Disaster Management
Japan is located in the Circum-Pacific Mobile Belt where seismic and volcanic activities occur constantly. Although the country covers only 0.25% of the land area on the planet, the number of earthquakes and active volcanoes is quite high. In addition, because of geographical, topographical, and meteorological conditions, the country is subjetct to frequent natural disasters such as typhoons, torrential rains, and heavy snowfalls, as well as earthquakes and tsunami. Disaster Management in Japan (1)
In order to minimize damages, proper knowledge of disaster management is very important.
Natural Disasters
Earthquake
Earthquake is one of the most frequent natural disasters in Japan. There are about 1,500 earthquakes per year (2-3 per day). Since earthquakes happen with no warning, it is important to be prepared for earthquakes at all time.
When earthquakes occur...
- Protect yourself and don't panic. Watch out for the falling objects.
- Turn off the gas ranges and electric stoves in use. If a fire breaks out, extinguish it immediately.
- Open doors and windows to secure an exit.
- Evacuate from dangerous area.
- Beware of aftershocks.
Heavy Rain
Heavy rain caused by the stationary front at the turn of the season is a common weather system in Japan. Especially from July to October, our country is prone to natural disasters such as heavy rain and strong wind due to the influence of typhoon and front. Other than typhoon, torrential rain or localized heavy rain have become more common recently, and these cause flooding damage to buildings and roads. To protect yourself from these disasters, pay attention to weather updates from Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), as well as prepare for emergency situations at earlier stage.
Evacuation
Evacuation center is a temporary shelter for people who lost their homes due to disaster. It is usually set up at schools or public facilities. If your house is in danger of collapsing, or when notified to evacuate by city hall, fire department, or police department, promptly evacuate to evacuation area/center on foot. Carry your belongings (make sure to minimize it) in a backpack so that both of your hands are free.
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Disaster Management Base |
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Food |
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Evacuation Area |  |
Water |
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Evacuation Center |
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Payphone (Inside) Payphone (Outside) |
Interactive Map of Disaster Management How to Use the Map
Links
Find local disaster and emergency information from following links.
- Kashiwa City Disaster and Emergency Information
- Kashiwa City Multilingual E-mail Distribution Service
- Nagareyama City Disaster and Emergency Informaton
- Nagareyama City Anshin E-mail Distribution Service
Useful app which provides disaster information to foreigners: Safety tips
（1）DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT CABINET OFFICE, GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN, Disaster Management in Japan. <http://www.bousai.go.jp/1info/pdf/saigaipamphlet_je.pdf> [Accessed 31 August 2017]
The content of this website is subject to change without notice.
Updated: November 9, 2017
