5 Things to Prepare for Earthquake in Japan

There was a big earthquake in Japan on June 18, 2018.

Strong quake near Osaka, Japan, kills 4, knocks over walls

There are a lot of earthquakes in Japan so Japanese people get used to them, however most of them are not so big. I experienced Tohoku Earthquake which occurred in 2011. Tokyo was not so damaged badly, but there were big mess and confusion. There was no food and water at any stores, even on Amazon! Also, train and bus didn’t work, so I couldn’t go home on that day.

You can see the website here.　※Only Japanese version is available so far (as of July 2, 2018).

1. Firmly Fix Furniture

Furniture falls down easily when earthquakes happen, and a lot of people have killed because of it, so it is very important to fix furniture firmly for protecting family’s lives.

Also, you should avoid sleeping near big furniture. If the earthquake happens while you sleep, it is really difficult to run away from falling furniture quickly.

2. Stock Water and Food

Water and food are critical to our lives, but in the event of natural disaster, they are hardly available. So it is very important to stock them just in case beforehand.

Also, you might want to have bottled water just in case. Water supply would stop. In the event of big earthquakes, bottled water disappeared so quickly from stores.

3. Prepare “Emergency Bag”

“Emergency Bag” should include:

• Water and food
• Medicine
• First-aid case
• Underwear
• Flashlight
• Towel, etc…

You should prepare them and put them into one bag so that you can just grab it when you escape in case of natural disaster.

Also, if you have a baby, milk and diapers are also necessary.

4. Confirm Evacuation Site

Each local authority usually designates evacuation site. If a big earthquake happens and water/gas/electricity supply stops, your family might have to stay at an evacuation site for a while, so all of your family member need to know where it is beforehand.

5. Confirm How To Communicate With Your Family In Advance

In case of emergency, it would become hard to access to the Internet or make a phone call, because a lot of people would try to do so. So it is very important to confirm with your family how to communicate each other in case of natural disaster.

1. Phone message service (171)

You will make a phone call to 171 and record a voice message. If other family member know your phone number, then they can hear your message.

2. Message board

You will post a message to the Internet message board. Other family member can look for your message by using your phone number and see it.