Save your hotel address offline, enable Japan's Safety tips alerts and keep your phone charged. Earthquakes can happen at any time of year. Know what to do where you are, then follow local instructions if a warning arrives.
In the app: On iPhone or iPad, open this guide in Goshuin Atlas and choose More → Add to Reminders for the safety preparation checklist. Add deadlines in Apple Reminders before departure.
During shaking
| Where you are | First action |
|---|---|
| Indoors | Get low, protect your head and neck, and take cover under sturdy furniture if nearby. Stay away from glass and falling objects. |
| On a train | Hold on and follow crew instructions. Do not force doors or enter the tracks. |
| Outdoors | Move away from buildings, signs and walls that could fall. Protect your head. |
| Near the coast | After strong shaking or prolonged weak shaking, move immediately to designated high ground or a tsunami evacuation building. Do not wait for a warning. |
An Earthquake Early Warning may give only seconds of notice, or none near the source. Protect yourself nearby rather than running for an exit. Do not use lifts during an earthquake.
Near the sea: evacuate first
Follow an official tsunami warning immediately, even if you did not feel shaking. Leave beaches and low coastal areas; use local evacuation signs to reach high ground or a designated building. Leave luggage behind and stay away until authorities lift the warning. Waves can arrive repeatedly.
Watch out: JMA's tsunami guidance explains why strong or prolonged shaking is itself a reason to act. A quiet-looking sea is not evidence that it is safe.
After the shaking stops
Check for immediate hazards and follow hotel staff or local authorities. If it is safe to remain, avoid an unnecessary cross-city journey while transport is being checked. If your building or area is unsafe, follow the evacuation instructions instead.
Send one short message to a contact with your location and status. Keep water, necessary medicine, a power bank, some cash and your hotel details accessible. Check the affected railway or airline before travelling to a station or airport.
Heavy rain, flooding and other warnings
Use the JMA warning map and the multilingual Safety tips app. Municipal evacuation instructions apply to your location; a national headline may not.
Stay away from flooded roads, underpasses, rivers and unstable slopes. Do not go outside to inspect storm damage. Outdoor sightseeing can wait until authorities and the relevant venue reopen the route.
For fire or an ambulance, call 119. For police, call 110. Give your location first; JNTO's emergency page has further assistance and medical information.
Related guides: Typhoon Season in Japan: Alerts and Travel Changes; Emergency Information in Japan.