YOKOHAMA -- The Yokohama city government is considering a large-scale renovation of the aging Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal, including the relocation of the underground power supply systems that could be flooded in the event of a disaster.
It will be the first renovation of the building since it was rebuilt in 2002. The renovation is expected to cost a lot, and the city is seeking financial support from the central government.
The Osanbashi building, where the terminal is located, rises two stories above the ground with one floor underground, and has a customs, immigration and quarantine plaza and a hall. It is the entrance to Yokohama Port, which about 150 passenger ships entered last year.
Nearly 20 years have passed since the facility was constructed, and the air conditioning system is due to be renewed as it has not been able to cope with the heat in recent years, according to the city government.
The city is particularly concerned about the risk of the underground power section flooding in a tsunami triggered by a large-scale earthquake or in a severe storm or flood. The area is the heart of the facility, providing electricity for the entire 34,000-square-meter floor space.
According to Kanagawa Prefecture's hazard map, there are areas around Osanbashi that could be flooded as high as "between 2 and 3 meters" by tsunami and "between 0.5 and 1 meter" by storm surges. If sea water flowed into the basement, electrical systems would be highly likely to break down. As emergency power sources are also located underground, an outage would be unavoidable.
Last September, Typhoon No. 15 destroyed the seawall in Kanazawa Ward within Yokohama Port, causing flooding on the coast.
"Osanbashi is located in the inner part of the bay, so similar damage is unlikely to occur," a city government official said. But the official warned that "the risk is high because climatic damage has intensified to beyond the level assumed at the time of construction."
Recently, no passenger ships have made port calls due to the pandemic. The city has not made any announcements of estimated ship arrivals on its website since June. Renovation work is expected to take two to three years, and a city official said, "Maybe we should start now."
The relocation of power sources and the replacement of air conditioning equipment are estimated to cost more than 1 billion yen, and Yokohama plans to ask the central government to shoulder half or one-third of the expenses.
Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi has already included this request in the city's policy to be proposed to ministries and agencies concerned.
"We would like to make persistent efforts in line with the compilation of the national budget," a city official in charge said.
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