weather tracking technology<\/a> that can predict when a tropical depression will develop into a typhoon five days ahead of time. Previously, the JMA could only predict within 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBy and large, the public is well-accustomed to these weather events and knows how to respond by avoiding public transportation<\/strong>, staying inside, stocking up on food, grabbing a blanket, and listening to news updates.<\/strong> Sometimes there are mad dashes for toilet paper and dried food. Still, considering how unusual it is in Japan to lose power, even under extreme weather conditions, this kind of response is understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTips for Travelers to Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n For travelers, the first piece of advice is simple: plan accordingly, but don\u2019t freak out. While it\u2019s impossible to tell if a typhoon will form months ahead of time, knowing the typhoon high season can help travelers make more informed decisions (May through October, with August and September being the most volatile).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Recommended List of Emergency Items<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Regardless of travel time, there are some common-sense precautions that travelers can follow. At the top of the list is packing an emergency kit. It might seem like overkill, but many Japanese homes have emergency kits for this exact purpose, and no one will be complaining if the need to use a kit arises. To help, the NHK has prepared a list of recommended items that ought to be packed and ready in case of an emergency, including flashlights, first aid supplies, cash, batteries, and good sneakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nKnow Your Evacuation Routes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Beyond this, be familiar with geography and evacuation routes. Know your surroundings, whatever your accommodations, whether it be a hotel, Airbnb, in the country or city. Be aware of the terrain, street layout, access points, evacuation routes, and general topography. (Are there hills nearby that could cause a landslide? Are there rivers that could flood? Are there bridges that could collapse if there is a need to evacuate? Are there trees that could fall over?). Keep an eye on the news if a weather system works its way inland, and refer to sites like the JTWC\u2019s webpage, which contains up-to-date storm information and doesn\u2019t require an understanding of the Japanese language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
If you happen to be caught in the middle of a typhoon, refer to our Japan Travel Guide for more information about getting help during a natural disaster<\/a>. In the end, though, do as locals do: avoid the outdoors, don\u2019t use any transportation, and keep both you and all your belongings inside. Even taking all the destructive power of typhoons into account, realistically, you might lose a day of travel and be forced to eat microwave food and watch Netflix on your bed. This kind of thinking can help you keep a proper perspective on the situation. After all, this is probably what a lot of people did when Hagibis hit in 2019. Safe travels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Saturday, October 12, 2019, Typhoon Hagibis made landfall in central Japan. Outlets such as Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) had…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":74347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2050],"tags":[2231,2232],"class_list":{"0":"post-74342","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-things-to-know","8":"tag-living-in-japan","9":"tag-traveling-in-japan"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Typhoons in Japan: The History and What To Do in an Event of a Typhoon<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n