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Before You Go · 公開 2026-09-29 · 更新 2026-09-29

事実の最終確認 2026-09-29 · 次の見直し 2027-03-01

Earthquakes, tsunami and typhoons in Japan: the official tools every visitor should set up

Japan's tourism agency runs a free alert app in 15 languages, and a step-by-step guide for what to do wherever you are. Here is what to install, what the warning levels mean, and who to call.

A green emergency exit sign
Photo: Damir K / Pexels

Earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons and heavy rain are part of life in Japan. The official tools for visitors are free and quick to set up, so there is no reason to travel without them.

Everything below comes from the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) and JNTO pages for visitors, checked on 2026-09-29.

1. Install "Safety tips" before you fly

"Safety tips" is a free app from the JTA. Its official page says it:

  • sends push alerts for earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings and other weather warnings in Japan;
  • works in 15 languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Indonesian, Tagalog, Nepali, Khmer, Burmese and Mongolian;
  • includes an evacuation flowchart that shows what to do based on where you are, phrases for asking people around you for information, and links to disaster information.

2. Know the step-by-step guide

The JTA's "Safety tips for travelers" website has the same kind of guide in a browser. For an earthquake, it starts with one line: "First, secure your safety. Where are you now?" It then splits into:

  • Inside a building: hotel or other accommodation; sightseeing, cultural or commercial facilities (including airports and stations); underground spaces (underground stations, shopping centers and passages).
  • Outside or in a vehicle: city streets and office areas; waterfronts (coast and riversides); sightseeing areas; inside a vehicle; driving a rental car.

The guide also has pages for when a tsunami warning, evacuation information, a weather warning, a volcanic warning or a heat stroke alert is issued.

3. Understand the warning names

Weather (flood, heavy rain, landslides, storm surges): the JTA guide sorts these into levels:

LevelName
2Advisory
3Warning
4Urgent Warning
5Emergency Warning

Tsunami: three kinds, as the JTA guide lists them: Tsunami Advisory, Tsunami Warning, Major Tsunami Warning.

If you are near the coast or a river and any of these are issued, open the app or the guide and follow the steps for your level and place.

For current warnings on a map, the JNTO safety site links to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) disaster information page, which has an English version.

4. Expect transport to change

The JTA site notes that transport, including trains, may be disrupted after a disaster such as an earthquake. It suggests checking the official website of each operator for the latest information, and for flights, the airline that actually operates the flight (for code-share tickets).

5. Save these numbers

  • 119: ambulance and fire
  • 110: police
  • Japan Visitor Hotline (JNTO): 050-3816-2787 (from abroad +81-50-3816-2787), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English, Chinese and Korean

Certified Tourist Information Centers can also help after a disaster. JNTO says TICs support visitors in situations ranging from a flat phone battery to a natural disaster.

Sources