Missiles boost Japan's market for nuclear bunkers

TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) Hiroyuki Mogi heaves open a thick concrete door to reveal a basement room lined with cans of food and bottles of water along with beds, an air filter and a laptop computer.

Like a growing number of Japanese alarmed by the threat of North Korean missiles, Mogi has made his own arrangements to protect himself and his family in case a nuclear bomb should land on Japan.

The government employee from Hino, western Tokyo, said in an interview he had packed enough food to feed his family of four for 10 days into a nuclear shelter in his basement, which is built to withstand temperatures of 1,500 Celsius.

''Since we have a neighbour like North Korea, we as individuals can't avoid shouldering the cost,'' said Mogi, 44. ''Having a shelter at home gives us peace of mind.'' Phones have been ringing constantly at precision machinery manufacturer Oribe-Seiki Co, which markets nuclear shelters like Mogi's, since Pyongyang fired off seven missiles last Wednesday.

North Korea has claimed to have nuclear weapons.

Oribe-Seiki, based in Kobe in western Japan, has fitted 80 private homes with nuclear bunkers since North Korea's 1998 launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific.

The deluxe shelter under Mogi's log-cabin-style house cost him more than 100,000 dollars, but smaller versions start at 20,000 dollars, the company said.

The cool underground space is not sitting empty while Mogi waits for disaster to strike. His 10-year-old daughter says she beds down there when Tokyo's summer heat makes it hard to sleep.

REUTERS SY RS1147