What to do in an earthquake or typhoon in Japan: a visitor's guide

Hotel room or other building: Protect your head and shelter under a table. Don't rush outside.

In a lift: Stop the lift at the nearest floor and get out at once.

On a train, shinkansen or subway: Hold on tight to a strap or handrail. If the train stops between stations, follow the crew's instructions and don't try to force your way out.

Station, shop or crowded venue: Follow staff instructions and don't rush for the exit. Watch above and around you for things that could fall.

Outside in town: Watch out for collapsing concrete-block walls, falling signs and broken glass.

Driving: Don't brake suddenly. Turn on your hazard lights, then slow down gently. If you feel shaking while still moving, pull over safely to the left and stop.

Beach, harbour or river mouth: If shaking is strong, or weak but long, go to high ground or a tsunami evacuation building now. Don't return until warnings are lifted.

Typhoon forecast for your area: Check trains, flights and hotel the day before. Stay indoors at the peak; move only once operators confirm services.

Sources: JMA's earthquake early warning leaflet and tsunami guidance, and Tokyo Metro's safety guide.

Sources for this section: JMA, Earthquake Early Warning leaflet (English) · JMA, tsunami warnings and advisories (English) · Tokyo Metro, safety pocket guide, earthquakes (English)

Safety Tips: a free app supervised by the Japan Tourism Agency, in 15 languages. It pushes earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings and special weather warnings; its App Store listing adds volcanic, heat-illness and civil protection alerts. It also has an evacuation flowchart and phrase cards to show people. Open it once, pick your language, allow notifications and turn on automatic location (or add the places you'll visit, up to five). It only alerts for the locations set, and for earthquakes expected to reach intensity 4 or more there.

NHK World-Japan: the public broadcaster's free app sends earthquake, tsunami and emergency weather alerts in 11 languages, and its 24-hour English channel covers large events.

JMA multilingual pages (data.jma.go.jp/multi): current warnings and earthquake, tsunami and volcano information in 15 languages.

Japan Safe Travel (@JapanSafeTravel on X): JNTO's disaster and transport updates for visitors.

Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787 (+81-50-3816-2787 from abroad), 24 hours in English, Chinese and Korean. It helps in disasters but doesn't dispatch ambulances; for 119 and 110 see Japan emergency numbers and visitor help.

Phones on a Japanese carrier's SIM also get network alerts: carrier au says its earthquake alerts are free, use a dedicated alarm and on some models add a voice saying "Jishin desu" ("Earthquake"). au also notes that, because of network differences, an alert can reach au phones but not other carriers' phones. We found no official guidance on whether phones on a foreign SIM or roaming receive these alerts, so don't count on it: rely on Safety Tips, which works on any phone with data.

Sources for this section: Japan Tourism Agency, disaster information tools for visitors (Safety Tips, Japan Visitor Hotline, Japan Safe Travel, NHK World-Japan) · Safety Tips app page (JNTO/JTA) · Safety Tips, App Store listing · NHK World-Japan app listing · JMA, multilingual disaster information · KDDI (au), earthquake early warning on au phones (Japanese)

JMA issues an earthquake early warning (kinkyū jishin sokuhō) when at least two seismic stations detect a quake and JMA expects intensity 5-lower or stronger somewhere (the level at which noticeable damage begins), or strong long-period shaking that sways tall buildings. It names every area expected to get intensity 4 or more. By law NHK must broadcast it at once, so TV and radio interrupt programmes. Radio broadcasts of the warning start with NHK's distinctive chime, which many commercial stations also use, and Japanese phones sound their alarm.

You get seconds, not minutes. Enough to get under a table or away from a window, not to leave the building.

Near the epicentre it may arrive with or after the shaking. If the ground is moving, act anyway.

The broadcast warning gives no countdown or local intensity. It just says "strong shaking", because JMA's estimates can be about one level out. Countdowns in some apps are rough estimates.

JMA's advice is the same in every case: stay calm and protect yourself first, according to where you are.

Sources for this section: JMA, earthquake early warning issuance criteria and legal provisions, incl. NHK's duty to broadcast (Japanese) · JMA, earthquake early warning limitations (Japanese) · JMA, Earthquake Early Warning leaflet (English) · JMA, guidance for EEW-detecting radios (NHK chime at the start of radio broadcasts) (Japanese)

Expect more earthquakes. JMA advises watching for quakes as large as the first for about a week, especially in the first two or three days. Keep shoes and your phone by the bed.

At your hotel, wait for announcements, follow staff and don't use the lifts until told they are safe. JNTO notes some hotels and inns also take in evacuees; ask about your accommodation's plan.

Evacuation signs. An evacuation area (hinan basho) is for immediate safety, such as a park, high ground or tsunami tower. An evacuation shelter (hinanjo) is usually a school or community centre where people can stay. Each is designated for particular hazards, and signs under the national standard JIS Z9098 show which (tsunami, flood, landslide, large fire). A site that is fine for an earthquake may not be safe from a tsunami, so read the sign.

In Tokyo, don't set off on foot straight away. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government asks people to stay at a safe location and "refrain from heading home all at once": crowds block emergency vehicles, and long walks right after a big quake are dangerous.

Trains stop, then restart after inspections. Shinkansen seismometers, including some on the seabed, trigger emergency stops (JR East). After a strong quake, inspections can take hours. On the coast, stay on high ground until the tsunami warning is cancelled; JMA warns waves can keep coming.

Sources for this section: JMA, earthquake activity after a large earthquake (Japanese) · JNTO, Safety tips for travelers (disaster tips, shelters, tsunami) · Cabinet Office (Bousai), disaster-type evacuation signs, JIS Z9098 (Japanese) · Tokyo Metropolitan Government, disaster preparedness guide, stranded persons (English) · JR East, Shinkansen earthquake detection with seabed seismometers (Japanese) · JMA, tsunami warnings and advisories (English)

On JMA's 1991–2020 averages, about 11.7 typhoons a year come within 300 km of a Japanese weather station, with August and September the busiest months (3.3 each). Okinawa and Amami see more than the main islands (7.9 a year against 5.8).

Forecasts. JMA's track forecasts run five days ahead. The forecast circle shows where the storm's centre has a 70% chance of being, not how far damage reaches; our weather-disruption guide explains the circle and evacuation alert levels.

Planned suspensions (keikaku unkyū). Rail operators often announce suspensions before a typhoon arrives rather than stopping trains mid-journey. Transport ministry (MLIT) guidance asks them to warn early that a suspension is possible, give information as specific as possible when it goes ahead and when services restart, and say whether substitute transport will run, in several languages and through several channels. Restart times are estimates: lines reopen after safety checks, and the morning after is usually crowded.

Airports. Airlines cancel flights, often in advance, and airport trains and buses can stop too. After Typhoon Faxai in September 2019, passengers were stranded at Narita when road and rail links failed, and an MLIT committee reviewed what went wrong. Your airline handles rebooking or refunds; don't head to the airport until both your flight and your route there are running.

Sources for this section: JMA, typhoon averages 1991–2020 (Japanese) · JMA, typhoon forecast circle and five-day forecast (Japanese) · MLIT, final summary on planned rail suspensions, 2 July 2019 (Japanese) · MLIT, final summary on planned rail suspensions, accompanying document (Japanese) · MLIT, airport natural-disaster committee, main opinions after the 2019 Narita disruption (Japanese)

Trains: an operator suspension is treated differently from choosing not to travel. Start with the ticket issuer: see train cancelled in Japan? Start with the actual ticket issuer.

Hotels: a warning doesn't cancel your booking. If you can't get there, contact the hotel or platform before check-in and get any offer in writing; a refund depends on your booking terms.

Flights: follow the airline's notice for your flight and keep its messages.

Extra costs: extra nights, new tickets and missed tours are an insurance question, and natural-disaster cover varies: see what Japan travel insurance should cover.

Our rule of thumb: keep the day before a typhoon flexible, prefer refundable rooms in typhoon season, and keep every message and receipt.

The Nankai Trough is an undersea plate boundary off central and western Japan. JMA issues Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information when the chance of a major quake there is "relatively higher than usual". Media called the August 2024 notice a "megaquake advisory"; the Cabinet Office's English term is Megathrust Earthquake Attention (kyodai jishin chūi).

Attention: after a magnitude 7.0+ earthquake in the monitored area, or unusual slow slip on the plate boundary. People are asked to carry on with normal life and work while rechecking their preparations daily, generally for one week.

Alert (kyodai jishin keikai): after a magnitude 8.0+ earthquake on the plate boundary, for two weeks. Where a tsunami would arrive too fast to escape, people are asked to evacuate in advance for a week; elsewhere, avoid risky places and stay ready.

Neither predicts that a megaquake will happen. The first Attention notice followed a magnitude 7.1 quake off Miyazaki on 8 August 2024, and the special call for caution ended on 15 August at 17:00. The next morning, JR Central was running the Tokaido Shinkansen at reduced speed between Mishima and Mikawa-Anjo, the Fujikawa limited express was suspended and some Izu lines ran slower; Shizuoka Prefecture reported other public transport running normally.

For travellers: an Attention notice is not, by itself, a reason to cancel. Carry on, know your hotel's evacuation route, take tsunami signs seriously on the Pacific coast and allow for slower trains. Under an Alert, follow local instructions and stay away from coastal areas named for advance evacuation.

Sources for this section: JMA, Nankai Trough Extra Information criteria (Japanese) · JMA/Cabinet Office, end of special call for caution, 15 August 2024 (Japanese) · Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion, 8 August 2024 Hyuganada earthquake (Japanese) · Cabinet Office (Bousai), Nankai Trough Extra Information: what individuals should do (English) · Cabinet Office (Bousai), Nankai Trough Extra Information multilingual leaflet · Shizuoka Prefecture, transport status, 9 August 2024 07:00 (Japanese)

The setting: two travellers asleep on the 10th floor of a Tokyo hotel, with Safety Tips installed and the hotel set as one of their locations. At 02:00 the phone sounds an earthquake early warning; Safety Tips sends one when a quake is expected to reach intensity 4 or more there.

First seconds: they protect their heads and shelter under the desk, away from the window. They don't rush outside: the warning gives seconds, not minutes, and the shaking may arrive with it.

When the shaking stops: shoes on, phone in hand, and they wait for the hotel's announcements. No lifts until staff say they are safe.

The next 7 days: JMA advises watching for quakes as large as the first for about a week, especially in the first 2 or 3 days, so shoes and phones stay by the bed each night.

The morning: trains stop and restart only after inspections, which can take hours after a strong quake. They stay at the hotel rather than setting off on foot, as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government asks. For help in English they call the Japan Visitor Hotline on 050-3816-2787, which answers 24 hours.

Phone lines jammed after a big quake? NTT opens the Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171), a voice message board, only when a disaster strikes.

Bookings: if they can't reach the next night's hotel, they contact the hotel or platform before check-in, get any offer in writing and keep every message and receipt.

Sources for this section: Safety Tips app page (JNTO/JTA) · JMA, Earthquake Early Warning leaflet (English) · JMA, earthquake activity after a large earthquake (Japanese) · Tokyo Metropolitan Government, disaster preparedness guide, stranded persons (English) · Japan Tourism Agency, disaster information tools for visitors (Safety Tips, Japan Visitor Hotline, Japan Safe Travel, NHK World-Japan) · ntt-east.co.jp: How do I let family know I am safe if phone lines are jammed?

Earthquake early warning: issued when at least two seismic stations detect a quake and JMA expects intensity 5-lower or stronger somewhere; it names every area expected to get intensity 4 or more.

After a large quake: watch for quakes as large as the first for about a week, especially in the first two or three days (JMA).

Typhoons: about 11.7 a year come within 300 km of a Japanese weather station (JMA, 1991–2020 averages), with August and September the busiest months (3.3 each).

Typhoon forecasts: JMA's track forecasts run five days ahead; the forecast circle shows where the centre has a 70% chance of being.

Nankai Trough: Attention after a magnitude 7.0+ quake in the monitored area, generally for one week; Alert after a magnitude 8.0+ quake on the plate boundary, for two weeks.

Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787 (+81-50-3816-2787 from abroad), 24 hours in English, Chinese and Korean.

We will check these facts again by 8 December 2026.

Sources for this section: JMA, earthquake early warning issuance criteria and legal provisions, incl. NHK's duty to broadcast (Japanese) · JMA, earthquake activity after a large earthquake (Japanese) · JMA, typhoon averages 1991–2020 (Japanese) · JMA, typhoon forecast circle and five-day forecast (Japanese) · JMA, Nankai Trough Extra Information criteria (Japanese) · Japan Tourism Agency, disaster information tools for visitors (Safety Tips, Japan Visitor Hotline, Japan Safe Travel, NHK World-Japan)

Install Safety Tips and NHK World-Japan; allow notifications

Bookmark JMA's multilingual page; follow @JapanSafeTravel

Save 119, 110 and the Japan Visitor Hotline

Arrange mobile data from arrival (eSIM or SIM)

August–October: refundable rooms, no tight connections on travel days

Check your insurance wording for natural disasters and disruption

On arrival: find your hotel's exits; on the coast, find the nearest high ground

The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.

• Safety Tips app page (JNTO/JTA)
• Japan Tourism Agency, disaster information tools for visitors (Safety Tips, Japan Visitor Hotline, Japan Safe Travel, NHK World-Japan)
• Safety Tips, App Store listing
• JNTO, Safety tips for travelers (disaster tips, shelters, tsunami)
• NHK World-Japan app listing
• JMA, multilingual disaster information
• JMA, earthquake early warning issuance criteria and legal provisions, incl. NHK's duty to broadcast (Japanese)
• JMA, earthquake early warning limitations (Japanese)
• JMA, Earthquake Early Warning leaflet (English)
• JMA, tsunami warnings and advisories (English)
• JMA, earthquake activity after a large earthquake (Japanese)
• JMA, typhoon averages 1991–2020 (Japanese)
• JMA, typhoon forecast circle and five-day forecast (Japanese)
• JMA, Nankai Trough Extra Information criteria (Japanese)
• JMA/Cabinet Office, end of special call for caution, 15 August 2024 (Japanese)
• Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion, 8 August 2024 Hyuganada earthquake (Japanese)
• Cabinet Office (Bousai), Nankai Trough Extra Information: what individuals should do (English)
• Cabinet Office (Bousai), Nankai Trough Extra Information multilingual leaflet
• Cabinet Office (Bousai), disaster-type evacuation signs, JIS Z9098 (Japanese)
• Shizuoka Prefecture, transport status, 9 August 2024 07:00 (Japanese)
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government, disaster preparedness guide, stranded persons (English)
• Tokyo Metro, safety pocket guide, earthquakes (English)
• JR East, Shinkansen earthquake detection with seabed seismometers (Japanese)
• MLIT, final summary on planned rail suspensions, 2 July 2019 (Japanese)
• MLIT, final summary on planned rail suspensions, accompanying document (Japanese)
• MLIT, airport natural-disaster committee, main opinions after the 2019 Narita disruption (Japanese)
• KDDI (au), earthquake early warning on au phones (Japanese)
• JMA, guidance for EEW-detecting radios (NHK chime at the start of radio broadcasts) (Japanese)
• ntt-east.co.jp: How do I let family know I am safe if phone lines are jammed?