Typhoon & Disaster Season in Japan: A Foreigner's Prep Guide

Quick answer (30 seconds): Japan's typhoon season peaks roughly August–October, often with heavy rain, flooding and strong wind. The good news: you can prepare in an afternoon. Before: stock an emergency kit (water, food, light, power bank, key documents), know your hazard map and nearest evacuation site (避難所), and set up multilingual alert apps. During: stay inside away from windows, charge devices, and evacuate early if officials tell you to — Japan uses a 5-level warning scale, and at Level 4 you should already evacuate. After: check official info, watch for aftershock/secondary flooding, and use multilingual disaster lines if you need help. For fire or a medical emergency, call 119; for police, 110.

Before: prepare your home & kit

A basic Japanese emergency kit (防災グッズ, bōsai guzzu) should cover at least 3 days:

• Water: about 3 liters per person per day.
• Food: non-perishable, no-cook (retort meals, canned food, energy bars).
• Light & power: flashlight, power bank, spare batteries; a hand-crank radio is great.
• Documents: copies of your residence card, passport, insurance card, and some cash (ATMs/cards may fail).
• Comfort & health: any regular medication, hygiene items, a change of clothes, and items for children/pets.

Also: know where your gas shut-off is, secure tall furniture (earthquakes can come anytime), and keep your phone charged when a typhoon is forecast.

Know your hazard map & evacuation site

• Your city/ward publishes a hazard map (ハザードマップ) showing flood, landslide, and tsunami risk for your exact address — check it now, not during the storm.
• Find your nearest designated evacuation site (避難所) — often a school or community center.
• Note that "evacuate" can mean going to a sturdy upper floor at home if that's safer than going outside in a flood — follow local guidance.

The 5-level warning scale

Japan uses a national 5-level alert scale for storms/rain. Act on your municipality's instructions, but in general:

• Level 3: Elderly and people needing help should start evacuating.
• Level 4 (Evacuation order / 避難指示): Everyone in the area should evacuate now.
• Level 5: Disaster is already happening — secure your safety immediately; it may be too late to move.

Don't wait for Level 5. The rule of thumb is: if you're told to evacuate at Level 4, go.

Multilingual alerts & apps to set up now

• NHK World / Japan Official Travel App / Safety Tips (JNTO) — push disaster alerts in English and other languages.
• Turn on your phone's emergency/earthquake (J-Alert) notifications.
• Your municipality's LINE or app often pushes local evacuation info.
• Yahoo! Japan Disaster (防災速報) is widely used for alerts.

During the typhoon

• Stay indoors, away from windows; close shutters/curtains.
• Don't go outside to "check" rivers, the coast, or floodwater — most casualties happen outside.
• Keep devices charged; fill a bathtub with water (for toilet use) if a long outage is likely.
• Evacuate while it's still safe if ordered — not at the peak of the storm.

After the disaster

• Follow official information (NHK, your city) before rumors on social media.
• Watch for secondary risks: continued flooding, landslides, and (for earthquakes) aftershocks.
• If you need help in your language, use multilingual disaster hotlines your city provides.
• Check on neighbors, especially the elderly.

FAQ

1. When is typhoon season in Japan? Typhoons can occur from summer into autumn, peaking roughly August–October. Heavy-rain disasters also happen during the June–July rainy season.

2. What should be in my emergency kit? At least 3 days of water (~3L/person/day), no-cook food, light and a power bank, copies of key documents, cash, and any medication.

3. What do the 5 warning levels mean? They escalate from advisory to disaster. At Level 4 (evacuation order) everyone should evacuate; Level 5 means a disaster is already occurring.

4. How do I get alerts in English? Install apps like Safety Tips (JNTO), NHK World, or Yahoo Disaster, and enable emergency notifications; many cities also push info via LINE.

5. What number do I call in an emergency? 119 for fire or ambulance, 110 for police. For non-life-threatening medical advice, #7119 is available in many areas.

Sources

• Japan Meteorological Agency (気象庁 / JMA) — typhoon and warning information: https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html
• Cabinet Office / your municipality — hazard maps, evacuation sites and the 5-level scale
• JNTO Safety Tips / NHK World — multilingual disaster alerts

Related guides

• Earthquake preparedness & emergency kit — the kit that doubles for typhoons
• Japan medical emergency guide (119 / #7119) — calling for help
• First week in Japan checklist — registering your address (and hazard map)
• Renters' fire & contents insurance — covering disaster damage

Last updated: 2026-06-23