Earthquakes in Tokyo

Tokyo is a city that runs on routines — train lines, convenience stores, “just-in-case” habits. Earthquake preparedness fits that same Tokyo logic: you don’t prepare because you’re panicking; you prepare because it’s the sensible way to keep normal life possible after something very abnormal.

 

Tokyo’s own disaster material assumes a serious scenario: a magnitude 7.3 quake in northern Tokyo Bay, with some areas reaching seismic intensity 7 and a large portion of the wards experiencing 6 or higher. That’s the mindset behind the advice below.

Make sure your home helps instead of fights you

Most earthquake injuries happen because a normal apartment becomes a falling-object obstacle course. Make sure to anchor things that can fall, and zone your space so you have clear paths from all rooms.

• Secure tall furniture and TVs so they can’t tip.
• Make sure that any big furniture items can not fall in front of the doors, blocking the exits.
• Keep the area around beds and sofas “clean” of heavy items that could fall at night.
• Make exits workable: Tokyo guidance stresses opening doors/windows to secure escape routes after shaking, and not rushing outside immediately due to falling debris (tiles, glass, signs).

When to shelter in place during an earthquake

Tokyo’s guide advice is very practical: stay under a sturdy table during strong shaking and protect yourself from falling objects. If you have kids, practice this like a game — because muscle memory beats fear.

Also, make sure everyone in the family has their own mobile phone. This is not only a convenience in daily life, but it is also a necessity when disaster strikes.

 

Tokyo explicitly points to services like Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171), web171, mobile carrier boards, and even posting “I’m safe” on SNS (X/Facebook/LINE) as a quick status signal. Choose one method that your family will default to.

And remember to keep both your phone and the spare batteries (note the plural) charged all the time. If an earthquake hits when you are running out of battery and power gets cut, you are toast.

 

What to keep at home – and how much for earthquake preparedness

The easiest way to get the supplies you need right in Tokyo is to use Tokyo’s own stockpiling tool, Tokyo Bichiku Navi, which asks about the sex/age composition of your household and produces a tailored list and quantities.

 

A good mental model is layered stockpiling:

• Base layer (everyone): water, shelf-stable food, headlamps, batteries/power banks, basic first aid, hygiene supplies, trash bags, wet wipes, portable radio, cash. In summer, double the amount of water.
• Family layer (kids change everything): age-appropriate food, comfort items, extra hygiene, backup chargers, and a “one-hand” kit for caregivers who may be carrying a child. Do not forget pet food, if you have them.
• Special needs layer: allergies, prescriptions, mobility aids, hearing devices, etc. Do not forget ladies’ sanity napkins.

 

No less than seven days

For “how many days,” Tokyo’s Mount Fuji ashfall preparedness site is unusually explicit and useful as a general rule of thumb for major disruptions: stockpile at least three days, and if possible, seven days or more, noting that the 1707 Hoei eruption lasted about two weeks. Even though that page is about volcanic ash, the logic (transport disruption, supply chain interruption, power/water uncertainty) overlaps strongly with a major quake in Tokyo.

 

When should you leave home, and go where during an earthquake?

For many Tokyo earthquakes, the best initial plan is often “stay put unless you’re in danger” — but the “unless” matters.

Tokyo’s guidance is clear on why you might evacuate: a key secondary threat after a quake is fire, especially in dense neighborhoods. Many residential areas are still full of wooden structures, and sometimes whole blocks burn down when someone has been smoking in bed and forgot to put out their cigarette. If a large-scale fire danger approaches and you feel you’re in danger, call out to others and evacuate to a temporary meeting place or shelter.

 

How to know where to evacuate

 

Tokyo provides multiple official channels with information on when to leave home, apart from radio and TV broadcasts. They are all coordinated to make sure residents can move out of harm’s way quickly and efficiently.

• The Disaster Preparedness Tokyo app can show evacuation sites and shelters on maps, and lets you register “My Area” to receive local disaster information. This app is also providing earthquake/tsunami/volcano info and (depending on version) offline maps and evacuation routing features.
• Tokyo also designates wide-area evacuation sites in the wards specifically to protect residents from post-earthquake fires, under Tokyo’s earthquake countermeasures ordinance framework.
• The Tokyo city website gives updated information about evacuation areas and evacuation orders.
• Tokyo also provides a little handbook on paper, which can be used offline to find out where to go. Information is structured by ward.

If you’re new to Tokyo, set the app up on a calm weekend, not when the sirens have started blaring.

Complaining after earthquakes

In a rental, your goal after a quake is to do two things at once:

1. Prevent secondary damage, and
2. Create a clean paper trail.

Contact your landlord/management company immediately if you have: cracked windows, water leaks, gas smell, power issues, door/frame distortion, or any structural-looking cracks. Report it. Take photos and send them. It also helps if you can compare against the photos you took when you moved in and inspected the apartment. Even if the damage seems minor, report early — because in the water and sewage systems, a “small leak” becomes mold, and mold becomes an argument.

 

How to complain (Tokyo-style)

• Take photos and a short video, with time and date.
• Send one concise message: what happened, what you observed, what is unsafe/unusable, and what you need (inspection/repair).
• Avoid booking major repairs yourself unless there’s an urgent safety risk; management often wants its own contractors.

For cost responsibility, Japan’s MLIT “restoration to original condition” guidance exists precisely because tenant–landlord cost disputes happen; it sets out common thinking about who bears repair costs when moving out. In earthquake situations, the cause matters (building defect vs. tenant negligence vs. normal wear), so documentation is your best friend.

What about condos?

If you live in a condominium (bunsō), you may need to contact both: your unit’s insurer (for any interior damage) and the building management association (common areas: exterior walls, roof membranes, shared pipes).
Keep the same evidence discipline: photos, notes, and timelines.

If you are renting the condo, no matter how long, the situation is the same as in an apartment. The condo owner is your landlord. Let everything go through them.

House owners beware of scammers

You are the management company. Aftershocks can worsen damage, so prioritize stopping leaks and protecting electrical areas. Get a professional inspection if you suspect roof or foundation issues.

Make sure to avoid quick “storm-chaser” style contractors during crisis weeks. Scammers abound in Japan, and will especially prey on people who do not know the situation. Never agree to let someone who walks up from the street work on your property.

Get the right insurance

Earthquake risk is one place where Japan is very specific: Earthquake Insurance is a separate system, attached to fire insurance, and covers damage from earthquake, volcanic eruption, and tsunami (fire insurance alone generally doesn’t cover earthquake-caused fire the same way).

So here is an insurance shortlist:

• Fire insurance + Earthquake insurance add-on (often essential for homeowners, and very relevant for renters’ contents too).
• Personal liability coverage (if your unit causes damage to others — e.g., water leakage from a broken pipe).
• Contents coverage sized to your actual replacement costs (kids’ gear adds up fast).

A volcanic eruption is not “earthquake 2.0.” Especially not in Tokyo. It’s a different inconvenience profile: ash, air quality, clogged drains, transport stoppage, and longer disruption. It only happens very rarely — even when it was at its most active, Mt Fuji only erupted every 70 years. And the ash was not even worth recording.

 

However, that is how Tokyo will notice a volcanic eruption. Tokyo’s Mount Fuji ashfall site notes that volcanic ash could reach Tokyo in about two hours, depending on wind direction, and emphasizes information gathering from reliable sources like the Japan Meteorological Agency and local government. It also explains JMA’s ashfall forecasts, including rapid forecasts issued within minutes after an eruption and more detailed forecasts within tens of minutes.

An earthquake is a kinetic event. The ground shakes, and then it is over. Falling ash from a volcanic eruption means doing ash-specific preparations that is different from earthquake preparation.

• Masks and eye protection: snug masks and even industrial-certified masks (DS2/N95) for prolonged outdoor work, plus goggles and long sleeves. The ash gets everywhere unless you are covered.
• Keep ash out of your home: seal gaps with towels and masking tape; keep windows/doors closed.
• Drain protection: ash hardens when wet and can clog drains; don’t wash it down sinks or flush it in the toilet.
• Cleaning tools: brooms and collection bags; clean as soon as possible while wearing protection.
• Air conditioner protection: Cover the outdoor unit to prevent ash intrusion and breakdown.

And again, because ash events can disrupt logistics longer, Tokyo recommends stockpiling food and necessities for at least three days and ideally seven days or more. Do not forget water. The ash may disrupt the pumping system for the drinking water. Double the recommended stockpile in summer.

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