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Daily Preparations for Natural Disasters

Over the past years, Japan has suffered from a series of major disasters such as earthquakes, heavy rains and typhoons. No one can predict when such natural disasters strike. This is why it’s the best to be “prepared”. Always preparing for the worst can help you protect the lives of you and your family.

How to prepare for earthquakes and typhoons

In order to be prepared for an earthquake, a heavy rain and/or a typhoon, it would be strongly recommended to discuss now with your family “how to prepare” and “how to respond” for such disasters.

Daily preparations

Discuss with your family

When an earthquake occurs suddenly, you may find it difficult to respond immediately and appropriately. Take the time now to discuss these matters with your family so that you can respond in a calm, orderly manner.

  • Confirm meeting place and contact plan
    Make sure that everyone in your family knows where to go and how to contact each other in case your family is separated during a disaster.
  • Learn designated evacuation areas and evacuation route
    Identify possible hazards in your area and learn designated evacuation areas on the hazard maps. Walk through and check the evacuation route from your home by yourself. Evacuate as soon as possible as road access would be blocked due to inundation, fallen trees and mudslides.
  • Participate in emergency drills
    Participate in emergency drills so that you can practice the evacuation procedure during a disaster.

Stock and check the emergency supply

Make sure to pack essential supplies such as food, potable water, a portable radio and a flashlight in your rucksack and put it in a place where you can easily access.

Recommended items for the emergency wupply
  • Potable water(enough for 3 days. 3 liters per person per day)
  • Emergency food (For 3 days, alpha rice, canned food, chocolate etc)
  • A portable radio, a flashlight, household medicine
  • Toilet rolls, matches
  • Candles, a portable gas stove etc

Precautions

For an earthquake

  • Reinforce large furniture, electric appliances and any other furniture with casters by attaching securing accessories like brackets to them and anchor securely so as not to let them topple.
  • Keep items that can easily catch on fire such as paper, oil etc away from a stove and/or a gas range etc.
  • Cover your window glass with films in order to prevent shattering debris.
  • Inspect your home and its surroundings for possible hazards. Repair any cracks and damages, if identified. Move your car to a parking lot or a clear area if possible. If you have to park it on the road unavoidably, pull over your car to the side of the road and sto

For a typhoon

  • When a typhoon is approaching, it is extremely dangerous to go outside. DO NOT go outside unless it is urgent.
  • Close and lock the windows and shatters securely. Clear your yard and surroundings. Bring outdoor possessions such as plant pods and trash cans inside your home as these could blow around during heavy winds.
  • Listen carefully to TV and the radio for the latest updates on a typhoon. Especially pay attention to advisories and warnings.
  • Swollen rivers and channels and a foreshore are extremely dangerous. NEVER go to areas quite susceptible to landsides.

Remarks

In case a large earthquake occurs, police operations may be partially suspended or downscaled.

When disasters approaching

  • DO NOT go outside unless it is absolutely necessary and urgent and stay away from hazardous areas during a typhoon and a heavy rain.
  • Failure to evacuate in a timely manner may result in loss of your life, as rivers overflowing  and landslides with debrisflows could occur all of a sudden. Be prepared to promptly follow the local emergency officials’ evacuation advisory and/or evacuation order and evacuate immediately, if instructed. DO NOT forget to turn off the gas and the stove before leaving your home.
  • When you evacuate, inform elderly people and children of your neighbors and evacuate together cooperatively.
  • In case that it is dangerous to move to the evacuation area due to strong winds and/or submerge, you can also consider staying inside as safe a place as possible in your home (a room upstairs keeping sufficient distance away from a cliff) or moving to as sturdy buildings nearby as possible.
  • When mudslides and/or road (under path in particular) submergence is anticipated due to strong winds and/or torrential rains, traffic restrictions can be imposed as a precaution.  Please follow instructions of police officers and road administrators.
Five-Level Disaster Warning Alert and Natural Disaster Prevention Information (Effective on May 20th 2021)

Alert

Level
Situation

Information to urge action

Residents Response

5

Disaster occurrence or

clear and present danger of disaster

Urgent need for safety

Life threatening.

Take the best steps to protect lives!
YOU MUST EVACUATE UNTIL THE WARNING ALERT HITS LEVEL 4
4 High possibility of disaster occurrence Evacuation instruction All residents must evacuate from dangerous place
3 Possibility of disaster occurrence

Evacuation of elderly

residents
Elderly residents must evacuate from dangerous place
2 Climate condition worsening Advisory on torrential rain/flood/high tide  (JMA) Reconfirm your evacuation area and evacuation route
1 Possibility of worsening climate condition Early advisory (JMA) Raise awareness for natural disaster

(JMA:Japan Meteorological Agency)

How to respond when an earthquake occurs

An earthquake hits suddenly. Always make sure you are thoroughly prepared!! DO NOT forget to respond in a calm manner.

In home

  • Open the doors and windows to ensure exits. Protect your head, drop down and take cover under the sturdy tables or desks.
  • DO NOT rush out of the house immediately. Evacuate after making sure whether surroundings are safe enough to do so.
  • NEVER be misled by false rumors. Collect reliable information from press announcements of police and/or local authorities, TV and a radio. If a tsunami warning is issued, move to a safer and higher place immediately.

Outdoors

  • Protect your head with your bag or jacket from falling debris and broken glasses, temporarily move to places such as a park, a clear area and/or inside a safe building.
  • When near the shore, immediately move away from the shore when you feel shaking and head to as high ground as possible, as a tsunami might have been generated.
  • When near mountains, move to a safer area as it is likely to experience landslides.

At an office (buildings or basement malls)

  • Many buildings and basement malls are earthquake proof now. Rushing for exits and stairs could cause unexpected accident. Follow the instructions of facility managers if any and respond in a calm, orderly manner.

At a shopping center/ department store

  • Move away from display shelves immediately, drop down and protect your head with  your bag or something. If there is nothing available, you can also protect it by flipping your hands back over your head. Please be noted that you need to allow some distance between your head and hands so as to reduce the damage from falling objects.
  • DO NOT rush for emergency exits and/or stairs. Follow the staffs’ instructions and evacuate.

When driving a car

  • DO NOT jam on the brake, slowly reduce the speed, pull over to the left side of the road and stop. Tune the radio for current earthquake and traffic information.
  • If you evacuate by yourself abandoning your car, DO NOT forget to leave its doors unlocked and your key in the ignition. Take a vehicle inspection certificate and any other valuables with you.
  • Move your car to a parking lot or a clear area if possible. If you have to park it on the road unavoidably, pull over your car to the side of the road and stop.

お問い合わせ

(For Inquiries)
Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters First Security Division
85-3 Yabunouchi-cho, Shimochoja-machi-dori, Shinmachi-nishi-iru, Kamigyo-ward, Kyoto city
Telephone:075-451-9111