Japanese 
people, in time of disaster, immediate and adequate relief. 
h. The plan projected by Japanese officials calls for a single 
governmental agency, at cabinet level, to include the Prime Minister; 
Ministers of Welfare, Home, Agriculture and Porestry, Transportation, Com- 
merce and Industry, and Finance; and the President of the Japanese Hed 
Cross Society, 
c. The activities of the single overall national level agency 
will include: 
(1) Planning at national level; relief plans to mitigate suffer- 
ing caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, earthquakes, tidal waves 
and other calamities. 
(2) Initiation and enforcement enabling legislation for the 
effectuation of disaster relief programs. 
(3) Making available at prefoctural levels, necessary supplies 
and services to enable the prefectures to take immediate action in time of 
disaster when the local supplies in prefectures arc inadequate. 
(4) Utilization of the prefectural governments, VT national 
direction, to assume rrsponsibility for relief in time of disaster by 
providing quick, efficient and adequate relief to sufferers. 
(5) Action as the liaison agency to receive and pass on to 
interested sections of SCAP all information and problems bearing on actual 
operations. 
(60 Provision of adequate warning systems. 
(?) Provision of funds at national level to adequately moot 
the needs of disaster. 
2. Central disaster Belief Planning Board 
a. The Central Disaster belief Planning Hoard is composed of the Prime Minister and all of the ministers of the Cabinet. It is the Board*s 
duty to study the effects of all past disasters, and their affect upon the 
people and the economy of the country, and to make plans for the alleviation 
of suffering caused by future disasters. 
A . ‘ v- , . . * 
v. ■ . . . . 
b. Their duties are listed in paragraph 1 c, above. 
c. The Central Disaster Relief Board is composed of the following 
•members: 
Prime Minister, Chairman 
Welfare Minister, Trice-Chairman 
Home Minister, Member 
Finance Minister, Member 
Agriculture & Forestry Minister, Member 
Commerce W Industry Minister, Member 
Transportation Minister, v.-Member • 
■Communication Minister, Member • * . 
Labor Minister, Member 
President'of Economic and Stabilization Board 
President of War Calamity Rehabilitation Board 
President, Japanese'Red Cross Society 
Civilian Members (counter-parts of the above ministries) 
chosen from outstanding citizens who will assist the govern- 
ment in time of disaster. 
3, Working Committee of the Central Disaster Relief Board. 
a. Working Committer of the board is created for the purpose 
of' facilitating the'rapid movement of supplies and services. It is composed 
of bureau chiefs, and their assistants, of the various ministries* Prefrc- 
tural officials may contact the Working Committee directly in time of 
disaster, 
b. The Working Committee of the Central Disaster Relief Board is 
composed of the ’following; 
•List of ’Members of the Working. Committee of the National 
Disaster Relief Planning Board 
r,: ‘ ''' ' ‘ • 20th Nov., 19^7 
Ministry or 
. ,_Board 
Occupation 
Dame 
Occupation 
Dame 
General Af- 
fairs Board 
Official of De- 
liberation Section 
TAGAMI, Tatsuo 
Official of Delib- 
eration Section 
KOBO, 
Shizuo 
r conomic 
Dice-Director of 
Production Bureau 
ISKIHaRA, 
Take b 
Chief of Supply 
Srction 
I MAI. 
Yoshie 
Stabiliza- 
tion Board 
Director of Daily 
Life Supplies .. 
Bureau 
SAKATA, 
Rli.chi • 
Chief of Welfare 
Section 
YASUDA 
Zoni- 
chiro Reconstruction 
Director of Con- 
Ito, Goro 
Chief of House 
TORI I 
Board 
struction Bureau 
Section 
Stezo 
Director of Social 
* KASAI, 
Chief of Protec- 
TAKADA, 
Bureau 
Yoshisuke 
tion Section 
Masami 
Chief of Sup- 
HATAKEN- 
Welfare 
* 
plies Section 
AKA, Jun- 
, 
ichi 
Ministry 
Director of Med- 
1 
<t| 
g 
N 
i 
Chief of Medi- 
KAMIYA, 
ical Bureau 
Ryutaro 
cine Section 
Hideo 
Director of Pre- 
HAMAH0. 
Chief of Pre- 
ISHIBASKI 
vention bureau 
HI KUO 
vention Section 
Ukichi. 
Director of Police 
HISAYAMA, 
Chief of Public 
MURAI , • 
Bureau 
Hideo 
Safe Section 1st. 
Jun 
Chief of Fire 
NAGANO, 
Home 
Section 
Minoru 
Ministry 
Director of Pre- 
HAYASHI, 
Chief of General 
SHIBATA. 
Affairs 
Koizo 
Affairs Section 
Tatsuo 
Bureau 
Director of 
I-.’(A SAY A, 
Chief of River 
MISHIMA, 
Country Bureau 
Tadatsune 
Section 
Toshimi 
Director of Bur - 
FIJ^UJA, 
Chief of Budget- 
YOSHIOKA 
getarv bureau 
Takeo 
arv Section 4tn 
Eiichi 
Finance 
Director of Tar 
MAIO, 
Chief o * "Qud. 1 - 
WAKIZAFA 
ivii n 13 u ry 
Bureau 
Shi Tesa- 
ary Section 1st. 
Minoru 
hur o 
Director of Bank 
AICHI 
Chief of Bank 
NISHIHaRA, 
Bureau 
Kiichi 
Section 
Naoyasu 
Agriculture 
Director of Gen- 
HIRAKAWA 
Chief of Gen- 
OICUHARA, 
& Forestry 
eral Affairs 
Mamoru 
eral Affairs 
Hideto 
Ministry 
Bureau 
Section 
Commerce & 
Director of Gen- 
MAHSTTDA, 
Chief of Supply 
NAGAYAMA, 
IndU stry 
eral Affairs 
Taro 
Section 
Tokio 
Ministry 
Bureau Transportation 
Ministry 
Director of Business- - 
Bureau ■" 
KAG AYAMA, 
Yukio . 
Chief of Gen- 
eral Affairs 
Section 
I SHIT, 
A.kimasa 
Director of Naviga- 
tion Bureau 
AKIYAMA, 
Tatsushi 
Chief of Sec- 
retariat 
'TSUBOI, 
Kur o take ,, 
Director of Land 
Transportation Super- 
vision Bureau 
GONO, 
Motohide 
Chief of Auto- 
mobile Trans- 
portation 
Section 
GONDA, 
f N 
Yoshihiko 
Communica- 
tion 
Ministry 
Director of Electri- 
cal Affairs Bureau 
NAKAYAMA, 
Jiro 
Chief of Tele- 
graph Section 
YAMASHITA, 
Takeshi 
Director of Techni- 
cal Affairs Bureau 
SHINOHARA, 
N oh oru 
Chief of 
Section 
SUZUKI, 
Takeyoshi 
Director of Elec- 
tric Wave Bureau 
AMIGIMA, 
Takeshi 
Chief of Plan- 
ning Section 
NISHIZAKI, 
Taro 
Labor 
Ministry 
Director of Employ- 
ment Bureau 
UEYAMA, ' 
Akira 
Chief of Engage 
Section 
BSHXTA, 
Takeshi 
Japan 
Red Cross 
Society 
Chief of Busi- 
ness Section 
INOUE, 
Seishiro 
Vice"Director 
KARA, 
Taichi 
Chief of Account 
ing Section 
- KAWASAKI, 
Tojure 
Chief of Medi- 
cal Section 
SATO, 
: Tadashi 4. Region -and Preffctural Planning Boards 
a. Regional and Prefectural Planning Boards are created for the same 
purposes as the National Board for individual prefectures or regions. 
h. In order that the National Government may he able to make avail- 
ableimmediately, supplies and services, it is nec<ssary that the representa- 
tion on the Prefectural Planning Board must' contain counter-parts of the 
ministrifs represented on the National Board. 
c. Composition of the Prefectural Boards will include the prefectural 
representatives of the following sections: ‘ ‘ • : 
Chief of Branch Office of Civil Engineering 
Home Ministry 
Director of Regional Financial Bureau 
Chief of Branch Office of Medical Affairs Bureau 
Welfare Ministry 
Chief of Foodstuff Office 
Chief of Charcoal Office 
Chief of Control Office of Materials 
Agriculture and Forestry Ministry 
Director of Commercial and Industrial Bureau 
Director of Railroad Bureau 
Chief of Motor Car Office 
Director of Marine Transportation Bureau 
Director rf•Communication Bureau 
Director of Regional Fconoralc Stabilization Beard 
Chief of Branch Office of Construction, Board of Reconstruction. 
d. The Regional and Preffctural Boards will contain civilian counter- 
parts as well as the local manager of the Japanese Red Cross Society on their 
lrcal hoards, and such other members as th- governor shall determine.- 
e. As the planning hoards are high level planning organizations, the 
hulk of those appointed will V from among those most familiar with govern- 
ment procedures §nd policies, 
5. Disaster Relief Operating T am; 
a. The Disaster Relief Operating Team is the field unit which 
carrlrs out actual disaster reli f measures. They secure thuir supplies and 
services from the Prefectural Planning Boards who: in turyi receive their 
supplies and services (not local) from the Working Committee at National Level. 
h. Bach Disaster Relief Operating team will have the’following divi- 
sions; • 
General Affairs Welfare Division 
Public Safety Division 
Fire Division 
Health Division 
Fcenemies Division 
Engineering Division 
Coordination Division 
« c. Reports: 
Th< prof' ctural Governor shall submit to the Minister of Welfare 
by the end of March each year, a complete plan ('ach fiscal year) for utiliz- 
ing in time of disaster the Disaster Relief Operating.Team contained in para- 
graph 5 b, above. 
d. Mayors or headmen of cities, towns and villages are required to 
assist in time of disaster. 
6, Calamity Relief Fund Law Ho. 38 
a. Thf- Calamity Relief Fund Law No. 38, and Imperial Ordinance No. 
20 (1935) arc repealed as of 20 0ctoiler 1947, and such remaining funds arc 
transferred to the Disaster Relief Fund under Law No. 118. 
. b. Loans previously made under the Calamity Relief Fund Law in 
accordance with Iteta 1, paragraph 1, Article 17,, may be retained until matur- 
ity. 
7. Prefectural Funds Hold for Disaster 
The minimum amount of the disaster relief fund in any prefecture 
shall be five million yrn (Art. 38, Disaster Relief Law No. 118) however, 
for the current year it shall be one million yen, 
8. National Subsidy Provided for Prefectures. 
a. The subsidy from the National Treasury1s Second Reserve Fund 
will be granted when the total amount of the expenses borne by the prefec- 
tures are in excess of 51 of the total amount of the land, house and business 
taxes of the previous fiscal year as have been calculated in accordance with 
th>- standard tax rates of the prefectures concerned and for the amount in ex- 
cess according to the following classifications'; 
5C S for the amounts in excess of 5% of the total of the three 
taxes. 
80o for the amounts in exc*ss of 5( of the total of the three 
tax-'s and below 10 b of same, 
90o for the amounts in excess of of the three taxes. 
9, As disaster is unpredictable as to amounts necessary to meet needs, 
the Diet has granted the Government the right to withdraw from the Second 
Reserve Funds such monies as are necessary to meet the conditions of para- 
graph 8, above.