As the capital of Japan, Tokyo is the political and economic center of the country and the vibrant city attracts people from all over the world. However, the changing city faces the ever-present risk of a major earthquake in the southern Kanto region, as well as fires, disasters, floods, and even terrorism.

With this social background, the Tokyo Fire Department is actively taking fire prevention measures and building a comprehensive firefighting structure in preparation for large-scale disasters; improving its rescue capabilities to meet the increasing demand; strengthening fire prevention measures at company offices; and encouraging home-owners to install fire alarms. Looking forward to hosting the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2016, we are also reinforcing the fire and disaster prevention measures as the foundation of safety and security in Tokyo.

The Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008 will be held on the theme of enhancing the safety of Tokyo through the united efforts of residents, companies, and government. The exhibition is being jointly organized by Tokyo Big Sight, Inc. and the Executive Committee of Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008.

The objective of the exhibition is to share the latest disaster prevention technologies and information with a global audience, and to enable visitors to exchange information and interact with each other. To succeed, mutual cooperation with firms having leading-edge scientific and technical knowledge is indispensable. I sincerely hope that related industries will participate in this exhibition to contribute to the development of industry and the safety and security of society.

In addition, the 60th General Conference of Fire Chiefs’ Association of Japan, the 25th General Conference of the International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia, and the 11th Congress of Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine will be held in conjunction with the exhibition. Many people involved in firefighting and disaster prevention from Japan and abroad will converge for this so-called “Firefighting and Disaster Prevention Summit” at Tokyo Big Sight, thus generating excellent new market opportunities.

I sincerely hope that the Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008 will further the development of the fire and disaster prevention industry as well as a safe, secure, and disaster resistant society.

We look forward to your participation.

Within this urban environment, spreading the latest technology and knowledge will greatly strengthen the disaster preparedness of metropolitan Tokyo. This requires participation by private organizations and companies, which have a major role to play.

Disaster prevention is a highly public concern, and it is therefore the duty of everyone in Tokyo to actively contribute to building a safe and secure city. This is why the Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008 Executive Committee was set up to support this exhibition.

I ask for the help of all of you in making the Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008 a means for making Tokyo safer and more secure.

Tokyo Big Sight, Inc. will be working together with the Tokyo Fire Department to hold the Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008. This exhibition was first held in 1982 as the Tokyo International Disaster Response Exhibition by the Tokyo International Trade Fair Commission, the forerunner of Tokyo Big Sight, Inc. It has been held eight times to date and has been jointly sponsored by the Tokyo Fire Department since 1994. The exhibition has become famous for the many products, technologies, and services relating to fire and disaster prevention exhibited in one location and for the diverse range of visitors: firefighting and disaster prevention people, government officials responsible for disaster prevention, business representatives, and the general public from Japan and around the world. This reflects the importance of fire and disaster prevention not only for the government and companies but also for the general public.

Since the last exhibition was held in 2003, there has been a growing need for new technologies to address the increasingly diverse types of disasters that include Business Continuation Plans and terrorism countermeasures, as well as responses to natural disasters such as earthquakes, torrential rainfall, and tornados. The government, industry, and individuals have a broad range of roles to play in fire and disaster prevention, and will become increasingly important.

The purpose of this exhibition is to provide information and promote the exchange of products and technologies to achieve public assistance, mutual assistance, and self-help. As the organizer, we are planning to attract even more visitors than last time through closer cooperation between the co-organizers and related organizations.

I sincerely hope that organizations will actively participate in this exhibition in line with its objectives.

The Tokyo International Fire and Safety Exhibition 2008 will be held to improve the safety and security of Tokyo, one of the world’s leading international cities; to increase the awareness and disaster countermeasures by residents; to promote related technologies and industries; and to encourage better measures by the government.

Today, Tokyo faces a variety of risks ranging from major earthquakes to accidents in daily life, and is urgently developing measures to counter the consequences of such risks. Residents of Tokyo and the general public are highly concerned about the risks and are keenly monitoring the actions being taken to respond to these risks and mitigate the potential damage. In addition, we are striving to improve awareness and the ability to respond in the spirit of self-help and mutual aid while receiving guidance from related organizations.