Disaster and Fraud Prevention: Earthquakes, Typhoons, and Scams

First, correct these common misconceptions: These 5 mistaken assumptions can put you in danger in JapanExperience

1. Misconception 1: The Emergency Earthquake Warning is too loud, so you want to turn it off the first time you hear it

   Many international students hear the piercing 緊急地震速報 (Emergency Earthquake Alert) on their phone or TV for the first time and instinctively think, ‘That’s so loud; is it a false alarm? Turn it off.’ That reaction can cost you the few seconds to several dozen seconds that may save your life. The alert works because the initial, weaker tremors of an earthquake (P-waves) travel faster than the destructive, stronger shaking (S-waves), allowing 気象庁 (the Japan Meteorological Agency) to send a warning seconds to tens of seconds before the strong shaking arrives. The right response is not to silence it; protect your head immediately and get under a sturdy table. Keep your phone’s 緊急速報/エリアメール (emergency alerts/area mail) enabled by default; do not turn it off because it is annoying.

   NoteAn alert may not arrive before shaking begins directly above the epicenter (a shallow inland earthquake). The shaking may already have started when the alert sounds, so the key is to protect your head immediately when you hear it, rather than first checking the message.

2. Misconception 2: A tsunami warning sounds, but you go home to get your belongings or take a look at the sea first

   The most deadly part of a tsunami is not the water but 正常性バイアス (normalcy bias): your brain tells you, ‘It should be fine; there’s still time.’ The rule from 気象庁 and local governments is clear: as soon as a tsunami warning is issued, go on foot to higher ground. Do not go home to collect belongings, drive (you could get trapped in traffic), or go to the shore or river to look. During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, many victims began fleeing only after seeing the tsunami, when it was already too late; tsunamis can also travel upstream along rivers.

   NoteThe first wave receding does not mean it is safe: tsunamis arrive repeatedly, and later waves may be higher. Never return to low-lying areas until the 警報/注意報 (warning/advisory) has been lifted.

3. Misconception 3: A typhoon warning means “wait and see,” and you leave only when things get really serious

   Japan classifies disaster risk using 警戒レベル (Alert Levels) 1–5. If you are unfamiliar with the Japanese levels, you may mistake 避難指示 (Evacuation Order) for a suggestion that you can choose to follow or ignore, and wait to see what happens. That is dangerous. Level 4, 避難指示, means everyone in the designated area must immediately leave dangerous places. Level 5, 緊急安全確保 (Emergency Safety Measures), means a disaster has occurred or is imminent. Officials explicitly say not to wait for Level 5 and to complete evacuation before Level 4. Alert levels are not always issued in sequence from 1 to 5; authorities may jump directly to a higher level.

   NoteAt Level 3, 高齢者等避難 (Evacuation of Older Adults, etc.), people who need more time to move—older adults, pregnant people, and people with small children—should begin evacuating; do not wait for Level 4.

4. Misconception 4: You get a call about the “police,” “city office,” or “a problem with your residence card” and assume it’s genuine

   Special fraud frequently targets foreign nationals and older adults. Common scripts include impersonating the police, prosecutors, a government office, or immigration and claiming that you are involved in a case, have a residence-status problem, are due a refund (還付金), or have drugs in a package. They tell you to keep it secret, transfer money immediately, use an ATM, or hand money to someone coming to collect it. 警察庁 explicitly says that police will never call to ask you to transfer money and will never direct you to LINE. Be highly cautious of international calls from numbers beginning with + (about 75% of fraud calls used international numbers in Reiwa 7) or calls displaying a number that looks like a police-box number; caller ID can be spoofed (番号スプーフィング).

   NoteLegitimate government procedures will not pressure you with ‘now, immediately, keep it secret, transfer money.’ If someone creates urgency and asks for money, it is almost certainly a scam; hang up first and verify independently.

5. Misconception 5: You think an “evacuation site” and an “evacuation shelter” are the same place

   These two Japanese terms differ by only one character but have different meanings; the distinction was clarified in the 2013 revision of the 災害対策基本法 (Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act). 指定緊急避難場所 is a place to run to for immediate safety during a disaster, such as high ground, an open space, or a sturdy building. It is designated by disaster type: the site for an earthquake may differ from the one for flooding or a tsunami. 指定避難所 is a place to stay for a while after a disaster when you cannot return home, often a school gymnasium. Once you have settled into your rental home, find the nearest evacuation sites for each relevant disaster type; do not wait until disaster strikes.

   NoteA single facility may sometimes serve both purposes, but do not assume that it does. Check the designation list or hazard map published by your municipality.