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Japan has intensified search-and-rescue operations following the devastating Kumamoto earthquake, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledging to mobilise the government’s full resources.
In a statement posted on X after chairing the Second Extraordinary Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting on Wednesday, Takaichi expressed condolences to those who died in the disaster and said rescuers were working around the clock to save people still trapped under collapsed structures.
“Regrettably, there have also been confirmed deaths from last night through today,” she said.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the deceased with solemn reverence, and extend my sympathies to their bereaved families.”
The prime minister said Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura joined the meeting virtually, while Deputy Cabinet Office Minister Tsushima participated after arriving in the disaster zone as part of the government’s investigation team.
Takaichi said Japan had significantly reinforced its emergency response, with approximately 4,600 members of the Self-Defense Forces, 2,000 police officers and 1,400 firefighters now engaged in rescue operations.
“Search and rescue operations are a race against time,” she said.
She noted that victims were still awaiting rescue at several locations, including ION Mall Kumamoto and the Nippon Paper Yatsushiro Mill, and directed emergency responders to strengthen manpower and equipment.
Beyond rescue operations, Takaichi instructed government ministries to work closely with local authorities to restore essential services, including electricity and water, and to accelerate the deployment of infrastructure restoration teams from other parts of the country.
“Amid continued hot weather, with the possibility of prolonged evacuation, support for disaster victims, including ensuring good shelter environments, is of utmost importance,” she said.
According to Takaichi, emergency supplies, including food, drinking water, cardboard beds, hygiene products, and toilet paper, have already begun arriving at shelters through a central government “push-type” distribution system.
Authorities have also deployed air conditioners and power supply vehicles to help prevent heat-related illnesses.
She instructed officials to continue assessing the needs of affected communities while strengthening measures to protect evacuees from heatstroke.
The prime minister also expressed concern about the growing number of residents sleeping in their vehicles, a common practice after major earthquakes in Japan due to fears of aftershocks.
She ordered authorities to ensure adequate fuel supplies and increase health monitoring to prevent deep vein thrombosis, commonly known in Japan as “economy class syndrome,” which has previously affected evacuees who remain in cars for extended periods.
To ease the financial burden on local governments leading recovery efforts, Takaichi said she had also directed the prompt release of advance ordinary grant allocations.
“We will do everything we can,” she said.
“With the top priority on saving lives, the government will mobilize its full resources to respond.”
The latest update comes as Japan continues to grapple with the aftermath of the powerful Kumamoto earthquake, which caused widespread destruction across the prefecture, damaging homes, commercial buildings, and critical infrastructure.
Rescue teams have been racing to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings while authorities work to restore utilities and provide emergency shelter for thousands of displaced residents.
Japan is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries because it sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates converge.
The country maintains one of the world’s most advanced disaster preparedness systems, with the Self-Defense Forces, police, firefighters and local governments regularly conducting large-scale emergency response operations following major seismic events.
本日13時30分から、「令和８年熊本地震第２回非常災害対策本部会議」を開催しました。
残念ながら、昨夜から今日にかけて死亡が確認された方々もおられます。
謹んで哀悼の誠を捧げますとともに、ご遺族の皆様にお悔やみを申し上げます。…— 高市早苗 (@takaichi_sanae) July 29, 2026
