Wednesday marks one year since a massive earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan. The country's internal affairs ministry plans to strengthen the capacity of firefighting authorities in fiscal 2025 to prepare for possible major earthquakes.

After the Noto quake, severed roads and large-scale fires disrupted the movement of firefighting vehicles. Personnel also had to operate while tsunami warnings were in place.

The ministry plans to deploy small vehicles with high mobility that can transport rescue staff and equipment even right after a quake.

It also plans to develop drones in cooperation with the private sector that can conduct firefighting from the air in an effort to secure the safety of firefighting personnel.