Japan islanders fear consequences if Taiwan attacked
STORY: This disaster drill is meant to prepare for crisis on Japan’s westernmost frontier - be it a natural disaster or - as island mayor Kenichi Itokazu increasingly worries, a humanitarian one.
Yonaguni Island recently ran this exercise with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, bracing both for a tsunami and the event of the island’s close neighbor, Taiwan, coming under attack from China.
"I'm worried about what could happen. It's a situation that we cannot predict."
Yonaguni is only about 60 miles east of Taiwan, a self-ruled island of 24 million people.
China claims it as its own territory and has ratcheted up simulated missile strikes and other military displays.
Yonaguni residents say they worry about a possible refugee crisis if conflict broke out nearby.
Japan has earmarked $290 billion dollars for defense this year, the biggest build-up since the second World War.
But more than two dozen current and former Japanese officials and island residents said there was no plan from Tokyo for Yonaguni, where they imagine hundreds if not thousands of refugees could try to flee.
"What if they come here, what if they come here, I asked the government. There was no answer. Everyone was silent. It's like their mouths are taped shut."
Yonaguni has around 1,700 residents.
Koji Sugama, the official in charge of preparing the island for disasters, thinks right now there wouldn’t be enough emergency supplies if the worst comes to pass.
This container is one of three on the whole island. Sugama says each one can support around 800 people.
"These are cookies made from rice. Then there's curry pilaf, tomato risotto, corn pilaf, mixed rice. This will do for one, maybe two days."
Yonaguni relies on biweekly ferry and a handful of daily flights from nearby islands for supplies, but these can often be cancelled due to bad weather.
So far, the Japanese government’s response to rising tension in the Asia-Pacific has focused on military spending, which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to double in the next five years.
"If something happens, I really have no idea how the Prime Minister at the time will act, what decisions they will take or even be able to take."
