JapanLiveNowLIVE
US
Disasters · Earthquake safety

What to Do If an Earthquake Hits During Your Japan Trip

Protect your head and body first. Once the shaking stops, check whether you're hurt and look for broken glass or things that could fall around you. If you're at the coast, prepare for a tsunami too.

Official sources checked: 2026-10-12

If an Earthquake Hits, Remember These Three Things

  1. Protect yourself first. Shield your head from falling objects, and don't rush outside.
  2. Once it stops, check your surroundings. Check whether you're hurt, and follow the guidance if staff or on-site announcements tell you to evacuate.
  3. At the coast, prepare for a tsunami. If you feel a strong quake — or even weak shaking that goes on and on — evacuate to high ground or another safe place without waiting for a warning.

Official sources: JNTO · Earthquake actions by situation (in Korean) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation at the coast (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

After the shaking stops, what should I do first?

First check whether you're hurt. Also check for broken glass or things that could fall around you. Don't head straight to your hotel or the station just because the shaking stopped. Aftershocks can follow, so put your shoes on and move as staff or on-site announcements direct.

  1. If you need an ambulance or rescue, call 119. Ask people around you for help, and once the call connects, give the address or facility name where you are.
  2. Before heading back to your hotel, ask the staff. Ask whether you may enter your room and whether the route to the hotel is restricted. Don't go into a damaged building to get your luggage.
  3. Once you reach a safe place, contact your family. Briefly tell them where you are and whether you're hurt.

Official sources: JNTO · Earthquake actions by situation (in Korean) ↗ · JNTO · Tourist support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Seismic activity after a large earthquake (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

Should you act differently in big cities and small towns?

Where you are matters more than the size of the city. On streets with many buildings, glass and signs can fall; on mountain roads, rocks can fall and slopes can collapse. At the coast, prepare for a tsunami. Check below for what to do where you are.

Streets with many buildings and shops

Shield your head with a bag or something similar, and stay out from directly below buildings with glass windows or signs. After the shaking stops, check for anything that could fall and move to an open area away from buildings. If you're told to evacuate on-site, follow that guidance.

Remember: Protect your head, and stay out from under glass windows and signs.

Official sources: JNTO · What to do in buildings and busy streets during an earthquake (in English) ↗
Source checked:

Mountain roads, cliffs, and slopes

Near mountains or cliffs, rocks can fall and slopes can collapse. Get away from dangerous slopes and evacuate to a safe place. Before heading back to your lodging, ask first whether the roads are blocked. A nearby road is not necessarily a safe one.

Remember: Stay away from slopes, and make sure your route back is safe.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Evacuation near mountains, cliffs, and coasts (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake damage by building and terrain (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

Coasts, ports, and river mouths

If you feel a strong quake — or even weak shaking that goes on and on — evacuate to high ground or another safe place without waiting for a tsunami warning. Don't delay evacuating to take photos or go back for luggage left at your lodging.

Remember: Evacuate first; don't wait for a tsunami warning.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation at the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Seismic activity after a large earthquake (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

In hotels, stations, and trains

Protect your head and stay away from windows and furniture that could topple. When evacuating, take the stairs as staff direct. In stations and on trains, follow staff and crew instructions, and don't step 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) ↗
Source checked:

Can I keep traveling after an earthquake?

If you've been told to evacuate or there's damage around you, stop sightseeing. Even if it felt weak, check that your accommodation and the attractions you'll visit are available and that transport is operating before planning what's next.

Can I decide to cancel my trip based only on 'magnitude 6.5'?

Magnitude (M) measures the size of the earthquake itself. Seismic intensity describes how strongly it shook where you are. The same quake shakes different areas with different intensity and damage, so it's hard to decide whether to cancel or continue your trip on magnitude alone. Look at damage and evacuation guidance for the area you'll visit, along with your lodging and transportation.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Magnitude and seismic intensity (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

If it felt weak and you see no damage

Check warnings and evacuation guidance first. Then confirm that your lodging and the places you'll visit are open, and that the trains or buses you'll take are running. Don't set out right away assuming a weak aftershock means it's fine.

If there's damage or you can't move on

First find a safe place to stay. If you can't use your lodging, ask staff about a shelter; if stopped trains keep you from getting around, ask about a place to rest temporarily. If you're heading home, check not just your flight but also how you'll get to the airport.

The risk of aftershocks doesn't disappear just because time has passed. A larger quake can follow the first one. Before restarting your plans, check the Japan Meteorological Agency and the area's official notices again, plus whether your lodging and transportation are operating.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Seismic activity after a large earthquake (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Disaster and transportation information (in English) ↗ · Shinjuku City · Temporary facilities for people unable to return home (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

What should I check before going back to my hotel or heading home?

Check your lodging, your transportation, and your flight separately. Even if your plane is flying, the train to the airport may be stopped. Confirm you can get there safely before you move.

  • Hotel: Ask whether you can enter your room and whether the route to the hotel is restricted.
  • Trains & buses: Check the operator's official notices to see whether your section is running.
  • Flights: Check on the airline's website or app whether your booked flight is operating normally. Also check how you'll get to the airport.

If you need to change or cancel a booking, ask the company you booked with about the conditions. A disaster doesn't mean every booking can be canceled for free.

What to do when your flight is delayed or canceled → · Check transportation in Japan →

Official sources: JNTO · Disaster and transportation information (in English) ↗
Source checked:

Who do I call if I need urgent help?

If you need an ambulance or rescue: 119

119 · Ambulance, fire, rescue

Give the address or facility name where you are, and the condition of anyone hurt. If it's hard to explain by phone, ask nearby staff for help.

English-language travel assistance from JNTO

050-3816-2787
From overseas: +81-50-3816-2787

Available 24 hours a day in Korean, English, and Chinese. Call when trouble during your trip — from disasters and accidents to illness — leaves you needing help. If you need emergency rescue, call 119 first instead of this line.

Official sources: JNTO · Tourist support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗
Source checked:

If you are a Korean national who has lost a passport or needs consular help, see Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan · Lost passport guidance (in Korean) and contact the embassy or consulate serving the area you're in. Travelers of other nationalities should contact their own country's embassy or consulate.

Good to know

How to find shelters and get help in Japan →How to find a shelter and ask for water, food, and interpreter helpTraveling in Japan: what should you pack to prepare for disasters? →Extra cash and your passport, plus what to prepare on your phone in advance

Frequently asked questions

Should I cancel my whole Japan trip if the magnitude is 6.5 or higher?

You can't decide to cancel your whole Japan trip based on the number 6.5 alone. Check whether the area you're visiting has damage, whether evacuation guidance has been issued, and whether your lodging and transportation are usable. If you've been told to evacuate or your lodging is damaged, stop sightseeing and move somewhere safe.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Magnitude and seismic intensity (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Disaster and transportation information (in English) ↗
Source checked:

If it was just a weak aftershock, can I get right back to sightseeing?

Rather than setting out right away, check nearby damage and warnings first. Then confirm that your lodging and the places you'll visit are usable, and that the trains or buses you'll take are running. If you're at the coast and feel a strong quake — or even weak shaking that goes on and on — evacuate to high ground or another safe place without waiting for a tsunami warning.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Seismic activity after a large earthquake (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation at the coast (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

Small towns have fewer buildings — does that make earthquakes no big deal?

Fewer buildings alone doesn't make a place safe. Near mountains or cliffs, rocks can fall and slopes can collapse; at the coast, prepare for a tsunami. Look at the risks where you are — not 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 · Evacuation near mountains, cliffs, and coasts (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation at the coast (in Japanese) ↗
Source checked:

Official sources for this guide

This guide is based on the official sources below. For current earthquake information, open shelters, and transportation, check the latest notices for the area you're traveling in. When reading guidance for another area, make sure it also applies where you are.

Official sources: Japan Meteorological Agency · Earthquake information (in Korean) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Magnitude and seismic intensity (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Seismic activity after a large 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 · Evacuation near mountains, cliffs, and coasts (in Japanese) ↗ · Japan Meteorological Agency · Tsunami evacuation at the coast (in Japanese) ↗ · JNTO · Disaster and transportation information (in English) ↗ · JNTO · Tourist support hotline and emergency contacts (in English) ↗
Source checked:

The checked date is when the official sources were last checked. When looking up current warnings, open shelters, and transportation, also check when each notice was issued. If you are told to evacuate on-site, follow that guidance first.