7 Useful Earthquake Safety Tips Everyone Traveling To Japan Should Know

東京都の防災情報ハンドブック「東京防災」の英語版をまとめた記事です。海外の方々で困っている人がもし周りにいたら、ぜひ教えてあげてください。

Japan is a country known for being a seismically active, and there's a chance you'll experience an earthquake, whether small or large.

A manual released by "the Tokyo Metropolitan Government" helps you stay prepared in case a big earthquake strikes.

Here’s a list of safety tips everyone traveling to Japan (or any seismically active area) should know, thanks to a manual released by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government:

1. When an earthquake strikes, your safety comes first.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

Always give top priority to protecting yourself and your family. Move quickly to somewhere secure once the quake subsides, but be aware of what is happening around you.

2. Secure an exit after the shake subsides.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

Secure an exit by opening a window, door and a front door so you can evacuate at anytime. If you are using an open flame, stay calm and extinguish all flames immediately.

3. If you are trapped, do not keep on shouting. Make loud noises instead.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

Be careful of fallen objects and broken glass inside the room. If you get trapped inside a room, don't shout but make loud noises instead to let others know where you are.

4. Never use elevators or try to light a fire.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

There's a possibility of gas leaks after a quake, so do not light a fire. Do not touch light switches.

An important thing to remember is to refrain from using the phone for non-emergency calls. This could overload call lines right after an emergency. If it's not urgent, do not call.

5. At train stations, crouch down and wait for the shaking to subside.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

Always protect yourself from falling objects. If you're in a crowded platform and you can't move around, crouch down. Never go onto the tracks.

If you are on a train, make sure not to fall over when the train makes an emergency stop. Follow the instructions of train crews once the quake subsides.

6. Know when to evacuate.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

Try to gather information from news and public authorities as well as information you can confirm with your own eyes. Use this information to decide whether or not to evacuate.

7. When evacuating, keep away from dangerous objects, like things that may fall over and power lines.

Disaster Preparedness Tokyo / Via bousai.metro.tokyo.jp

Make sure to stay away from objects that might fall over easily. Do not touch broken power lines. Do not rush out or you could be injured by fallen objects.

You can also use an app like "Safety tips," which alerts you with early earthquake warnings.

Safety tips

The app is available in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Download from App Store or Google Play.

您可以在东京都的网站上找到中文版的「东京防灾」与遇灾害时的行动指南。

您可以在東京都的網站上找到中文版的「東京防災」與遇災害時的行動指南。

지진발생시에 해야할 일・해서는 안되는 일이 「도쿄 방재」에 한국어로 모아지고 있습니다. 정보를 구하시는 분은 링크를 클릭 해주시기 바랍니다.