Approximately 74% of municipalities in Japan have yet to conduct investigations into road cavities, according to a recent report. It is a common practice to inspect roads for safety, particularly for potentially dangerous voids or 'sinkholes' underneath the surface. The lack of such inspections has raised public concern about road safety and potential accidents. Currently, the reasons for this large-scale absence of inspections remain unclear, sparking calls for increased transparency and urgent action.

In Japan, road safety is a major concern, particularly in urban areas with heavy traffic. A significant part of this involves ensuring the stability and integrity of road infrastructures, including routine checks for subsurface cavities. The news that a large number of municipalities haven’t conducted these investigations has understandably caused concern among the public, and calls on the moral and legal responsibility of municipalities to ensure public safety.

In the US and EU, municipalities are usually responsible for road maintenance and safety, including inspecting and treating potentially hazardous road conditions such as sinkholes. Regulatory guidelines, procedures, and responsibilities are often more clearly defined and consistently executed than what appears to be happening in Japan currently.