Be Prepared so that You Can Act Calmly in an Emergency
While the scenery is beautiful during all of Japan’s four seasons, there are also natural disasters we may have to deal with, such as typhoons, heavy rains, floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis. To protect yourself from these natural disasters, be sure to understand the risks of disaster in your neighborhood, stay alert and prepared, and consider what actions to take when a disaster strikes.
Please note that in many cases, the local government or resident association posts disaster prevention information on their websites.
It is good practice to obtain disaster prevention information from your local government’s website on a regular basis, check the location of disaster evacuation sites, plan your routes to those evacuation sites, and be aware of the importance of early countermeasures when a disaster strikes. Also, confirm the potential risks of your evacuation routes in advance.
When a disaster strikes, there may be delays before rescue and relief arrive. In addition, it may be hard to obtain phone and internet services; supplies of electricity, water, and/or gas may be stopped; roads may be blocked; trains may not be running. It is a good idea to refer to Items for Your Emergency Kit to prepare the things you may need.
Large Earthquake Response Manual
Below are the response manuals for Tokyo Tech employees and students in case of a large earthquake. Please familiarize yourself with the evacuation area and route for your location, as well as the necessary safety procedures.
- Large Earthquake Response Manual – Ookayama Campus
- Large Earthquake Response Manual – Suzukakedai Campus
Disaster Drill
The General Safety Management Section holds an Annual Disaster Drill consisting of comprehensive and optional drills. The comprehensive drill is mandatory for all faculty, staff, and students.
The drill is held every year on the second Wednesday of November. For questions, please contact the General Safety Management Section, Office of Campus Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology.
URL: Disaster Drill Ookayama POSTER
URL: Disaster Drill Suzukakedai POSTER
Earthquake Safety Seminar
At Tokyo Tech, Disaster Preparedness Consultant Takayuki Masuda has spoken on best practices regarding readiness and safety in case of an earthquake. He showed simple items that everyone should have as part of their earthquake emergency kits (hijou bukuro in Japanese).
Seminar Video
The “Disaster Preparedness Tokyo” handbook was also distributed at the seminar. The handbook is available for downloading in multiple languages from the following links:
English: http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/english/guide/bosai/index.html
Chinese: http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/chinese/guide/bosai/index.html
Korean: http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/korean/guide/bosai/index.html
Japanese: https://www.bousai.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/1002147/1007120.html
Get the Latest Updates and Remember the Importance of Taking Action Early
Be sure to make use of apps and SNS to obtain up-to-date disaster alert information.
・Recommended Disaster Prevention Apps, SNS, and Information Websites
Japan Tourism Agency – Disaster Information App “Safety tips
Information in fourteen languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Tagalog, Nepalese, Khmer, Burmese, and Mongolian).
Japan National Tourism Organization Twitter page – “Japan Safe Travel”
Disaster Preparedness Tokyo App
Meguro City Disaster Prevention Map (Disaster Prevention Map App for Smartphones)
Hands-on Disaster Prevention Practice
In the Greater Tokyo Area and Kanagawa Prefecture, there are disaster prevention facilities for gaining hands-on experience – evacuation during a tsunami, for example – and other insights.
The Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park – Sona Area Tokyo
Yokohama Disaster Risk Reduction Learning Center
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government conducts a Disaster Preparedness Drill for Foreign Residents in English and simple Japanese each year in January.
Experience an earthquake produced by a simulation truck and receive training in emergency first aid using an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Last updated August 8, 2023
