SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Japan has more than 400 small, inhabited islands that are uniquely exposed to the risks of natural disasters.

In the event of a major earthquake, the islands' inherent isolation and, for some, remote locations make the delivery of emergency supplies and other aid in the aftermath of tsunami and other calamities a big challenge.

While authorities at national and municipal levels are striving to raise awareness of the need for individuals to be ready and able to help themselves and others, some took matters into their own hands after the 2011 earthquake that devastated the northeast's Tohoku region.

The Urato Islands in Matsushima Bay in the region demonstrate how island communities can support themselves during crises. In 2011, the residents of the four inhabited islets minimized casualties by working together after the earthquake and tsunami, with little government assistance.

After the disaster, self-sufficiency on the islands in Miyagi Prefecture proved critical as there were only three deaths from some 600 inhabitants, despite half of the houses being destroyed or swept away.

A tsunami estimated at 8.5 meters reached Katsurashima, the most populated of the four islands, and firefighters and other rescuers reportedly forced elderly people who were unwilling to evacuate to relocate to shelters.

As support from outside could not be expected, islanders voluntarily and independently managed the shelter, which housed some 240 people at one point.

They gathered available food from their homes to make up for shortages and set up temporary toilets. In addition, they formed 10-person groups to provide security around the clock.

Islanders also operated heavy machinery to remove debris from roads and arranged the shipment of medicines from Japan's main island of Honshu by asking residents what was needed.

Efforts to sustain the community without the help of public authorities continued until the completion of temporary homes for displaced people.

Even with such displays of resilience, experts stress the importance of discussing disaster readiness in advance of any incident.

A tsunami of some 30 meters in height struck Okushiri Island in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido within two to three minutes after the 1993 Hokkaido southwest-offshore earthquake. The tsunami warning was not issued in time and 198 people were killed. A large fire also broke out, destroying the Aonae district in the southern part of the island.

"As roads and the seaport were damaged, the delivery of goods was delayed," recalled Akira Mitsushima, a senior official of the Okushiri town office who experienced the earthquake.

The seaport was damaged, meaning large vessels could not dock and land-based search and rescue operations had to be conducted without heavy equipment since bulldozers and other heavy equipment could not be landed. The delivery of food and water to people was also delayed.

Last August, a team of officials from Mie in central Japan visited Okushiri Island to learn about disaster preparedness from those who experienced the quake firsthand.

They did so due to the likelihood of a major earthquake causing widespread damage to the prefecture that sits on the dangerous Nankai Trough -- an ocean-floor trench along the Pacific coast where the Eurasian and Philippine Sea tectonic plates meet.

There are six inhabited remote islands in Mie, including Kamishima, located in Ise Bay.

Kamishima is forecast to be hit by a tsunami of up to 27 meters in the event of a Nankai Trough quake. However, the island's population of 270 is not protected by seawalls.

The island, which is part of the city of Toba, a popular tourist destination, is accessible only by boat and helicopter.

The municipal government is making efforts to improve the situation by organizing food storage and portable toilets as part of disaster readiness and mitigation measures. But there are no city officials stationed there.

Stopping short of admitting the reality that islanders will largely be on their own during a disaster, a Toba official said, "We want islanders to have a strong sense of disaster awareness."

Naohiro Go, a professor at the Tohoku University of Community Service and Science and an expert on regional anti-disaster measures, listed some significant risk factors for islands and their residents in a disaster.

"There are many unoccupied homes that will easily collapse and the maintenance and management of evacuation routes is difficult due to the advanced ages of the islanders," Go said.

He stressed the importance of administrative initiatives, among other efforts, to "establish a forum for continuous discussions among islanders" regarding disaster relief and mitigation efforts, such as evacuation methods and the maintenance of shelters.

(By Junpei Yamada)