Japanese PM Obuchi To Suggest Food Stockpile For Y2K

Updated 7:35 AM ET September 14, 1999

TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi will recommend that all Japanese stockpile several days' worth of food and water as a precaution against any millennium bug problems as the country enters the New Year, Japanese media said Tuesday.

Obuchi is expected to make the appeal late in October, Kyodo news agency quoted government sources as saying.

The government is also going to emphasize moves such as checking balances in bank accounts prior to December 31 this year, the sources were quoted as saying.

So far the government has been cautious about making such recommendations out of fear it would spark public concern about the issue.

But Japanese are likely to be unfazed by any potential problems during the several days directly after December 31.

Not only do many already keep supplies of food and water on hand in case of an earthquake, most stock up on basic goods prior to the New Year's holiday anyway, since virtually all stores are closed for four days around that time.

The millennium bug or Year 2000 problem could cause many older computers to read the year 2000 as 1900, causing them to produce incorrect data or shut down.

In a sign of Japan's potential readiness, test flights by Japan's three major airlines simulating the start of the new millennium went off without a hitch and proved the aviation industry is set to cope with the Year 2000 problem, officials said Tuesday.

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Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), September 14, 1999

Answers

Link, please!

-- y2kmayhem (y2kmayhem@hotmail.com), September 14, 1999.

Here's the Link

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), September 14, 1999.

The government recently had newspapers run large public service ads encouraging greater 'earthquake' preparations - take cover, don't run outside and... store more food and water!!! I think this earthquake story is better than the bland "prepare for a 3-day winter storm" story being told in the U.S. How many 3-day storms do Southern Californians' remember?

-- PNG (png@gol.com), September 14, 1999.