Japan to double underground bomb shelters, providing cover for 10m

PM Ishiba sees increased capacity as deterrence against hostile threats

20250519N Helsinki shelter

Underground shelters, such as this one in Helsinki, Finland, can provide better protection against bomb blasts. (Photo by Shogo Kodama)

RYUTO IMAO

TOKYO -- The Japanese government plans to roughly double the capacity of underground bomb shelters nationwide to 10 million people, in an effort to better safeguard the public from missile strikes.

There are currently over 58,000 bomb shelters -- including those both above and below ground -- across Japan designed to accommodate people for one to two hours. The capacity is enough to cover 140% of the population.

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