According to China Daily, each city, county and village in Japan is devoted to building community disaster prevention organizations, Japanese disaster experts told Chinese reporters during their visit to earthquake-prone Niigata Prefecture on Oct 21. "We have learned from these disasters that it is especially important for the local residents, communities, enterprises and government administrations to take precautionary measures and combine the efforts of all concerned parties to tackle disasters," said Satoru Akema from the Niigata disaster prevention bureau.
After this year's March 11 earthquake, Japan received great support from China, said Katsuei Iinuma, director of the disaster prevention bureau of the Niigata Prefecture government. Now the Japanese government is learning from China's experiences of reconstruction after the Wenchuan earthquake hit southwestern China's Sichuan province in 2008. "The Chinese method of mutual support provided us with a good example," he said. "Our administrations at all levels are studying this approach of asking each province to help rebuild a disaster-stricken area."