As North Korea shows off its nuclear missiles and tanks, some in nearby Japan are preparing for the worst. A growing number of Japanese people are building bunkers that could theoretically help protect them from nuclear warfare, Reuters reports.
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Inside an underground nuclear bunker in Japan that's made to withstand war with North Korea
As tension with North Korea mounts, some Japanese citizens are building bunkers in case disaster strikes. Here's what nuclear shelter in Osaka looks like.
Seiichiro Nishimoto, CEO of Shelter Co., poses at a model room for the company's nuclear shelters in the basement of his house in Osaka, Japan.
A Reuters photographer recently went inside a model bunker created by Shelter Co., an Osaka-based company that makes underground nuclear shelters for homes in Japan. The shelter is located inside the home of
Take a look inside.
Shelter Co.'s model bunker is located inside the home of the company's CEO, Seiichiro Nishimoto, in Osaka, Japan.
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To reach the bunker, you have to travel down the stairs to the basement.
The air-tight shelter features an anti-blast door made of steel. Another company that sells similar bunkers, called Oribe Seiki Seisakusho, says a bunker for up to 13 people costs about 25 million yen ($227,210) and takes four months to build.
The room can withstand a blast even if Hiroshima-class nuclear bomb explodes.
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The walls are painted with clouds and palm trees in an attempt to mimic a tropical island.
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In case a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other unforeseen catastrophe strikes, the bunker features a gas mask, a device that detect radioactivity, and emergency goods.
It is well-stocked with food, toiletries, and bottled water.
On one side of the room, there's an air-purifier system that Shelter Co. says will block out harmful radiation and gas. In Japan, the average shelter purifier designed for six people sells for 620,000 yen ($5,630) and one for 13 people costs 1.7 million yen ($15,440).
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If the power goes out, the bunker's owner can operate the air purifier manually, as Nishimoto demonstrates below.
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Many small companies in Japan selling custom underground nuclear shelters tell Reuters they have seen a jump in sales in recent weeks. Oribe Seiki Seisakusho said it usually gets six shelter-building orders annually, but received eight orders in April alone.
Sales of air purifiers in Japan have also skyrocketed recently. In late April, Oribe Seiki Seisakusho sold out of 50 Swiss-made air purifiers, which the company claims can keep out radiation and poisonous gas.
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If Nishimoto needs to escape the bunker, there's a small exit accessible via a narrow ladder that leads outside.
Japan is not the only place with a growing prepper communities. The US, UK, and Australia also have a number of groups that promote self-reliance.
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