Japan experiences approximately 1,500 earthquakes per year — though most are imperceptible. Living in Japan means living with seismic activity as a background fact of life. The good news: Japan has the world’s most advanced earthquake preparedness infrastructure, early warning systems, and building standards. Prepared residents are safe residents. This guide covers the practical steps every foreign resident should take.
Understanding Japan’s Seismic Scale
Japan uses the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale (震度, shindo), which measures shaking felt at a specific location (not energy released):
- 震度0 (Shindo 0): Not felt by people; instruments detect only
- 震度1–2: Slight tremor; hanging objects swing slightly; most people don’t notice
- 震度3: Felt by most indoors; dishes rattle; some people wake up
- 震度4: Felt by most people; unstable objects fall; doors open or close
- 震度5弱/5強 (5 weak/5 strong): Significant shaking; unsecured furniture moves; some older buildings damaged; most people have difficulty standing
- 震度6弱/6強 (6 weak/6 strong): Violent shaking; impossible to stand without holding something; significant structural damage possible in older buildings
- 震度7: Catastrophic shaking; total loss of balance; major structural failure in non-earthquake-resistant buildings
Japan’s Earthquake Early Warning (緊急地震速報)
Japan’s Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system is the world’s most advanced — it detects P-waves (fast, less damaging) and sends alerts before the slower, stronger S-waves arrive. Warnings arrive on your phone, TV, and public address systems typically 5–30 seconds before strong shaking.
- The sound: A distinctive urgent alarm (two tones alternating) plays simultaneously on all smartphones in the affected area, regardless of settings. It is unmistakable.
- What to do when you hear it: Drop, cover, hold on. If in a kitchen, turn off gas. If driving, pull over slowly. Do not run outside — falling objects are the main danger outdoors.
- Enable on your phone: On Japanese phones this is automatic. For foreign SIM cards, ensure “Emergency Alerts” are enabled in your phone settings; Japan’s alerts use the same cell broadcast system.
Building Safety in Japan
Japan’s building codes are among the strictest in the world:
- 1981 New Seismic Standard (新耐震基準): Buildings constructed after 1981 meet significantly higher earthquake resistance standards. Key reference date when choosing an apartment.
- 2000 standard: Further improvements to foundation and joint specifications for wooden structures
- Modern high-rises: Use base isolation (免震) and seismic damping systems; buildings sway rather than shake, reducing forces on the structure dramatically
- Risk: Old buildings (pre-1981) in certain areas; liquefaction risk on reclaimed land (Tokyo Bay area, much of Osaka’s coastal areas); tsunami-inundation zones near coastlines
- Hazard maps (ハザードマップ): Every municipality publishes these showing flood, liquefaction, landslide, and tsunami risk by address. Check before choosing a neighborhood at disasterprevention.go.jp or your city’s website.
Essential Preparedness Steps
Emergency Bag (非常用持ち出し袋)
Prepare a “go bag” stored near the front door or an easily accessible location:
- Water: 1.5L/person for 3 days minimum (3–4.5L per person)
- Food: Non-perishable for 3 days (freeze-dried meals, canned goods, crackers, energy bars)
- First aid kit
- Flashlight and extra batteries (or hand-crank)
- Portable radio (battery or hand-crank) — critical for information when networks are down
- Copies of important documents (passport, residence card, insurance card) in waterproof bag
- Cash in small bills (ATMs and card readers fail in disasters)
- Phone charger and portable battery
- Whistle (to signal location if trapped)
- Work gloves and dust mask
- Medications (minimum 7-day supply of any prescription medicines)
Home Preparation
- Secure heavy furniture: Bookcases, wardrobes, and refrigerators must be secured to walls with L-brackets (転倒防止金具); sold everywhere (¥500–¥2,000 per bracket); this is the most important safety step inside your home
- Furniture placement: Keep pathways to exits clear; don’t place heavy objects above your sleeping area
- Gas: Know where your gas shutoff is; Japan’s gas meters have automatic shutoff (マイコンメーター) that triggers at shindo 5+; know how to reset it (button on the meter)
- Water supply: Fill bathtub immediately when a major earthquake hits before water supply disruption; a bag system (非常用給水袋) stores bathtub water hygienically
Evacuation Points and Routes
- Designated evacuation areas (避難場所): Every neighborhood has designated assembly points (一時集合場所) — usually school grounds or parks. Find yours on your ward/city’s hazard map.
- Evacuation shelters (避難所): Schools, community centers designated for longer-term refuge with supplies. Register with your local ward if you have special needs.
- Route: Walk your evacuation route before an emergency; know two routes in case one is blocked
Communication After an Earthquake
- NHK: Channel 1 provides emergency broadcasts immediately; TV and radio remain essential even in the smartphone era
- Disaster Message Dial (171): NTT’s disaster message service — record a voicemail at 171 for family to retrieve; 171 lines are reserved and work when regular calls fail
- Google Person Finder: Activated for major Japan disasters; register yourself as safe
- SNS: Twitter/X and LINE are widely used for status updates; “安否確認” (safety confirmation) is the search term
- Avoid phone calls immediately after: Networks become congested; SMS and data often work when voice calls don’t
Tsunami Awareness
For residents in coastal areas:
- Know your elevation and distance from the coast
- Tsunami evacuation routes (津波避難路) are signed in coastal municipalities
- If you feel a major earthquake near the coast, move to high ground immediately without waiting for an official warning — the 2011 earthquake showed warnings can be overtaken by events
- Tsunami evacuation towers (津波避難タワー) mark high ground in low-lying coastal areas