Bureaucrats don¡¯t want Japan to get caught with its pants down the next time toilet paper supplies run short after a natural disaster.

That¡¯s why the government is rolling out its latest public-awareness campaign, titled ¡°Let¡¯s Stockpile Toilet Paper,¡± which involves an exhibition on the topic at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, a summit of industry leaders and the sale of specially packaged ¡°emergency use¡± toilet tissue.

The campaign, conducted in cooperation with the Japan Household Paper Industry Association, is part of METI¡¯s ¡°toilet paper supply continuity plan,¡± which was devised in response to shortages after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as well as to the outright hoarding that occurred during the oil shock of the 1970s.