TOKYO: The Japanese government is calling on its citizens to prepare for the worst-case scenario, should a major disaster hit the quake-prone archipelago: Stockpile toilet paper.

The industry ministry has launched a public awareness campaign ahead of the September 1 national Disaster Prevention Day, reminding citizens to have enough emergency supplies of food and sanitary products to survive the aftermath of a major earthquake.

“Be prepared and have no regrets,” the ministry said in a statement, as it advertised a special exhibit on disaster preparedness to be held in its downtown Tokyo building.

“At times of major disasters, like huge earthquake, an insufficient number of useable toilets always becomes a problem,” it said, adding that a toilet paper shortage compounds the issue.

In the wake of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and killer tsunami disaster of March 2011, Japan experienced a shortage of many things including toilet paper, as families hoarded everything from water to gasoline, emptying store shelves even in areas relatively unharmed by the natural disaster.

The industry ministry has highlighted the vulnerability of Japan’s toilet paper production capacity, which is 40 per cent concentrated in Shizuoka prefecture, in a region where experts say a disastrous quake and tsunami could strike in the future.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014