What to do if an earthquake hits during your Japan trip
Protect your head and body first. Once the shaking stops, check for injuries and look out for broken glass or anything that could fall. If you are near the sea, be ready for a tsunami too.
Official sources checked: 2026-10-12
If an earthquake hits, remember these three things first
- Protect yourself first. Protect your head from falling objects, and don't rush outside.
- Once the shaking stops, check your surroundings. Check for injuries, and if staff or a public announcement tells you to evacuate, follow their guidance.
- Near the coast, be ready for a tsunami. If you feel strong shaking — or shaking that continues for a long time even if it feels weak — move to high ground or another safe place without waiting for a tsunami warning.
Official sources: JNTO · Earthquake actions by situation (in Korean) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation on the coast (in Japanese) ↗
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What should I do first after the shaking stops?
First check yourself for injuries. Look around for broken glass or anything that could fall. Don't head straight back to your hotel or the station after the shaking stops. Aftershocks can follow, so put your shoes on and move as staff or public announcements direct you.
- If you need an ambulance or a rescue, call 119. Ask people around you for help, and once the call connects, give your current address or the name of the facility you are in.
- Ask staff before going back to your hotel. Ask whether it is safe to go into your room and whether the way back to the hotel is restricted. Don't go into a damaged building just to pick up your luggage.
- Once you are somewhere safe, contact your family. Let them know briefly where you are and whether you are injured.
Official sources: JNTO · Earthquake actions by situation (in Korean) ↗ · JNTO · Traveller support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake activity after a major earthquake (in Japanese) ↗
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Should I act differently in big cities and small towns?
Where you are right now matters more than the size of the city. On streets with many buildings, glass and signs can fall; on mountain trails, rocks can fall and slopes can collapse. Near the sea, be ready for a tsunami. Check below for what to do where you are.
Streets with many buildings and shops
Cover your head with a bag or something similar, and stay away from directly beneath buildings with glass windows or signs. Once the shaking stops, watch for anything that could fall as you move to an open area away from buildings. If you are told to evacuate on site, follow the guidance.
Remember: Protect your head and stay clear of glass windows and signs.
Official sources: JNTO · What to do in buildings and busy streets during an earthquake (in English) ↗
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Mountain trails, cliffs and slopes
If you are near mountains or cliffs, rocks can fall and slopes can collapse. Get away from dangerous slopes and move somewhere safe. Before heading back to your accommodation, ask first whether the roads are blocked. The nearest route is not necessarily the safest.
Remember: Stay away from slopes and check that your route back is safe.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Evacuating near mountains, cliffs and the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake damage by building and terrain (in Japanese) ↗
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Coasts, ports and river mouths
If you feel strong shaking — or shaking that continues for a long time even if it feels weak — move to high ground or another safe place without waiting for a tsunami warning. Don't delay your evacuation by stopping to take photos or going back for luggage you left at your accommodation.
Remember: Evacuate first; don't wait for a tsunami warning.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation on the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake activity after a major earthquake (in Japanese) ↗
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Hotels, stations and trains
Protect your head and stay away from windows and furniture that could topple. When evacuating, follow staff guidance and use the stairs. At stations and on trains, follow the staff or crew's instructions and don't go down onto the tracks on your own.
Remember: Follow staff guidance, and don't go down onto the tracks.
Official sources: JNTO · Earthquake actions by situation (in Korean) ↗
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Can I keep travelling after an earthquake?
If you have been told to evacuate or there is damage around you, stop sightseeing. Even if it felt weak, check that your accommodation and the attractions you plan to visit are available, and that the transport you will use is operating, before deciding on your next plans.
Can I decide to cancel my trip just from a magnitude of 6.5?
Magnitude (M) is the size of the earthquake itself. Seismic intensity is how strongly it shook where you are. The same earthquake can cause different shaking and damage in different areas, so magnitude alone is not enough to decide whether to cancel your trip or continue. Check damage and evacuation guidance in the area you are visiting, together with your accommodation and transport.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Magnitude and seismic intensity (in Japanese) ↗
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If it felt weak and you can't see any damage
Check warnings and evacuation guidance first. Then check whether your accommodation and the places you plan to visit are open, and whether the trains or buses you need are running. Don't just set off thinking it was only a weak aftershock so it should be fine.
If there is damage or you can't travel
Find a safe place to stay first. If you can't use your accommodation, ask staff about evacuation shelters; if the trains have stopped and you can't get back, ask staff about a place where you can rest for now. If you are heading home, check not only your flight but also the transport to the airport.
The risk of aftershocks doesn't disappear just because time has passed. An earthquake even bigger than the first one can follow. Before resuming your plans, check the Japan Meteorological Agency and official notices for the area again, and check whether your accommodation and transport are operating.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake activity after a major earthquake (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Disaster and transport information (in English) ↗ · Shinjuku City · 新宿区 · Temporary stay facilities for people stranded away from home (in Japanese) ↗
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What should I check to get back to my hotel or fly home?
Check your accommodation, your transport and your flight separately. Even if your flight is operating, the train to the airport may be stopped. First make sure you can travel there safely, then move.
- Hotel: Ask whether you can go into your room and whether the way back to the hotel is restricted.
- Trains and buses: Check the operator's official notices to see whether the section you need is running.
- Flights: Check on the airline's website or app whether your booked flight is operating normally. You also need to check the transport to the airport.
If you need to change or cancel a booking, ask the company you booked with about the conditions. Not every booking can be cancelled for free just because a disaster happened.
What to do when your flight is delayed or cancelled → · Check transport in Japan →
Official sources: JNTO · Disaster and transport information (in English) ↗
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Who should I call if I need urgent help?
For an ambulance or a rescue, call 119
119 · Ambulance, fire and rescue
Give your current address or the name of the facility you are in, and describe the condition of anyone injured. If you can't explain over the phone, ask staff nearby for help.
JNTO travel assistance hotline
050-3816-2787
From overseas: +81-50-3816-2787
Available 24 hours a day, every day, in Korean, English and Chinese. Contact them if disaster, an accident or illness causes difficulties during your trip. If you need an emergency rescue, call 119 before calling here.
Official sources: JNTO · Traveller support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗
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If you are a South Korean national who has lost their passport or needs consular help, see Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan's lost-passport guide (in Korean) and contact the embassy or consulate that covers the area you are in. Travellers of other nationalities should contact their own country's embassy or consulate.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Should I cancel my whole Japan trip if the magnitude is 6.5 or more?
A magnitude of 6.5 alone is not a reason to cancel your whole Japan trip. Check whether the area you are going to is damaged, whether evacuation guidance has been issued, and whether your accommodation and transport are available. If you have been told to evacuate or your accommodation is damaged, stop sightseeing and move somewhere safe.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Magnitude and seismic intensity (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Disaster and transport information (in English) ↗
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If it was only a weak aftershock, can I go back to sightseeing right away?
Rather than setting off right away, check nearby damage and warnings first. Then check whether your accommodation and the places you plan to visit are available, and whether the trains or buses you need are running. If you felt strong shaking near the coast — or shaking that continues for a long time even if it feels weak — move to high ground or another safe place without waiting for a tsunami warning.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake activity after a major earthquake (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation on the coast (in Japanese) ↗
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Are smaller towns safe in an earthquake because they have fewer buildings?
Fewer buildings alone doesn't make a place safe. Near mountains or cliffs, rocks can fall and slopes can collapse, and near the sea you need to be ready for a tsunami. Look at the risks where you are rather than the size of the town, and follow on-site evacuation guidance.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake damage by building and terrain (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Evacuating near mountains, cliffs and the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation on the coast (in Japanese) ↗
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Official sources for this guide
This guide is based on the official sources below. For current earthquake information, open shelters and transport services, check the latest notices for the area you are travelling in. When reading guidance for another area, check whether it also applies to where you are.
Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake information (in Korean) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Magnitude and seismic intensity (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake activity after a major earthquake (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Earthquake actions by situation (in Korean) ↗ · JNTO · What to do in buildings and busy streets during an earthquake (in English) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake damage by building and terrain (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Evacuating near mountains, cliffs and the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation on the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Disaster and transport information (in English) ↗ · JNTO · Traveller support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗
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