In posts I’ve made since the earthquakes began, I have occasionally pointed to ways in which lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 are being applied in Kumamoto. While it is undoubtably true that many NGOs and volunteer organizations have built upon their experience in previous disasters, this interesting article indicates that the government failed use the 2011 disaster as an occasion to take steps to prepare a centralized and well-organized response for future calamities.
Actually, I saw a TV news show yesterday (Hodo Tokushu, TBS) that pointed to the disparity in recovery between the central area of Kumamoto City and the more rural areas of Mashiki and Tateno. Of course, the level of the damage is also different but, even so, the TBS announcer opined that the response seemed to be slower than what he saw in 2011. This may be due in part to lack of preparation at the national level.
– Kirk