Japan's Ministry of Land announced last week that it will develop an enclosed lifeboat in which it says coastal residents could ride out a massive tsunami.
According to the ministry's Shikoku bureau, the vessel will accommodate 25 people and measure about 6.5 metres in length with a beam of 2.3 metres and weighing 2.5 tonnes.
The craft will feature a structure to protect the passengers from expected severe swaying.
Under the plan, a prototype will be developed by January and completed by the end of March after tests, including trials at sea.
Starting next fiscal year, the bureau will urge private-sector firms to manufacture vessels based on the prototype and encourage purchases by local governments. The cost is estimated at several million yen apiece.
Source: The Nikkei
