Earthquake/tsuanmi warning question

15 comments

1. >Question 1- do other foreigners using foreign phones receive this warning? Is it in Japanese?

   Pretty sure if you connect to a Japan cellular network (roaming etc) you are forced to receive emergency local warnings.

   >Question 2. For my backup plan. If i’m not able to receive such warnings, which websites are we supposed to check to get the latest safety information?

   There are some apps like the [NERV](https://nerv.app/) app that gives real time info/notification of your current area on flood, earthquake, and typhoon etc.

2. >Question 1- do other foreigners using foreign phones receive this warning? Is it in Japanese?

   Yes and also yes. The system is built into the standard protocols and it’s used by a lot of countries.

   If you want to get alerts in English (or another foreign language) thr Japan National Tourism Organization sponsors an app that gets push notifications in a variety of languages.

   You can read about it here: https://www.jnto.go.jp/safety-tips/eng/app.html

   >Question 2. For my backup plan. If i’m not able to receive such warnings, which websites are we supposed to check to get the latest safety information?

   You can review the Japan Meteorological Agency website to see what information they’re putting out. They’re the ones who monitor storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis:
   https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html

3. Being concerned is a good thing. Foreigners are disproportionally affected by natural disasters in Japan because most of them did not grow up with disaster preparedness being taught in school. Preparing yourself by reading Tokyo Bousai or another disaster guide can help to fill in some of those knowledge gaps.

   But first, you should look at the hazard maps you certainly received from your city hall when you registered your address to see if you are even in a dangerous area. If you haven’t received them at the time you registered, you should go there and get them. They are free and potentially lifesaving. And no, having them digitally is not enough, because guess what, electricity is usually the first thing that breaks down in a major disaster. In Tokyo, tsunamis are generally a non-issue. The biggest dangers of earthquakes in Tokyo are ground liquefaction and subsequent fires. Flooding is also quite possible especially if you live near a river.

   Now regarding general preparedness:

   * Yurekuru Call is a free app that warns you of earthquakes and tsunamis. It is reliable as long as you have internet.

   * Have a disaster kit at home. You can either buy a premade one, they are around 10k yen or you can build your own. What items you should have can be found in Tokyo Bosai.

   * Have additional emergency rations at home. More likely than an evacuation is that you have to live in your place without electricity, running water, and gas for a couple of weeks. Could you survive 2 weeks with what you currently have at home without gas and water?

4. I have gotten a test message as well as an actual warning. Although it was like seconds before and I was confused as it was my first time. The message was the other week the warning was a few months ago. I have a foreign phone on a third party Japanese sim

5. I have Docomo (other carriers may be different) and for an android phone, you open mail, and opt into ‘Area mail’. You’ll get alerts.

   The system works well most of the time. If you’re too close to the epicenter of a quake, the message can be late for you. You usually get 10 seconds or so of warning.

6. In my unfortunately extensive experience with those phone earthquake alerts, they don’t really arrive before the earthquake itself unless you’re far enough away from the epicenter to be basically out of danger. With magnitude 6 or 7 anyway.

7. You’re from the UK aren’t you? Don’t worry you’ll definitely get the alerts on your phone when connected to a JP network. Unlike the UK stuff here actually works pretty well.

8. I perosonally have my phones earthquake alarm turned off as it was too loud and annoying first time it started going off. Instead, if you are usually using a PC, you could quickly check the epicenter and strength by having a link to a [real time quake info like this one](https://typhoon.yahoo.co.jp/weather/jp/earthquake/kyoshin/) on the bookmark bar. Once a big one happens, keeping a camping/emergency backpack in the closet will be usefull as well.

9. I mean, the earthquake alert always works, but the timing is generally… a bit slow.

   “Oh, wait, is that a…”

   「地震です。地震です。」in unison throughout the room.

10. I personally really like the NERV app because /usually/ it sends an early earthquake warning if you’re far enough away for it to alert you. I also have two other apps (one of which someone else in this comment thread mentioned, Yurekuru) that will also alert me. The other is a prefecture specific app that not only talks about emergencies in the area but will also alert me too and my emergency alert notifications on in my phone settings.

11. It shit me and my wife up when both our UK phones went off at 3am in English warning of a slight tremor in Fukuoka. The house was shaking as we were woken. It definitely works. The Japanese have a long history of these warnings – the UK has decided it now needs a similar system and has tried once with limited success it seems.

12. Earthquakes can be a scary thing, especially if you consider the forecast for the next 40 years ( A few really big ones might (or might not) hit japan in this period. But on the other hand life in Japan is great so thinking too much about future catastrophes comes with mental discomfort. I would recommend to get educated on the topic and learn how to prevent in an emergency situation. Maybe also prepare a emergency backpack which is quite common in Japanese households. Planning to get one for years 😅

    Regarding emergency messages I think those are depending on the phone provider. I got messages on my foreign phone (sim free) but my provider was a Japanese one. Alternatively there are also warning apps that are free available to download

13. ***Question 1- do other foreigners using foreign phones receive this warning? Is it in Japanese?***

    Yes… the cellphone towers do not discriminate based on nationality. If you are connected to the network, you should receive alerts.

    The alerts are for people in Japan, so they are issued in Japanese. Easiest to screenshot the alert and translate it in the Google Translate app, etc. if you are worried about misunderstanding something.

    ***Question 2 – For my backup plan. If i’m not able to receive such warnings, which websites are we supposed to check to get the latest safety information?***

    Start with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), NERV, Twitter.

14. Is there any reason that my phone does not receive earthquake notification?

    I have an iPhone 13Pro max and a XR (as a secondary phone), both were bought in Japan (13 Pro max at Softbank, and the XR at the Apple Store) and both have a Softbank number with emergency notification enabled in settings.

    I remember two months ago there was a 3.4 earthquake in Kanagawa, all the phone at the office were ringing in the office except mine.

15. https://preview.redd.it/qloo3e2jmrrb1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4fdfced852d334718059e407daf30cce0bd4787d

    Yes. This was a test about a month ago. Everyone in the mall with a phone around me got it and went about shopping. I ran the translator over it to reassure myself. About 5 minutes later, a second alert came through to confirm it was a test. Using an overseas phone with a Japanese SIM.