Disaster Preparation and You: A Practical Guide
When it comes to disaster preparation, there’s an overwhelming amount of information online. Much of it is useful, but much of it is not necessarily actionable for what is often deemed the average reader, particularly in Japan. Chloe Gust wrote this great article about apps people can use for digital disaster prep, but as she said; “Prepare [your plans and go-bags] no matter what — the sooner, the better.” That’s just what this article gets into; preparing the plans and the go-bags.
Preparation prevents panic
Preparing for a natural disaster seems like a daunting task, but it really isn’t as bad or intense as some people make it out to be. Remember that preparation prevents panic and what you have is better than what you don’t have. Making a plan and an emergency kit will help put your mind at ease because you know you have things that can help you. Small steps often lead to big gains, so don’t underestimate how relieved you’ll feel by taking some steps now to get ready.
Local emergency shelters
No matter where you live, you’ll want to know how to find your local emergency shelters and evacuation areas. A good first step is to look for signs on public buildings (school, city halls, community centers) that might look like this.
The black and white pictograms tell people what kind of disasters the evacuation shelter is used for. This sign also has a person running to a circle, which indicates an evacuation area. A person running to a building indicates a temporary shelter. Either way, these are both places you’ll want to go to should you find yourself in a natural disaster. Your school(s) will likely have these signs somewhere on the grounds, usually at the front gate, so take a good look around and ask a helpful co-worker if you can’t find yours.
Register with CLAIR’s Safety Confirmation System and your embassy
One of the first things you should have done during your orientation in Tokyo was register with the Safety Confirmation System. According to this post from CLAIR, your login credentials are the last 9 digits of your JET Number.
You should also register with your embassy. As us JETs and expats come from so many different countries, we recommend visiting your national embassy’s website for more information about registering your residence here in Japan.
These systems add extra layers of communication to ensure that you’re safe during natural disasters.
What to prepare
Water
First thing you should prepare is a supply of drinking water. It doesn’t really matter how you get it: what matters is having it. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government recommends keeping “twelve 2-liter bottles” of drinking water on hand at all times (02, Let’s Get Prepared: Disaster Preparedness Actions). This supply of water is pretty easy to get. When you’re at the supermarket, buy one or two 2-liter bottles of water at a time. When you get home and put the groceries away, put your water bottles somewhere away from direct sunlight. A closet or empty cabinet will do just fine. Repeat the process of buying those extra bottles of water until you have a 3 day supply ready. Be sure to check the expiration date on your water and replace it accordingly.
Another alternative is to buy water storage tanks from stores. Daiso and other 100-yen shops sell several products for disaster preparation, including the aforementioned storage tanks. I bought two 20-liter water storage tanks priced at 500 yen each and I use those to store my water. By my math, I should have 7 or 8 days worth of water.
In addition to drinking water, you’ll need water for sanitation. This is water you’ll use to clean, flush toilets (if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down), and for any other task beyond drinking. Filling up a few old bottles for these purposes should do the trick.
Food
After water comes food. Buying emergency food isn’t as big a task as it sounds. Just like with your drinking water, buy a little extra on your regular supermarket trips and store it away in a closet. I’d suggest getting a plastic box to store that food in to keep it safe from bugs and other pests. A plastic box will also make your stored food more water proof.
Some general rules for emergency foods are as follows.
1: Be non-perishable.
2: Be low-to-no prep.
3: Be things that you like.
Keep in mind that non-perishable doesn’t mean “never expires,” so be sure to check your survival foods every 6 months to 12 months. Check food for “use by” and “expiration” dates. If in doubt, throw it out. Replace food as necessary.
There may be no means to preserve or cook food in the aftermath of a natural disaster, so it makes sense to have ready-to-eat foods on hand. No-prep means open and eat. Low prep might mean “add hot water.” In that case, a portable gas cartridge powered stove and an old-fashioned metal tea kettle are your best friends.
Rule number 3 is about making sure you’re keeping yourself fed. Buy and store things that you can and will eat. Pack some foods you plain-old like. In addition to keeping you alive, eating foods you like will boost your mood. A little mood boost can go a long way towards making it through anything.
As for how much food to store, a 3 day supply per person is the recommended minimum. If you have babies, make sure to have enough baby food or formula on hand. Same goes for pets. If you can store more food, then go for it, but exercise common sense when stocking up. Hoarding food in case of an emergency only creates more waste when you don’t need to use it. The chances of you being trapped at home and needing three week’s worth of emergency food are slim, especially if you live in a densely populated area.
Medicine and first-aid
If you’re on a long-term prescription of some sort, see if you can put together an extra week’s worth of medication(s) to store away if it’s necessary for your quality of life. Put different medications into different bags or other waterproof containers, then label them with the medication name, purpose, and expiration date
Anyone and everyone should have some first-aid items on hand. Things like hand sanitizers, bandages, and painkillers are important to have. You can find many common first-aid supplies at 100-yen shops. If you find assembling your own first-aid kit to be a bit daunting, you can purchase first-aid kits in stores or online.
Extra tips for managing emergency water, food, and medicine
These are the most important and critical things to have in an emergency kit. In addition to getting them you also have to maintain them. Here’s 2 rules to remember.
1: Obtain.
2: Maintain.
Rule 1 is “Obtain.” That’s as simple as getting hold of the stuff to build your emergency kit. You can do this one little grocery trip at a time or get it all in one go. You can assemble your own emergency kit or purchase one from a retailer. How you obtain your kit doesn’t matter; what matters is obtaining it.
Rule 2 is “Maintain.” You take care of your apartment. You take care of your budget. You also need to take care of your emergency kit. Every 6 to 12 months, go through your emergency kit. Check the expiration and use-by dates on non-perishable foods, medicines, and other goods. Throw out and replace what you need to.
Lighting
Electrical power is usually one of the first things to go during storms and earthquakes, but you don’t need to be left in the dark. 100-yen stores have plenty of flashlights and candles to choose from. I recommend hand-crank powered flashlights and 24 hour emergency candles. Be sure to keep some extra batteries on hand for your flashlights and matches or a lighter for your candles. If you’re burning candles as your light source, be sure to check you’re doing so safely and away from any gas stoves or potential gas leaks — check that your gas valve (if you have one) is firmly shut off first.
Hygiene
Hygiene is important for physical and mental health. Keeping yourself clean during a natural disaster is a little tougher than just taking a shower, but it’s still necessary. Baby wipes are the ultimate pocket-shower. You can use them to give yourself a refreshing wipe-down. While not a proper bath or shower, just the sensation of getting and being cleaner can really help you get through the day and it helps you keep the routine of taking care of yourself.
Brush your teeth regularly too. Just like using baby wipes to clean yourself, this will keep your mood up. Not only are you keeping your teeth and gums healthy, you’re keeping your mind healthy too by maintaining that routine, or at least the resemblance of it.
A disaster can strike at any time, so if you’re someone who experiences menses, be prepared to accommodate for that, too. Keeping extra period products on hand can save you a world of discomfort should you need them during a disaster. Just put some into a plastic bag to waterproof them and keep them around. If you experience symptoms like cramps and body pains, be sure to keep pain relief and other helpful products on hand.
Documents and money
Keeping track of documents is pretty important, but for us expats the passport is the almighty document of documents. At least knowing where it is when it isn’t on you is essential, but even more so in a disaster. If you don’t already, consider keeping your passport near or in your go-bag so you don’t have to head to a separate location to pick it up if you need to up and go. No matter what, you should always carry your residence card proving you are indeed a resident — in fact, it’s required by law. Other forms of ID like a driver’s license or My Number Card are good to have. If you don’t keep any of these on you or within easy reach, consider making a copy of them and storing it with your go-bag or emergency supplies. Even in a disaster, it’s important to be easily identifiable.
Next, keep some emergency cash in your emergency kit. Keeping around 10,000 yen in 1,000 yen notes and some coins is a good idea for emergencies. You can pack this money with your passport. An envelope stored in a plastic bag is the way to go.
Contacting home and 00000Japan
The internet is a lifeline back home for us expats. One of the things we want to do after a natural disaster is contact family and friends back home to let them know we’re safe. However, when the cellular networks are down and the internet is out, that simple task gets a whole lot harder.
Fortunately, Japan has an emergency free wi-fi service called 00000Japan. This emergency network is activated during natural disasters and is available only in specific places such as train stations and public facilities. While not perfect, it can at least get you in contact with concerned friends and family.
Waterproofing supplies
Put an umbrella, poncho, or rain suit in with your emergency kit to keep yourself dry. You can also keep some plastic bags on hand to keep things from getting wet and waterlogged. If you get caught in rain for some reason, you can throw a plastic bag over your pack to keep it dry. Or if you don’t have a poncho, you can tear a hole into a large bag and rip its sides open to make an improvised poncho.
Plastic wrap can serve lots of purposes. Cleaning dishes probably won’t be a priority, but you can keep your dishes clean by putting a layer or two of plastic kitchen wrap on them. Serve a meal, throw away the plastic wrap, and your dish will be clean and ready for another use!
Mood boosting
Modern technology is nice when it works. It helps us communicate with loved ones and co-workers, and dreaded ones and that one jerk from accounting that stole the piece of cake with your name on it. It also gives us all the information we need and want, and then some we don’t need or want. Subscription services and video games entertain us until we’re convinced nothing good is on or out anymore. The point is that technology keeps us connected, informed, and pretty gosh-darned entertained. However, when we can’t use that technology or we need to refrain from using it, we need other things to keep us and our time occupied.
Boredom can be a mind killer. We might think a little too much about how bad things are and bog ourselves down, which doesn’t help anyone. Keeping a pack of cards and knowing a few games is really handy. Teach yourself how to play solitaire or blackjack, and a few other games that you can play with a small group if you wind up in an emergency shelter. The funny thing about cards is that people gravitate towards them. You might be able to start a friendly game and help lift someone’s spirits.
There are also other means to pass time and occupy our minds. Writing in a journal can help. All you need is a notebook and pen, which are good to have anyway to write down important information. Got some colored pencils? Use them to sketch or doodle with!
You can also keep a book or two written in your native language to pass the time. Why not throw in an easy manga? Conan the Detective is great because as long as you know hiragana, you can read it. Having something to do is important because it’ll help keep your spirits up and that’ll carry you through hard times one day at a time, and that matters.
Other things that are good to have
A few extra things to have in your emergency kit include non-alcohol wipes for cleaning, mylar (emergency insulating) blankets, cotton work gloves (for working and keeping your hands warm), and some extra sandals. Throw in a portable battery or power bank to keep your cell phone charged, as well as a pencil and notepad to write down important information in case you can’t use your devices. You can (and probably should) include some larger size plastic bags, toilet paper, and rain ponchos. A whistle is good to have in case you need to signal for help.
You don’t have to have these things immediately. Food, water, and medications are the main priority. Save the kinds of items mentioned in this section for later. Just buy one or two things at a time and put them away in your emergency kit. That way you have them if you need them and you know where they’re at.
When it’s all too much
This article has covered a lot of ground, so here’s a list to summarize all the points we’ve covered.
1: Have 3 days worth of drinking water per person in your household.
2: Have 3 days worth of food per person in your household, including pet food.
3: Acquire prescription medication(s) for your emergency kit.
4: Assemble or purchase a first-aid kit.
5: Have important documents and emergency cash somewhere safe.
6: Acquire emergency hygiene goods such as wet wipes, toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and menstrual hygiene and care products.
7: Fill out the rest of your emergency supplies with lighting, battery packs, and things that can help you maintain a healthy mindset.
Disaster preparation can be a lot to worry about. This article is meant to help you kickstart the process. If it helps put your mind at ease, there are ready-made emergency kits available online and at retailers like Aeon throughout Japan. You can purchase one of these and add in a 3 day supply of food and water, and bam! You’re better prepared. We’ve barely scratched the surface of disaster preparedness here but this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive resource, just a good starting point. There’s a wealth of information available online to pursue if you’re interested in learning more. Remember that what you have is better than what you don’t have.
One last note; a good mindset and a sense of hope can help you get to the end of anything. Preparation is as much mental as it is having enough stuff on hand. With that, I hope you found this article helpful. Now get out there and get prepared.
Extra resources
Baseel, Casey. (2018, July 11). How to put together an earthquake/typhoon preparedness kit at the 100 yen shop. Sora News 24. https://soranews24.com/2018/07/11/how-to-put-together-an-earthquake-typhoon-preparedness-kit-at-the-100-yen-shop/
Bicycle Cards. (2022). Blackjack. https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/blackjack
Mulroy, C., & Bravo, V. (2022, Dec. 18). Want to play Solitarie with real cards? Here’s an illustrated guide to setting up the game. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2022/12/18/how-to-play-solitaire-card-game-rules/10626190002/
Gust, Chloe. (2023, April 9). Digital Disaster Prep. Wide Island View. https://medium.com/wide-island-view/digital-disaster-prep-27a741dd3c30
Japan Living Guide. (2023, Sep. 19). Emergency Free Wi-Fi Service 00000Japan. https://www.japanlivingguide.com/health-and-safety/emergency/emergency-wifi-00000japan/
Japan Living Guide. (2024, April 2). What to do in Case of an Earthquake: Safety and Evacuation. https://www.japanlivingguide.com/health-and-safety/emergency/evacuation-measures/
Mika. (2020, July 9). Getting Help in Japan: Medical, Criminal and Natural Disasters. Voyapon. https://voyapon.com/getting-help-medical-criminal-natural-disasters-japan/
Sanwa Sanko Co. LTD. (n.d.) Evacuation route sign, Kuroshio-Town, Kōchi, Japan. https://www.sanwa-sanko.co.jp/en/case/241/
Sanwa Sanko Co. LTD. (n.d.) Place of refuge sign, Shinjo City, Yamagata, Japan. https://www.sanwa-sanko.co.jp/en/case/932/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government. (n.d.) Disaster Prevention Information. https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/english/guide/bosai/index.html
Yūe, Sebastian. (2020, Dec. 10). The best card games to play with a standard deck. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. https://www.cbc.ca/life/culture/the-best-card-games-to-play-with-a-standard-deck-1.5836447
Written by: Jacky Killian
Edited by: Rachel Roberts and Emilee
