TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan will construct its first extended-stay civilian shelter on Yonaguni Island by 2027, part of a push to strengthen civil defense near Taiwan, Nikkei Asia reported Monday.

The shelter, designed to house up to 200 people for around two weeks, will be built underground in a new office building and equipped with showers, cooking, and laundry facilities. During normal times, the space will serve as a parking lot and conference room.

Construction is set to begin in 2026. The Yonaguni project will serve as a model for additional shelters to follow on nearby islands, including Ishigaki and Tarama, part of Okinawa Prefecture.

Yonaguni lies just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, and Japan views the island as strategically vital. The US has warned that China may have the capability to invade Taiwan by 2027, prompting Tokyo to accelerate its civil protection plans.

The Japanese government has two civilian shelter models in development. One is a short-term plan using reinforced existing buildings for brief refuge during missile attacks. The other, still in progress, is tailored to remote islands where evacuation may not be feasible.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has emphasized the need for national preparedness, citing regional threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. China’s growing nuclear arsenal and advances in hypersonic missiles have further fueled Japan’s urgency.

Beyond shelter construction, Japan has strengthened its military posture in the southwest. Japan’s army has established camps on Yonaguni, Miyako, and Ishigaki since 2016, with another on Amami Oshima added in 2019.

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has made civil defense a campaign priority ahead of July’s upper house elections, pledging to work with local governments to improve evacuation planning and build a nationwide network of shelters.