Japan is an island country that lies at the the intersection of three tectonic plates. It is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami, typhoons, floods, and volcanic eruptions. The most common of these disasters are earthquakes, which Japan has the most of in the world (though most are not severe at all) and typhoons that hit every summer. Although severe natural diasters may not happen during your stay in Niigata, the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake and its resulting devastation reminded us all that we must be prepared and know what to do in case something should happen.

Preparation Checklist (to do when you get here)

Register with your embassy as soon as you arrive. Do not neglect to do this.

Read and keep the materials concerning natural disasters distributed by CLAIR at Tokyo Orientation.

Prepare a basic emergency pack. This may include: Bottle of water; 'Canteen'; 'Longlife' food such as 'Calorie Mate' and other snacks; Flashlight; Portable Radio; List of emergency phone numbers; Batteries; Band Aids; Gauze; Bandages; Sling; Antiseptic cream & wipes; Tape; Scissors; Pocket Knife; Clothes; Waterproofs; Plastic Bags; Blanket; Toothbrush & toothpaste; Soap; A book.

Download and fill out the Essential Information for JETs and Contracting Organizations form with your supervisor. This bilingual form is designed specifically to help you in times of emergency. It ensures that you, your supervisor and your PAs have the information they need. If you feel there is information that you do not want to provide, you may omit it. Make copies so that both you and your supervisor can keep one each (or more).

Find out where your designated evacuation point is (and write it on the above form).

Familiarize yourself with the Disaster Message Board system that you can use to contact others in the case of jammed phone lines.

What to do in the case of . . .

In any emergency, you should try and contact your supervisor and one of your Prefectural Advisors (PA) to let them know your situation. This might prove difficult as communications may be severly effected, but it is vital that you try to contact them to let them know you are all right. They will be busy trying to contact you and your board of education or base school. They will also be trying to give you as much helpful information as they can (via phone or this website) and help you take care of problems concerning your apartment, etc. that may arise from the disaster. Your PA's role during a natural disaster is to help you.

Earthquakes

Most earthquakes you will feel in Niigata will be so light that you may not even notice them. Earthquakes throughout the country are reported on almost every public television station stating where they occurred and what their intensity was. You may notice that if you actually do feel an earthquake, your coworkers will turn on the TV to find out what the intensity level was. This is how you know if it was a severe earthquake or not. During larger earthquakes, objects can be knocked over and it is hard to stand up. If such an earthquake occurs, your first priority is to protect yourself. If you are cooking or using a gas heater at the time of the earthquake, you should try to immediately turn off your stove and/or heater and protect yourself under something sturdy such as a kitchen table or a doorway. If the earthquake is registered over an intensity level of 5 on the Japanese seismic scale, a message is automatically sent by a microcomputer to turn off the gas flow to the buildings in the affected areas. After the earthquake, if you smell gas, be sure to open up the windows to ventilate your house and, although it is common sense, do not try to start any fires. Sometimes, due to the earthquake, the electricity may also go out. After the earthquake subsides a bit, make sure to open your front door to secure an exit and, if it is safe, exit your house. Be careful as the buildings around you may become architecturally unsound and unsafe to be around, especially when aftershocks occur. Try to contact your supervisor and other JETs in your area, and if possible meet up somewhere. Most people will then go to evacuation centers (usually junior high and high schools because they have a large gymnasium) where they can receive food and spend the night. It is not recommended that you stay in your car because there is a possibility that you may acquire "Economy Class Syndrome" so called because of blot clots that can form during extended periods of non-movement (such as when you are on an international flight while sitting in economy class). If you have any questions in the case of an earthquake (or any natural disaster), please feel free to contact your PA, who will also receive more information specific to the situation from the prefectural office.

For more information, you can view the Earthquake Survival Manual that was created by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government here.

Tsunami

Tsunami are large waves caused by earthquakes. After an earthquake announcement is shown on TV, information concerning whether or not a tsunami is likely to form, about how high it will be, and what time it will hit what areas of Japan will be announced. Not all tsunami are big enough to cause problems, but as was shown in the Indian Ocean Earthquake and its resulting tsunami, the destruction caused by some tsunami can be devastating. If a tsunami warning is released, you should stay away from the ocean and, depending on how high the tsunami is predicted to be, try heading for higher ground (like the second floor of a building). If you are unable to return to your house due to the tsunami, you should try to go to the evacuation area (school) closest to you.

Typhoons
 

Japan's typhoon season is between June and November, with August and September being particularly prone to them. In Japan, typhoons are given numbers based on the order in which they are formed. Many people from North America may assume that typhoons are the same as hurricanes and will be surprised that they still have to go to work even though a typhoon is scheduled to hit their area on the next day; however, typhoons are usually of a lesser intensity and are defined as tropical storms with gusts of at least 17.2 meters per second (62 kph) while hurricanes are defined as storms with gusts of at least 32.7 meters per second (118 kph). Probably about twenty or so typhoons form each year, but a small percentage of those usually travel over Japan. Because typhoons are formed in the south and lose their intensity as they travel north through colder waters, Niigata is fortunate in this respect; however, that does not mean that typhoons never hit Niigata. As soon as a typhoon is about to reach Japan, most of the weather report and a good portion of the news is dedicated to the upcoming typhoon. If a typhoon is coming around the area, the sea will become rough, the winds will pick up, and it will rain quite heavily. Some times the rain will look as though it is falling horizontally due to the high wind speeds. Usually typhoons do not cause severe damage around Niigata, but you should stay away from the Japan Sea due to the high tides and refrain from swimming, fishing, etc. It will also be best to stay indoors if you can (you'll stay a lot drier that way). It would be best to keep your emergency equipment near hand in case electricity, gas, and water services are stopped because of the typhoon. Sometimes power lines fall down and are damaged, and (although it is common sense) you should stay away from them. Also note that floods and landslides might occur as a result of a typhoon.

Floods
 

Floods can occur from torrential rain (such as with a typhoon), and although some areas can be unaffected, other areas can by highly devastated by them. If a flood occurs, you should head for higher ground (and if possible 2nd floors of buildings). If you are not able to return to your home due to a flood, you should go to the nearest evacuation center.

Volcanoes
 

Although volcanic eruptions do not occur on a regular basis in Japan, they are possible. In the event of a volcanic ash eruption, you should stay in your house and shut your windows. If you have any, you should put on protective goggles and a mask (especially if you go outside your house!), wear glasses instead of contacts, and keep skin covered to avoid irritation from contact with ash. We wouldn't say that there is zero possibility of a volcanic eruption occurring in Niigata, as this is Japan, but it is unlikely. Either way it's good to know just in case, and besides why tempt the fates, right?