Disasters · Typhoons

If a typhoon is approaching while you are travelling in Japan

Check first whether an evacuation advisory has been issued for the area where your accommodation is. If you are in a dangerous place, evacuate before the wind and rain strengthen. If roads are already flooded or the wind and rain are too strong to go outside, do not push on to the airport or a distant shelter. Move to a safer spot where you are now, and follow the instructions from your accommodation staff or on-site broadcasts. Also check whether your booked flights and trains are running.

Official sources checked 2026-10-12

If the wind and rain are strong now

Stop sightseeing and stay away from the coast and swollen rivers. Indoors, move away from glass windows.
If an evacuation order has been issued for your area, leave dangerous places immediately. People who need more time to evacuate, and those who assist them, should start moving from Level 3 if they are in a dangerous place.
If roads are flooded or the wind and rain make travel dangerous, do not try to reach a distant shelter. If possible, move somewhere safer than where you are now — for example, an upper floor of a sturdy building away from rivers and slopes.
Do not go outside just because the wind and rain suddenly calm. Strong winds can return from the opposite direction after the eye of the typhoon passes.

Official sources: Fukuoka City · What to do when a typhoon approaches (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and when to evacuate (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Who should evacuate at Level 3 and what to do (in Korean) ↗ · JNTO · What to do when a Level 4 evacuation order is issued (in Korean) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Typhoon winds and the eye (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

How to read Japanese signs and notices

When you see the Japanese below on a sign or a phone alert, check what it means. Do not look at the numbers alone — read together what danger it warns of and which area or section it applies to.

計画運休

Meaning It means train services will be suspended in advance to prepare for the typhoon and similar conditions.

What to do In the notice, find the date and line you plan to use, and the sections and times being suspended. Arrange accommodation beforehand and change your travel plans.

This does not mean all trains will run until the suspension starts, or that they will all resume the next day. Check separately whether you can take other trains or buses.

Official sources: JR West · Planned service suspension (in Japanese) ↗
Checked: 2026-10-12

高齢者等避難

Meaning It means people who need more time to evacuate should evacuate first.

What to do Older people, people with disabilities, infants and young children in dangerous places in the target area — and those who assist them — should evacuate from Level 3.

This is a Level 3 notice. Others should also prepare to evacuate and evacuate early if needed. It applies to anyone who needs time to move, regardless of age.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and alert levels (in Japanese) ↗
Checked: 2026-10-12

避難指示

Meaning It means everyone in a dangerous place should evacuate.

What to do If where you are is a dangerous place in the target area, evacuate immediately. If roads are already flooded or travel is dangerous, do not try to reach a distant shelter.

This is a Level 4 notice. It applies to the areas named in the notice, so read the area names together with it.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and alert levels (in Japanese) ↗
Checked: 2026-10-12

緊急安全確保

Meaning It means a disaster has already occurred or is imminent, and you must protect yourself right now.

What to do Move immediately to somewhere safer than where you are, as far as possible. If going outside is more dangerous, do not try to move to a distant shelter.

This is Level 5. Do not delay evacuating until this point. An upper floor or a sturdy building is not always safe.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and alert levels (in Japanese) ↗
Checked: 2026-10-12

レベル４危険警報

Meaning It is a Level 4 danger warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

What to do Check the hazard map around your accommodation and the evacuation information for your area. If you are in a dangerous place, do not wait only for the local government instructions — evacuate early.

The flood risk information from the Japan Meteorological Agency and evacuation orders from local governments serve different roles. Not every warning — including 暴風警報 (Storm Warnings) — corresponds to these 5 levels.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and alert levels (in Japanese) ↗
Checked: 2026-10-12

Should I cancel my trip if a typhoon is forecast?

First check when the wind and rain will strengthen in the area you are visiting, whether you can stay at your accommodation, and whether your return transport will run. A typhoon forecast alone is not a reason to cancel your whole Japan trip — nor is it a reason to decide it is safe to continue.

If you plan to visit the coast or move to another city when the wind and rain strengthen, it is better to shorten or postpone that plan. If transport may stop and you cannot reach your accommodation, contact your accommodation and booking providers before you depart. Ask whether you can change dates or cancel, and whether it will cost you.

If you are already in Japan, ask your accommodation staff where to get evacuation information and where to go inside the building. Charge your phone and portable battery, and prepare the water and food you need before going outside becomes difficult.

Check the Japan Meteorological Agency forecast for your accommodation and the areas you will travel through. Check when the forecast was issued first, and do not apply a previously saved track map to today's plans as it is.
Look up the hazard map for your accommodation's address. Check for flooding risk, landslide risk on slopes, and storm-surge risk from the sea during a typhoon. Decide where to evacuate and how to get there before the wind and rain strengthen.
Check whether your flight is operating by entering your booking date and flight number on the airline's website or app. For trains, check on the railway company's website whether the line and section you will use are running. Also look for planned suspension notices issued in advance for typhoons.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · How to read the typhoon track map (in Japanese) ↗ · Fukuoka City · What to do when a typhoon approaches (in Japanese) ↗ · Miyakojima Local Meteorological Observatory · Points to note when preparing for a typhoon (in Japanese) ↗ · JR West · Planned service suspension (in Japanese) ↗ · JAL · How to change or refund when international flight times change or flights are cancelled (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

What should I look at on the typhoon track map?

Look at the white dotted circle together with the forecast for your accommodation's area. The white dotted circle shows the range the typhoon's centre is expected to enter. It does not show the typhoon's size or how far the rain will reach.

The typhoon does not necessarily follow the line drawn on the map. When you look at the map, distinguish when the forecast was issued from when the typhoon is expected to arrive. The track can change, so check the latest forecast again.

There are rain clouds outside the typhoon too. Moist air from the typhoon can develop rain clouds along nearby fronts. A front is the boundary where different air masses meet. So heavy rain can fall far from the typhoon's centre. Do not feel safe just because your accommodation is outside the line on the track.

The Japan Meteorological Agency tells you how dangerous the rain and wind will become. City and ward offices tell you who in which area should evacuate and when. Do not look only at the JMA forecast — check the evacuation information for your accommodation's area too.

Japan Meteorological Agency diagram of the typhoon's eye, eyewall, and inner and outer rainbands — In the diagram, 眼 is the eye of the typhoon and 眼の壁 is the eyewall surrounding it. 内側降雨帯 and 外側降雨帯 are the inner and outer rainbands. Rain clouds continue outside the centre too. This is not a map showing the current typhoon's position or size.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, 「台風に伴う雨の特性」 (Characteristics of rain accompanying typhoons) · PDL1.0 · used unchanged · Terms of use
Sources and terms checked: 2026-10-12

When should I evacuate from my accommodation?

If you are in a dangerous place, evacuate before the wind and rain strengthen. When a Level 4 evacuation order is issued, everyone in a dangerous place must evacuate. Do not wait until Level 5.

Check whether your accommodation is in the area named in the evacuation information. If it is in a low-lying place that could flood or near a slope, ask the staff where and how to evacuate. Being in a tall building does not mean you can stay as you are.

If roads are already flooded or the wind makes travel dangerous, do not cross them to reach a shelter. Move to somewhere safer among the places you can reach now — for example, an upper floor of a sturdy building away from rivers and slopes. Staying indoors like this is what to do once going outside becomes difficult. It does not mean you should wait until going outside becomes difficult.

Even if a shelter is shown on the map, it may not be open now. Check city or ward notices for whether it can protect you from the current danger — such as flooding or storm surge — and whether it is currently open. You can also ask your accommodation staff or the staff guiding evacuation on site.

Level 3 · People who should evacuate early / 高齢者等避難

If you are in a dangerous place, people who need more time to evacuate — older people, people with disabilities, infants and young children — and those who assist them should evacuate early. Others should also cut back on non-urgent outings and prepare to evacuate.

Level 4 · Everyone in dangerous places must evacuate / 避難指示

Everyone in a dangerous place in the target area must evacuate immediately. If the Japan Meteorological Agency has already issued Level 4 information, do not wait only for the city or ward order. Look at the danger where you are and your evacuation route, and move early.

Level 5 · Protect yourself immediately / 緊急安全確保

A disaster has already occurred or may occur soon, and lives are at risk. It may be hard to evacuate far, so move immediately to somewhere safer among the places you can reach now.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and when to evacuate (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Who should evacuate at Level 3 and what to do (in Korean) ↗ · JNTO · What to do when a Level 4 evacuation order is issued (in Korean) ↗ · Fukuoka City · What to do when a typhoon approaches (in Japanese) ↗ · Miyakojima Local Meteorological Observatory · Points to note when preparing for a typhoon (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Which places should I avoid when wind and rain are strong?

Stop non-urgent outings. Indoors, stay away from glass windows; outdoors, avoid the coast, swollen rivers and slopes. If roads are not flooded and it is safe to pass, take shelter in a nearby sturdy building.

If you are in your accommodation or a shop

Stay away from glass windows and move to where the staff direct you. Do not go outside to bring in balcony items or to film. If there is a risk of water coming in, or an evacuation order has been issued, do not stay as you are just because you are indoors.

If you are in an underground shopping area or station

If water may come in, or staff guide you to evacuate, move early. Follow staff instructions and move before water comes in to somewhere above ground that flooding cannot reach. Do not go underground to escape the wind and rain. Once water starts flowing down the stairs, it can become hard to climb up.

If you are at the coast, a river or on a mountain road

Do not go close to watch high waves or swollen water. Avoid slopes and cliffs too. High waves can continue at the coast even after the typhoon passes.

Do not go outside just because the wind and rain ease for a moment or the sky clears. Inside the eye of the typhoon the wind can weaken, but after the eye passes, strong winds can blow again from the opposite direction.

Official sources: Fukuoka City · What to do when a typhoon approaches (in Japanese) ↗ · Osaka City · Points to note underground when heavy rain comes (in Japanese) ↗ · Miyakojima Local Meteorological Observatory · Points to note when preparing for a typhoon (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Typhoon winds and the eye (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and when to evacuate (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Who should I ask if flights or trains stop?

For flights, ask the airline and where you bought the ticket; for trains, ask the railway company or station staff. Even if flights are operating, the trains or buses to the airport may have stopped.

If you are already at a station or the airport, follow the announcements, display boards and staff instructions. When you ask, mention your booking reference and flight or train name, and where you are staying.

If a planned suspension has been announced, first ask whether you can keep staying at your accommodation. It is better to postpone plans to move to the next city until the railway company's information changes. Check separately whether you can take other transport, and whether trains will run the next day.

Check whether your booked flight is operating

Look it up on the airline's website or app with your booking date and flight number. Check whether the departure time has changed or the flight has been cancelled. If you need to change or cancel the booking, ask whether different change or refund rules apply to this flight. If you bought it from a travel agent, contact them too.

Check when trains will stop

If a planned suspension (計画運休 · planned service suspension) notice has been issued, check the date and line, the sections being suspended and the scheduled start time. It is announced in advance when major disruption from a typhoon is expected. Avoid plans to keep sightseeing until that time and return on the last train.

Check whether you can reach the airport

Check on each operator's website whether the trains and buses from your accommodation to the airport are running. A stopped train does not mean you can immediately take a taxi or travel safely by road. If travel is dangerous, first tell the airline and where you bought the ticket about your situation.

Official sources: JR West · Planned service suspension (in Japanese) ↗ · JAL · How to change or refund when international flight times change or flights are cancelled (in Japanese) ↗ · Fukuoka City · What to do when a typhoon approaches (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Can I continue travelling right after the typhoon passes?

Do not set out just because it looks calm outside. First check the area's weather information and evacuation notices, then decide your next plans after confirming you can stay at your accommodation and that your flights, trains and buses are running.

If you need to change or cancel bookings, contact your accommodation and booking providers. Ask separately whether you can cancel for free, whether there are seats on other flights, and whether extra accommodation costs can be covered. A typhoon does not guarantee everything. Keep your changed booking details and notice messages. If you use travel insurance, ask your insurer what documents you need and how to claim.

First check how the area's evacuation notices have changed. Even as the typhoon's centre moves away, danger can remain from high waves or rain. Do not go to the coast, rivers or slopes to look.
Ask your accommodation staff whether you can keep staying, whether you can use water and electricity, and whether coming and going is a problem. If you cannot stay there, ask local staff to guide you to a shelter or somewhere to stay.
Check again whether your booked flights and the trains and buses to the airport are running. Trains do not resume just because the rain stops. Do not go to the station based only on a notice saying when services are expected to resume — move according to actual operating information.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Why it rains even far from the typhoon's centre (in Japanese) ↗ · Miyakojima Local Meteorological Observatory · Points to note when preparing for a typhoon (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and when to evacuate (in Japanese) ↗ · JR West · Planned service suspension (in Japanese) ↗ · JAL · How to change or refund when international flight times change or flights are cancelled (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Traveller support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Who do I call if I am hurt or need help?

If you urgently need an ambulance or firefighters, call 119 in Japan. If travel difficulties arise from the disaster and you want advice, you can contact the JNTO traveller support hotline.

The JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline is 050-3816-2787 inside Japan and +81-50-3816-2787 from abroad. It takes accident, illness and disaster enquiries in Korean, English and Chinese, 24 hours a day. If you need emergency dispatch, call 119 before this number.

When the call connects, give your accommodation's name and address, where you are now, and what help you need. You can see how to find a shelter or ask staff for water, medicine or interpretation in the shelter guide below. Supplies and interpretation are not always available.

Official sources: JNTO · Traveller support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗ · JNTO · What to do when a Level 4 evacuation order is issued (in Korean) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Is it fine if my accommodation is outside the typhoon's track?

Do not feel safe just because you are outside the line on the track. The circle on the forecast map shows the range the typhoon's centre is expected to enter, not how far the rain will reach. Heavy rain can fall far from the centre. Check the weather information for your accommodation's area together with the city or ward evacuation notices.

Can I go outside if the wind suddenly calms?

Do not go outside just because it calms for a moment. Inside the eye of the typhoon the wind can weaken and the sky can clear, but after the eye passes, strong winds can blow again from the opposite direction. Move according to the latest weather information and evacuation notices for your area.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Typhoon winds and the eye (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and when to evacuate (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Can I stay at my accommodation until an evacuation order is issued?

If you are in a dangerous place, do not just wait for an evacuation order. If the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued Level 3 or 4 information, look at the danger where you are and your evacuation route, and move early. People who need more time to evacuate — older people, people with disabilities, infants and young children — and those who assist them should evacuate from Level 3 if they are in a dangerous place.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Weather information and when to evacuate (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Who should evacuate at Level 3 and what to do (in Korean) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Can I go to an underground shopping area or station to escape the wind and rain?

Do not take shelter in underground spaces where water may come in. Once water pours down the stairs, it can become hard to climb back up to the surface. If you are already underground, follow staff instructions and evacuate early before water comes in.

Official sources: Osaka City · Points to note underground when heavy rain comes (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

If my flight is operating, can I head to the airport?

Check whether the trains or buses to the airport are running and whether the route is dangerous. Even if your flight is operating, transport to the airport may have stopped. If travel is dangerous or transport is cut off, do not push on — tell the airline and where you bought the ticket about your situation and ask how to change the booking.

Can I cancel flights and accommodation for free with just a typhoon forecast?

Not every booking can be cancelled for free. Ask the airline whether different change or refund rules apply to your booked flight, and ask where you bought the ticket about the procedure. Accommodation has different booking conditions, so contact them separately. If a cancellation has been decided, ask the airline and the seller how you can change or refund that flight.

Official sources: JAL · How to change or refund when international flight times change or flights are cancelled (in Japanese) ↗
Sources checked: 2026-10-12

Official sources for this guide

Check current warnings and access restrictions in the notices for each area. For whether trains and flights are running, see the latest notices from the transport operators.