Road is damaged by the earthquake in Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, January 2, 2024. (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)
Kishida said the country is facing a "battle against time" to rescue survivors. He told a press conference at the Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters on Wednesday that with the highest priority being to save people, the government has doubled the number of Self-Defense Force personnel to 2,000 to further speed up rescue work.
He asked localities to provide vital necessities for families who were forced to evacuate to public shelters and to gradually restore the infrastructure, especially transportation.

Also on Wednesday, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced a plan to dispatch 22 more aircraft and 8 ships to the earthquake area to speed up rescue work. As of Wednesday morning, the Air Self-Defense Force has coordinated with on‑site rescue forces to rescue 50 trapped victims. The number of reported fatalities has reached 64.