Earthquakes in Japan can strike without warning at any time of the year, day or night. As an island nation on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is particularly prone to earthquakes. However, Japan is also one of the best-prepared countries in the event of a megaquake. This comprehensive Japan earthquake survival guide provides crucial information on Japan’s earthquake preparedness for foreign residents, especially following recent announcements from Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
This article offers practical advice for any foreign resident seeking guidance on how to prepare for an earthquake in Japan and what to expect in the aftermath of a megaquake. As a foreign resident, you may be less prepared than the average Japanese person, who has been learning disaster preparedness since school days. However, the more educated we are, the more confident we will be in dealing with emergencies. Remember, TELL Japan provides a confidential mental health phone line for English speakers in Japan (03-5774-0992), with calls free on Mobal voice SIMs/eSIMs.
Did You Know?
September 1st is known as ‘Bosai no Hi’ or ‘Disaster Prevention Day’ to commemorate the anniversary of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. On this day, many schools and companies conduct emergency earthquake drills to promote earthquake preparedness in Japan.
Your Mobile Phone & Emergency Apps
During the 2011 earthquake in Japan and subsequent tsunami in Fukushima, most Japanese residents relied primarily on voice calls, which had mixed results. To enhance communication in future disasters, several English-language emergency apps were developed to improve Japan earthquake preparedness.
Regardless of whether you use an app, your phone will emit a high-pitched alert from the Japan Meteorological Agency’s Earthquake Early Warning system just seconds before a major earthquake in Japan. However, this system isn’t perfect and has had some false alarms.
Why Seconds Matter During an Earthquake
Seconds count during a megaquake. Many Japanese residents keep shoes next to their beds to protect their feet from broken glass if an alarm sounds. It’s crucial to find a safe place to take shelter immediately. Those precious few seconds can prevent injuries and help slow down high-speed trains to avoid derailments.
To improve your Japan earthquake preparedness, download these essential emergency apps before you arrive in Japan:
Yurekuru Call – this app sounds an alarm seconds before an earthquake and is believed to be more reliable than the above JMA phone alert. Users can change the alarm sound (which is useful as the official alarms are quite unnerving and can be listened to here– please use headphones to avoid causing upset). This app also allows you to customise notifications based on the seismic intensity of an earthquake. It’s also a visually appealing app with an interactive map of Japan tracking all earthquakes in Japan and uses a catfish symbol from Japanese mythology which might be a good icebreaker for parents planning to install an app in their family members’ phones.
Website: https://www.rcsc.co.jp/yurekuru-sp-en
Language: English, Japanese
Cost: Free
Japan Shelter – this app helps you locate your nearest shelter of which Japan has over 100,000 fitted with toilet and water facilities. Japan Shelter also broadcasts emergency radio and communicates disaster information in English.
Website: http://www.hinanjyo.jp/
Language: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Cost: Free
Safety Tips – this app sends alerts for any earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 4 or more. The ‘Useful Phrases’ section is really useful for non-Japanese speakers who might need to find a place to charge their phone or connect to WiFi
Website: https://www.jnto.go.jp/safety-tips/eng/app.html
Language: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Cost: Free
MyMizu – this app is strictly speaking not designed solely for emergencies but it does provide a map to free water refill points across Japan, it is useful for everyone. Only available for iPhone users
Website: https://www.mymizu.co/
Language: English, Japanese
Cost: Free
Disaster Preparedness Tokyo App – created for Tokyo residents, this app is useful for anyone living in Japan. Learn to prepare for an emergency via various in-app tasks. Users can also download offline emergency maps using this app and has the option to pre-register people you wish to be notified in the event of an emergency.
Website: http://www.bousai.metro.tokyo.jp/foreign/english/taisaku/2001964/index.html
Platform: iOS, Android
Language: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Cost: Free
Japan Earthquake Survival Tips:
No Electricity
In the event of a megaquake and assuming your home is safe to stay in, you will need at least 3-4 days’ supply of food and water for each person. Food stored in your fridge or freezer will be of little use after the first 8 hours or so without electricity, so there is a need to plan ahead to ensure your Japan earthquake preparedness.
If it’s dark when an earthquake in Japan strikes, the flashlight function on your phone is your first option. Although some Japanese homes are equipped with small dim night lights that work in an emergency, we recommend preparing a flashlight or LED lantern for such emergencies.
Amazon Japan and similar online merchants sell emergency radios with built-in solar-powered (or hand-cranked) flashlights that can also double up as phone chargers, which is also a piece of equipment that could be used on camping trips.
Of course, it’s possible that any power outage may only affect one or more rooms, so check if lights work in other rooms, if there are lights outside, and if vending machines are dark or lit up.
Falling Things
Your head or neck are most vulnerable to injury as items in your home might fall off shelves or from the ceiling during an earthquake in Japan. Having a helmet is a must, and many Japanese families keep their bicycle helmets close by for just that reason. The alternative is to use a bag or rucksack.
Know Your Evacuation Route
For better Japan earthquake preparedness, you should already know the location of the nearest evacuation shelter, and family members should have considered how to walk from work or school to home. Here’s a fascinating article in Japanese that highlights the story of one man’s 40-kilometer walk home in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake in Japan. Some of his first actions almost constitute an emergency plan in their own right—here is what he did first:
- Withdrew cash from an ATM
- Purchased a paper map
- Snacks for energy
- Battery-powered mobile phone charger
- Water
(He already had a backpack)
Offline Solutions
Like the man in the above article, it makes sense to prepare for a few days of living offline. Storing your family and friends’ phone numbers in written format in your home emergency kit along with emergency contacts is a simple yet easy-to-overlook task. Passports and bank details, along with cash, make sense too. And that brings us to another overlooked and easy-to-overcome challenge—toilets!
Emergency Toilets
A survey taken among those affected by the 2011 earthquake asked how many hours they needed to use the toilet after the earthquake to which 70% of respondents replied within 6 hours. Assuming water has been disrupted by the earthquake there is a high possibility that flush toilets won’t work. The solution? Emergency toilets.
Single-use toilets are available from as little as 100 yen from Japan’s famous chain store Daiso. However, with a little preparation and a little more help from Daiso in the form of 30 litre rubbish bags, it is possible to prepare an emergency toilet solution to last for several days like this video shows.Failing that, Amazon Japan and similar merchants offer a wide variety of choice.
Did You Know?
- Yoshinoya’s beef bowls (known as ‘Gyudon’) are popular among Japan’s foreign residents. After the 2024 Noto earthquake in Japan, the company’s e-commerce site saw a spike in traffic. Even in an emergency, it seems people wanted their favorite food—albeit the canned, long-life version! See more.
- Most Japanese cook at home and outdoors using a portable gas burner known as a ‘Konro’. Make this item part of your daily life in Japan. Very useful in the event of no gas or electricity. Explore options.
- Most emergency rations in Japan expire after 3 years. Every year new companies enter the market, like this one that offers emergency food products with a 7-to-10-year shelf life. Find out more.
- Japan is famous for cup noodles. In an emergency, you can make noodles by simply adding room temperature water and waiting 20 minutes approx. This is the method of choice for many Japanese during the hot summer.
At Work – What to Expect?
Most Japanese companies organize evacuation drills for their workforce, and it certainly forms part of Mobal’s onboarding process for all new employees. Knowing how to use the fire escape stairs and a fire extinguisher are core elements of Japan earthquake preparedness. Mobal also provides each employee with this Disaster Prevention Kit as well as stockpiling long-life water and food for such emergencies.
Your Earthquake Emergency Kit Checklist
- A flashlight & FM Radio (possibly combined)
- Batteries
- Mobile Phone battery charger
- First-Aid Kit
- Blankets
- Rainwear
- Important Documents (passports, health insurance cards, phone numbers, etc.)
- Emergency Toilet
- Map – Emergency Maps of Tokyo with suggested walking routes available in Japanese from online retailers such as Amazon Japan might be useful in the absence of an English language option.
- Can opener
- Plastic wrap – can be used to line food bowls to avoid using water to wash up and can also be used to dress wounds or burns.
- Wet Tissues
- And of course…food & drink!
Emergency Food & Drink
In a large earthquake in Japan, logistics may cease to function. Supermarkets and convenience stores, if open, will soon run out of necessary supplies. The Japanese government recommends its citizens stockpile water, food, and other necessities for at least 3 days, but ideally enough for one week. Tokyo’s Metropolitan Government runs a similar campaign encouraging people to get into the habit of ‘daily stockpiling’ as seen in this slightly odd campaign video. Mobal has compiled a sample list for 2 adults for 1 week in an emergency.
Emergency Food Preparation List for 2 Adults (1 Week)
Water and Beverages
- Bottled Water: 2L x 24 bottles (approx. 3L per person per day)
- Tea and Soft Drinks: Stock in plastic bottles or cans
Cooking Supplies
- Portable Stove x 1
- Gas Cartridges x 12 (less than 1 cartridge per person per day)
Staple Foods
- Rice: 2kg x 2 bags (approx. 75g per person per meal)
- Instant Noodles:
- 2 bags of somen (300g/bag)
- 2 bags of pasta (600g/bag)
- Cup Noodles x 6 cups
- Precooked Rice Pack x 6 packs
- Others: Breakfast cereal, long-life milk, etc.
Main Dishes (Protein)
- Vacuum-Packed Food: 18 items (e.g., precooked beef bowls, curry)
- Pasta Sauce x 6 packs
- Canned Food: 18 cans (of your preference)
Side Dishes and Others (As Needed)
- Vegetables: Long-lasting types (e.g., onions, potatoes)
- Juices and Fruits: Vegetable juice, fruit juice, dried fruits
- Condiments: Salt, sugar, soy sauce, noodle soup base
- Soup: Instant miso soup, other soups
- Snacks: Chocolates, biscuits, etc.