Overview
- The land ministry's nationwide check, published Tuesday, found 748 kilometers of large, older sewer pipes need work, including 201 kilometers that must be addressed within about a year.
- The special inspection targeted 5,332 kilometers of pipes at least 2 meters wide and over 30 years old, and by late February authorities had examined 4,692 kilometers using drones, visual checks, and tapping tests.
- Emergency-level damage that warrants a one-year response appeared in 46 prefectures, with the longest stretches in Osaka (21.55 km), Kanagawa (20.31 km), Saitama (15.49 km), and Aichi (15.05 km), while Yamanashi reported none in that category.
- In Tokyo’s network, analysis completed on about 284 kilometers identified 1.9 kilometers as top-priority and 7.0 kilometers needing action within five years, with further inspections continuing on hard-to-access segments with high water levels.
- Officials urged 383 local operators to act even as the government moves to tighten inspection rules through law changes, a push that may collide with thin municipal budgets and limited crews as road-collapse risks remain.