In a meeting at the prime minister's office, the officials also suggested to the prefectural leaders that they may leave room for local governments to make their own decisions concerning the evacuation of residents.

The legislation, expected to be enacted during the regular Diet session next year, is aimed at spelling out the role of local governments in the event of an attack on Japan by a foreign country or a comparable emergency.

In the first direct dialogue between central and prefectural leaders on the matter, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, who heads a panel tasked with preparing the legislation, asked the governors to play an important role in protecting the lives and assets of residents.

Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba said, "It is difficult to imagine a landing by an invasion force, but we must take into consideration the threats posed by terrorists, guerrillas and missile attacks."

From the local leaders, Ishikawa Gov. Masanori Tanimoto sought a proviso that would allow the prefecture to act when suspicious ships are spotted off its coastline, while others emphasized the need to guard against biological and chemical weapons and cyber-terrorism.

Calls by some of the governors for a system in which the police and Self-Defense Forces (SDF) can act jointly when evacuating residents were effectively rejected by cabinet members.

"The SDF is the only group that can fight against the enemy, so they cannot devote themselves 100% to lifesaving activities as they do during natural disasters," Ishiba said.

Toranosuke Katayama, minister of public management, home affairs, posts and telecommunications, also said that municipal governments, local fire departments and neighborhood associations should take the lead in evacuating residents.

"We are considering leaving room for localities to decide for themselves without waiting for instructions from the central (government)," Katayama added.

Among other requests by governors, Fukui's Issei Nishikawa asked the state to set up a panel of experts to discuss how to deal with attacks on nuclear reactors.

The prefectural leaders also requested arrangements for emergency-preparedness training, the building of roads to be used during an evacuation and a system of communication for when an emergency situation involves multiple prefectures.

The government is considering submitting the civilian protection bill to the Diet together with three other bills dealing with military attacks, including one that stipulates the provision of logistical support to the U.S. military.