Tokyo Earthquake Plan Pushes Seismic Breakers, But Adoption Remains Low

Japan has released a basic plan aimed at halving deaths from a potential major earthquake beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area, according to Ayaka Morita reporting for Mainichi Japan.

Seismic breakers can help prevent so-called “power-restoration fires,” which occur when electricity is restored to damaged wiring or overturned heaters after an outage. (Photo: NITO KOGYO)

Fire prevention is a central focus of the strategy, with authorities promoting the wider use of seismic breakers—devices that automatically cut off electricity when strong shaking is detected.

However, challenges remain, including limited public awareness and installation costs.

The previous version of the disaster prevention plan was issued in 2015.

According to updated government damage estimates released in December 2025, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake centered beneath southern Tokyo could result in up to approximately 18,000 deaths, with about 70 percent attributed to fire-related causes.

Research on fires triggered by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake found that more than half of those with identified causes were linked to electricity.

The revised plan calls for seismic breakers to be installed in nearly all homes within designated “emergency countermeasure areas,” covering Tokyo and nine surrounding prefectures: Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Shizuoka.

Seismic breakers can help prevent so-called “power-restoration fires,” which occur when electricity is restored to damaged wiring or overturned heaters after an outage.

Some devices are installed in electrical distribution panels and require professional installation, while others are plug-in or falling-weight systems that can be installed without construction work.