Preparedness
Preparing for disasters and accidents as part of everyday life. Steps and numbers come from public agencies and expert bodies, and we compare U.S. and Japanese guidance where they differ.
What we cover
- Home supplies: water and food storage, and "rolling stock", the Japanese habit of eating and replacing your supplies as you go
- Evacuation: shelters, sheltering in place, sleeping in a car
- Daily life after a disaster: power and water outages, toilets, hygiene, sleep
- First aid and CPR: finding a course, finding an AED
- Personal safety basics (techniques belong in a class)
Start with the household water and food calculator.
Typhoons in Japan: when they come, what shuts down, and the Safety tips app
Most typhoons form between July and October, and only about three a year make landfall on Japan's four main islands. What to expect (planned train suspensions, closures), how Tokyo tells residents to prepare, the warning levels in English, and the government's free 15-language Safety tips alert app.
Read more Typhoons in Japan: when they come, what shuts down, and the Safety tips app
Japan's tsunami warnings explained: Major Tsunami Warning, Tsunami Warning, Tsunami Advisory
The three levels JMA issues about three minutes after a quake, the heights each one means, the damage expected and the action to take. Why an Advisory still means getting out of the water, why you keep climbing, and why you don't go back until the warning is cleared.
Earthquakes in Japan: what to do where you are, and how Earthquake Early Warnings work
Japan's tourism agency answers 'where are you now?' for hotels, stations, trains, elevators, the coast and rental cars. Plus what JMA says Earthquake Early Warnings can and can't do: seconds of notice, and sometimes none near the epicenter.
Read more Earthquakes in Japan: what to do where you are, and how Earthquake Early Warnings work
Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and a home escape plan
You may have less than 2 minutes to get out once a smoke alarm sounds. U.S. Fire Administration and Ready.gov guidance on where to put smoke alarms, how to test and replace them, when (and when not) to use a fire extinguisher with the PASS method, and how to plan two ways out of every room.
Read more Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and a home escape plan
Disaster preparedness for pets: evacuate together, two kits, and a buddy system
If you're told to evacuate, your pet should evacuate too. Ready.gov's guidance on pet-friendly destinations, a buddy system, microchips, and two pet emergency kits (a large one for sheltering in place and a light one for evacuating), with a checklist.
Read more Disaster preparedness for pets: evacuate together, two kits, and a buddy system
Floods: Turn Around, Don't Drown, and what to do before, during and after
Floods are the most common disaster in the U.S. Six inches of moving water can knock you down, a foot can sweep a car away, and two feet can carry off SUVs and trucks. Ready.gov and NWS guidance on driving, evacuating, being trapped and returning home, plus how Japan's alert levels decide when to leave.
Read more Floods: Turn Around, Don't Drown, and what to do before, during and after
Power outage preparedness: before, during and after
Ready.gov's guidance for power outages, organized into a plan: power banks and medical devices before; fridge and freezer rules, generator safety and carbon monoxide during; food and medicine decisions after. Plus how Japan's product-safety agency approaches the same risks.
Read more Power outage preparedness: before, during and after
Japan's Disaster Emergency Message Dial 171 and web171: a guide for English speakers
How to leave and check safety messages after an earthquake in Japan: dial 171, press 1 to record and 2 to play back, keep it under 30 seconds. The voice prompts are Japanese only, so practice on the 1st or 15th of any month. Plus web171, which works from overseas, and a family plan.
Read more Japan's Disaster Emergency Message Dial 171 and web171: a guide for English speakers
Secure your furniture before an earthquake: lessons from Tokyo
In Tokyo Fire Department surveys, 30 to 50 percent of people injured in recent earthquakes were hurt by furniture tipping, falling or sliding. The three dangers, how to secure furniture (L-brackets first), a room-by-room plan, what Ready.gov recommends, and what to do during and after the shaking.
Read more Secure your furniture before an earthquake: lessons from Tokyo
Japan's five alert levels explained: evacuate by Level 4
How Japan's evacuation alerts work, in English: Level 3 Evacuation of the Elderly, Etc.; Level 4 Evacuation Instruction, when everyone in danger should leave; Level 5 Emergency Safety Measures, which you should never wait for. Plus the 2026 change to weather warnings and what 'evacuate' means in Japan.
Read more Japan's five alert levels explained: evacuate by Level 4
Emergency kit vs. Japanese go-bag: what Ready.gov and Japan's checklists include
Ready.gov's basic disaster supplies kit compared with the Japanese government's go-bag checklist: the shared basics, what Japan adds (helmets, slip-on shoes, period and elder-care items), how heavy a go-bag should be, where to keep kits, and how to maintain them.
Read more Emergency kit vs. Japanese go-bag: what Ready.gov and Japan's checklists include
Finding a CPR and first aid class (and how Japan trains ordinary people)
CPR and AED skills are learned with your hands, not from a page. Where to find hands-on classes in the U.S. (American Red Cross, American Heart Association), how Japan's fire departments and Red Cross train the public in 3-hour and 4-hour courses, and how to find an AED.
Read more Finding a CPR and first aid class (and how Japan trains ordinary people)
Rolling stock: how Japanese households keep emergency food without forgetting it
Japan's agriculture ministry recommends the 'rolling stock method': buy a little more of what you already eat, use the oldest first, and replace it. How it works, how much to keep (3 days to a week, longer for some families), the four steps, a food-group checklist, water and heat, storage tips, and how it compares with Ready.gov.
Read more Rolling stock: how Japanese households keep emergency food without forgetting it