If a disaster hits while you travel in Japan: the Safety tips app, the visitor hotline, hotel exits and planned train suspensions

Japan is a safe country to visit, but it has earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and heavy rain. If something happens while you're traveling, you won't know the area or the system. Here's what Japan's own tourism and weather agencies say to do.

Before you go: install Safety tips

The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) says its supervised app "Safety tips" can push notifications for earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings, special weather warnings, volcanic eruption warnings, evacuation information and heatstroke information in Japan. It also has response flowcharts and communication cards, and the JTA lists 14 supported languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Numbers and channels

• Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787. The JTA describes it as available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, including emergency support for accidents, illnesses and disasters.
• JNTO's Japan Safe Travel account on X (@JapanSafeTravel) shares information for visitors during disasters.
• NHK World-JAPAN is a 24-hour English news channel the JTA points to during major disasters.

At your hotel

A JTA guide for hotels includes a model message asking guests to check the evacuation map and actually walk to at least two emergency exits in different directions from their room. The same guide tells guests not to use elevators in an emergency. Do it when you check in; it takes five minutes.

Near the sea

JMA aims to issue tsunami warnings within about three minutes of an earthquake. If you feel strong shaking, or long slow shaking, near the coast, don't wait: move away from the sea to higher ground. Never go back while a tsunami warning is in effect. See "Japan's tsunami warnings explained."

Typhoons and trains

Japan's transport ministry says planned suspensions of train service are needed for large typhoons, depending on the line, to avoid trains stopping between stations and crowding at stations. Service resumes only after inspections confirm safety. Rail operators are expected to give as concrete a restart estimate as they can. If a typhoon is forecast, move your travel earlier or book an extra night (our suggestion). See "Typhoons in Japan."

Pack for the day (our suggestions)

• A charged power bank, some coins, your regular medicines
• Your hotel's name and address written in Japanese
• A paper note of family phone numbers

A Japanese version is available: "旅行・出張先で災害に遭ったら" (in Japanese).