Fearless teams of the MLIT Tohoku Regional Bureau had been struggling to clear the major roads covered with full of debris and bodies - the roads for the rescue teams heading for the disaster-affected areas.

”Above text is an excerpt taken from the “Bungei Shunju” magazine under the agreement between the author and the publisher. “

For further details, see [Road Clearance].

Some members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces threw off their fogged goggles and masks, and continued spraying water to the Nuclear Power Plants. “If the mission was going to be life-threatening, risk should be taken by a member who doesn’t have a family to support”, said an unmarried member, who volunteered for the work in the Nuclear Power Plants. The MLIT Special Forces had been struggling to clear the major roads, covered with full of debris and bodies, for the rescue teams heading for the affected areas. The Riot Squad of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the Hyper Rescue Squad of the Tokyo Fire Department, … this is a record of those who dedicated their lives to the fight against the unprecedented crisis.
(From Shinchosha website)
http://www.shinchosha.co.jp/books/html/432604.html

The number of local construction companies has been decreased as the number of public works has been decreased. But when there is a disaster, immediate support can be extended primarily by the local construction companies which have an emergency service agreement with the municipalities.
As seen in the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was the local construction companies which cleared roads and repaired the collapsed bridges, to secure the space on the roads for the JSDF, firefighters, and the police. But there have been little reports on their struggle.
This book has been written by the members of the Local Construction Reporters Club, who have been familiar with the industry, based on the numerous interviews about the activities of the local construction companies.
This book is a historical testimony of untold story: how the local construction companies responded to the disaster at very initial stage of restoration, how they coordinated with each other - in some cases, without functional municipal offices, etc.
(From Gyosei online)

That day, a cold freezing day, elementary and junior high school students, who managed to escape from the approaching tsunami, reached the shelter walking through the expressway just opened to traffic. Residents evacuated running through the river levee. Elementary students escaped from danger, using the fire escape that had been installed two years ago. What if there were no roads, levees, or fire escape… The book provides a collection of survivors’ accounts and facts, elucidating the effect of disaster prevention and mitigation of infrastructure.
When the earthquake struck the area, many communities became isolated. What made it possible to reopen the stricken roads, which was cut in many places, to traffic in one week? It was the appropriate decision of the MLIT Tohoku Regional Bureau, which proposed road clearance operations called “Operation Teeth of a Comb”, and the efficiency of execution of local construction companies, which gave full support to the Bureau. Huge amount of relief supplies, including food and daily necessities, was delivered to the affected municipalities through the MLIT liaisons. The procurement was supported by the logistics of major construction companies in Japan. The book elucidates the operations undertaken by the Tohoku Regional Bureau and construction industry at that time.
(From the website of Nikkan Kensetsu Kogyo Shimbun (the Daily Engineering & construction News))

A road had continued to support the disaster-affected people. This is a story of people who dedicated themselves to fast restoration of the road.
Route 45 runs all the way through the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, from the city of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture to the city of Aomori in Aomori Prefecture. This major traffic artery was covered with huge amount of debris and soil after the earthquake, but cleared by many dedicated people. Through this road, a great amount of relief supplies were delivered to, and many rescue teams headed for the affected areas. The book tells you a story of dedicated people who protected the “Road of Life” in the midst of risk of aftershocks.
(From the website of Shinchosha Publishing Co, Ltd.)
http://www.shinchosha.co.jp/book/332091/

For further details, see [Road clearance]

You had seen members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, firefighters, and police officers on the scenes of the earthquake, but seldom had you seen civil engineers. I thought that what I could do for the people affected by the earthquake was to record what the MLIT staff did for the sake of the affected area, and to let people know about that.
(From the Animateur website)
http://www.animateur.co.jp/book1.html

※”Above text is an excerpt taken from the book under the agreement between the author and the publisher. “

For further details, see [Liaisons]

The most fragile land in the world - the Japan islands
The man who knows the land of Japan will reconstruct the country through on-site decision making, to save nation’s life and property.

Main contents

• Chapter 1) A country full of natural disasters
• Chapter 2) Lost leadership of the nation
• Chapter 3) Struggle of the affected areas
• Chapter 4) Disaster prevention capacity of infrastructure saved many people’s lives
• Chapter 5) Push through the Diet with on-site decision making
• Chapter 6) Support the construction industry, which protects our land
• Chapter 7) Building Nation by Disaster Prevention

(From the website of Sankei Shinbun Syuppan Co.,Ltd.)
http://www.sankei-books.co.jp/m2_books/2012/9784863060968.html

Be prepared. Communicate. What and how things were done, and how the MLIT minister and each site staff were involved, since the occurrence of the unprecedented earthquake disaster? The book gives a detail account of what happened in the communication among the Prime Minister’s Residence, the ministers, and the Response Headquarters, and among the ministers, the Bureau chiefs, the municipal leaders, and the companies. The book also reveals the “88 pieces of advice for disaster management”, which should be passed on to the next generation! Facing an unprecedented crisis, MLIT Minister Ohata showed his bravery and determination, which inspired all the staff of the MLIT! This book is a must-read for the people in Japan. (Political Commentator Minoru Morita)
(From the website of Bensei Publishing Inc.)
http://bensei.jp/index.php?main_page=product_book_info&products_id=100150

A moving manga about the earthquake!
There were “disaster professionals”, who dedicated themselves to clearing the roads immediately after the earthquake, earlier than anyone else, in order to save people and secure a space on the roads for the rescue teams!
The Tohoku Regional Bureau, the headquarters of the “Road Clearance” operations, had encountered many challenges, one after another.
Relief supplies did not reach the affected areas. The dispatched liaisons screamed at the headquarters.
“Tell me anything you need, Mayor!” said the Bureau chief.
The Mayor answered, “So, can you arrange coffins?”
It is a documentary comic book about the Great East Japan Earthquake - a number of not well-known facts about the earthquake were written in an enthusiastic style.
(From the COSMO BOOKS Corporation website)
http://www.cosmobooks.com/index.html

※”Above text is an excerpt taken from the book under the agreement between the author and the publisher. “

For further details, see [Road clearance]