While the risks may seem exaggerated to some, Tokyo faces real vulnerabilities to catastrophic events that leave it wide open to a Carrington Event, EMP attack, or pandemic. A Carrington Event (a powerful solar storm) or an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack would devastate Tokyo. Either event would disable GPS, electronics, communications, and the electrical grid, causing widespread disruption. A Carrington Event is probable within this century, as is the risk of an EMP attack from nations like China or North Korea.¹² Additionally, Tokyo remains exposed to the threat of a natural or man-made pandemic caused by a highly virulent and contagious pathogen. Such a pandemic would devastate the city.³
Footnotes
1. “A Solar Threat from the Past: Could We Survive the Next One?” NASA Space News. Link
2. “The Danger of EMP Requires Innovative and Strategic Action.” The Heritage Foundation. Link
3. “Big Data Drives Japan’s Pandemic Response Strategies.” Nature. Link