Tokyo firefighters carry out an annual drill on the centenary of the Great Kantō Earthquake

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Tokyo firefighters held their annual New Year’s training. They have been conducting the exercises to prepare for a possible major earthquake, as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the magnitude 7.9 Great Kantō Earthquake.

About 2,500 people, mostly firefighters and volunteer fire brigade members, took part in the event at the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center on Friday.

The chief of the Tokyo Fire Department, Shimizu Hirofumi, said in his opening speech that the past year saw a number of natural disasters across Japan, including earthquakes that scored 5 on the Japanese seismic scale from zero to 7, as well as heavy rains.

He added that he hopes to enhance the department’s firefighting capabilities and Tokyo’s disaster preparedness in light of the recently released update on the estimated massive earthquake hitting the capital.

An exercise was conducted under the scenario of a huge earthquake directly under Tokyo. Participants examined procedures for rescuing people trapped under rubble.

Members of a group working to preserve traditional firefighting skills performed stunts atop 6-metre ladders.

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