What to do during an earthquake or typhoon in Japan
Protect yourself during shaking, respond to tsunami warnings and handle transport disruption during a typhoon.
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10-second answer
What to do right now
During strong shaking, protect your head and do not rush outside. During a typhoon, avoid unnecessary travel and follow official warnings, accommodation staff and transport operators.
Install the government-supervised Safety Tips app, save your accommodation address and evacuation route offline, and keep your phone charged.
2
Protect yourself first
During shaking, stay away from windows, protect your head and follow staff instructions. If you are near the coast and a tsunami warning is issued, move immediately to higher ground or a designated evacuation place.
3
Do not force a disrupted journey
During a typhoon, check your airline and transport operator before leaving shelter. Delay the trip when services are suspended or officials advise people not to travel.
Useful Japanese phrase
Where is the nearest evacuation area?
一番近い避難場所はどこですか？
Ichiban chikai hinan basho wa doko desu ka?
!
Quick answer: deal with the danger before the itinerary
Typhoon now: stay in a safe building, check the official warning for your location and confirm your exact service before leaving. Shaking now: protect your head, move away from glass and do not rush outside.
Choose the problem happening now
What should I do right now?
A typhoon or heavy rain is disrupting today’s trip
Stay inside a safe building and ask accommodation staff whether your area has an evacuation instruction.
Check the JMA multilingual warning page for your location.
Check your exact airline, railway or bus operator. Do not go to the terminal just to see whether it is running.
Keep or extend a safe place to stay, then rebook through the company that issued the ticket.
An earthquake is shaking or an alert just sounded
Protect your head and move away from windows, shelves, signs and other falling objects.
Do not rush outside, crowd an exit or use an elevator. Follow staff instructions.
Near the coast, leave for higher ground after strong or long shaking or when a tsunami warning is issued.
Wait for official information before resuming travel.
Weather alerts in 2026
What do Japan's alert levels mean for you?
JMA now includes alert-level numbers in its heavy-rain, flood, landslide and storm-surge warnings. Your municipality issues evacuation instructions for specific places. Check both the weather warning and the local instruction; the same city can contain very different flood and landslide risks.
Level 2Check the local hazard map, hotel exit and a safe route before the weather deteriorates.
Level 3People who need longer to evacuate should leave dangerous areas. Others should prepare and consider leaving early.
Level 4People in the affected danger area should evacuate. Do not wait for a Level 5 alert or an English translation.
Level 5Danger may already be occurring. Take the safest action possible where you are; travelling through floodwater may be more dangerous than moving to a safer upper floor.
A numbered JMA warning is weather information; a municipal evacuation notice tells people in the specified area what to do. If a road outside is flooded, a slope is failing or strong winds make a route unsafe, do not force an outdoor evacuation—ask staff or emergency services for the safest immediate option.
Before anything happens
Prepare these five things offline
1Official alerts
Install Safety Tips and allow notifications. Save the JMA multilingual page.
2Your accommodation
Save its Japanese name, address, phone number and nearest station.
3Evacuation route
Check the hotel exit map and ask where to go for a tsunami, flood or building evacuation.
4Power and communication
Charge your phone and power bank. Save essential tickets and contacts as screenshots.
5Essential items
Keep shoes, passport, medicine, water and a small light where you can reach them.
Earthquake Early Warning or shaking
What to do immediately
1Stay calm and protect your headCrouch beside sturdy furniture when practical. Move away from windows, shelves, signs and anything that can fall.
2Do not rush outside or use an elevatorFalling glass and signs can make exits dangerous. Follow hotel, station or vehicle staff.
3On public transport, hold onTrains may stop for inspection. Do not force doors or enter the tracks. Wait for crew instructions.
4After the shaking, check for a tsunami warningIf you are near the coast or a river mouth and a warning is issued, move immediately to higher ground or a designated tsunami evacuation place.
Typhoon, heavy rain or strong wind
Change the plan early
1Check warnings before leavingUse JMA, your local government, accommodation and the relevant transport operator—not social media rumors.
2Move travel earlier or laterAirlines and railways may announce planned suspensions. Do not wait until the last service if a major disruption is forecast.
3Stay away from exposed placesAvoid coasts, rivers, slopes, underpasses and flooded roads. Indoors, keep away from windows during extreme wind.
4Follow evacuation instructions promptlyAsk accommodation staff if you do not understand a municipal alert. Do not wait for English information if staff direct everyone to evacuate.
A tsunami warning means leave the coast now
Do not go to the shore to watch, photograph or collect belongings. Move on foot when practical to higher ground or a designated tsunami evacuation building, and remain away until authorities say it is safe.
When trains or flights stop
Do not travel to the terminal without a confirmed service
1Check the operator directlyLook at the airline, railway, airport or bus operator’s official service page for your exact route.
2Keep a safe place to stayAsk the hotel whether you can extend your room or store luggage before joining a crowded station.
3Rebook through the sellerContact the airline, railway or booking service that issued the ticket. Keep cancellation notices and receipts for insurance.
4Rebuild the route only after service resumesA ticket for one operator may not work on another. Confirm validity before boarding an alternative.
Already at a station or airport?
Move out of crowds and keep emergency exits clear. Use the operator’s official website or app instead of relying only on the departure board. If there is no confirmed departure, ask staff where you may wait safely and contact your accommodation before rooms sell out.
My hotel says to evacuate, but the JMA page has no English notice. Should I wait?
No. Ask staff which hazard and destination the local order covers, take your essentials and follow the on-site direction if the route is safe. Local evacuation instructions can be more specific than a national English summary.
My train or flight still appears on my ticket. Can I set out?
A booking confirms a reservation, not that the service will operate. Check the operating company's live status for the exact service, then check the local weather and the route to the terminal. Do not travel through a dangerous area to protect a ticket.
Can I walk through a flooded underpass to a shelter?
No. Floodwater hides depth, current, open drains and electrical hazards. Do not enter it. Ask hotel or station staff about a safer route or a safer place inside the current building.
What can I show staff if I cannot explain the warning in Japanese?
Show your phone screen and say この場所の避難指示は出ていますか。安全な避難先はどこですか。 (“Is there an evacuation instruction for this place? Where is a safe place to go?”). Give your hotel address so staff can check the correct municipality.
119Ambulance or fire when an immediate response is needed.Call 119
110Police for a crime, serious accident or immediate threat.Call 110
050-3816-2787JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline for traveler assistance. It is not an emergency dispatch number.Call the hotline
Safety guidance and the 2026 alert system reviewed against JMA, Japan Tourism Agency and JNTO on September 21, 2026. The holiday dates come from the Cabinet Office; the dated local outlook comes from Minato City and the transport outlook from JR East. Always follow the latest warning, local evacuation instruction and on-site staff directions for your exact location.
Useful links
Check official alerts and prepare for disruption
Official resources come first. Links open in a new tab.
