Before anything else: install “Safety tips.” It's the free, official app from the Japan Tourism Agency, and it solves the actual problem foreign visitors have — Japan's real-time J-Alert emergency warning system is Japanese-only. Safety tips pushes the same earthquake, tsunami, and storm alerts in English and 13 other languages, plus an evacuation flowchart built for someone unfamiliar with the area. Five minutes to set up, before you need it.
台風
It's a Typhoon
The real risk to a tourist is almost never physical danger — it's a disrupted schedule. Japan's infrastructure and buildings are built for this; the trains just stop running until wind speeds drop.
How it actually plays out
You'll likely see it coming
JR is conservative — it typically announces a "planned suspension" (keikaku unkyū) a full day ahead of a confirmed typhoon track, not last-minute.
Shinkansen stops around 25 m/s winds
Roughly 90 km/h sustained wind along the route is the general trigger for suspension — this is a safety margin, not a sign of severe danger to you personally.
It usually passes within a day
Most typhoons that affect a specific region move through within 12–24 hours. Build a buffer day into your itinerary if you're travelling in typhoon season (roughly August–October).
Refunds and rebooking
On individual tickets, a suspended reserved train gets a full refund, no cancellation fee, and an unused ticket stays refundable for up to a year. Rebooking to a later train is free and standard.
JR Pass exception: once your pass is activated, there's no extension and no refund for days lost to a typhoon suspension — plan buffer days around this if you're using one during typhoon season.
地震
It's an Earthquake
Japan has frequent, mostly minor earthquakes — modern buildings are engineered specifically to keep occupants safe inside them, which is the opposite of most people's instinct to run outside.
Indoors
Drop, cover, and hold on under a sturdy table, away from windows and anything that can fall. Don't run for the stairs or door mid-shake.
In an elevator
Press every floor button, starting with the nearest — get off at the first floor it stops at. Don't wait for your intended floor.
Outdoors
Move away from windows, signage, and building edges. Use a bag or jacket to shield your head from falling debris — you can't outrun the shaking itself.
Aftershocks are normal and usually weaker than the main quake. If you're near the coast and feel strong, prolonged shaking, move to higher ground immediately rather than waiting for an official tsunami warning — the Safety tips app will confirm it, but the shaking itself is the first signal.
Common Questions
Will I get a refund if a typhoon cancels my Shinkansen?
Yes, if you're travelling on individual tickets — a full refund with no cancellation fee is standard when the cause is a typhoon, and an unused ticket stays refundable for up to a year. The one exception is an activated Japan Rail Pass: once it's in use, there's no extension or refund for lost travel days, even if every train is suspended for a full day.
How will I know if my train is going to be cancelled?
JR is conservative and typically announces planned suspensions ("keikaku unkyū") a full day in advance once a typhoon's path is confirmed, rather than cancelling last-minute. Shinkansen service is generally suspended once sustained winds along the route exceed roughly 25 m/s (90 km/h).
Is it dangerous to be in Japan during an earthquake as a tourist?
Most earthquakes tourists experience in Japan are minor and pass with no damage — modern Japanese buildings are built to strict anti-seismic standards specifically to keep occupants safe without evacuating. The standard response is drop, cover, and hold on under sturdy furniture, not running outside.
What's the one app I should install before visiting Japan?
"Safety tips," the free official app from the Japan Tourism Agency. It pushes earthquake early warnings, tsunami and storm alerts in English and 13 other languages, translating Japan's Japanese-only J-Alert system, and includes an evacuation flowchart for tourists unfamiliar with the area.