How We Prepare for Typhoon Season in Japan

The first time we faced a typhoon in Japan, we didn’t fully grasp how intense it could be. Battling to secure our storm doors while the rain pounded down was an experience we never want to relive! This time, we feel much more prepared for the approaching typhoon season. 

Typhoon season runs from May to October, with the peak hitting from August and September. Keeping our beloved old Japanese house safe is crucial for our peace of mind. With strong winds, heavy rains, and the threat of flooding, taking proactive steps helps ensure safety and minimize potential damage.

Let’s dive into how we prepare for Japan’s typhoon season in the Japanese countryside!

1. We Bring in Any Items That May be Blown Away

When the typhoon hit in 2022, our recycling bins were among the first to nearly fly away! This time around, we’ve made sure to bring in all the bins, plants, and any other lightweight items to keep them safe.  

Strong winds during typhoons can easily turn those lightweight objects into dangerous projectiles. By securing or bringing in these items, we can do our part to protect property and create a safer environment for everyone during the storm. Taking these simple steps not only enhances our community’s safety but also helps minimize the risk of accidents or injuries from any flying debris during the storm.

2. Put Up Our Storm Doors

In Japan, many homes feature lovely storm shutters known as amado (雨戸), designed to shield glass doors from flying debris during typhoons. While modern homes often choose sleek aluminum options, our traditional Japanese house showcases wooden storm doors.

Our storm doors are conveniently stored in a compartment at each end of the engawa, making them easy to deploy whenever needed. You simply place one door at a time on a rail that slides out from the compartment, along the engawa, and out of the way for the next door.

However, we’ve noticed that this once handy setup has seen better days, as the bottom rail has started to rot. This does make quick deployment a bit more challenging. To work around it, we now carefully carry the doors out and secure them with nails. While it might not be as convenient, we definitely prefer this option over not having the doors at all!

You can see this in action in my YouTube video about typhoon preparation.

3. Review our Emergency and Evacuation Kits

When preparing for an incoming typhoon in Japan, stocking up on essentials is important to keep everyone safe and comfortable. Creating your kit at home is just as easy and can be a fun little project!

In Japan, backpack kits are also available at many hardware stores (though they are easy enough to make at home), each packed with all the essentials you might need. These convenient kits typically include a rain jacket, an aluminum blanket, a medical kit, wet wipes, tissues, gloves, hand warmers, masks, a tarp, a charging cord, a wind-up radio, and even toilet bags!

I like to review and personalize mine with a few extra things, like toothbrushes, toothpaste, a gas lamp, extra propane cans, camp stove, a list of emergency contacts, and candles. A little extra cash can go a long way to ensure everyone is comfortable. 

4. Stock Up on Food Essentials

We always make sure to have plenty of water on hand. We also fill the tub, as it gives us an emergency supply if the water gets disrupted.

Additionally, we keep a camping stove and extra gas bottles handy, so we can keep cooking no matter what happens.

Before the typhoon hits, we stock our cupboards with plenty of food. It’s common to find empty shelves at the grocery store right before a typhoon, so we like to keep extra snacks around to avoid running out!

Having non-perishable food items is super helpful for our emergency supplies. Things like canned goods, dried fruits, nuts, and tasty long-lasting snacks make great additions to our kit. Just remember to double-check those expiration dates!

5. If You Have a Pet

With our new furry friend, we’ve created a special dog kit packed with dog food, and we always keep some extra treats and pet supplies on hand. Since evacuation sites often have pens or cages, it’s a good idea to help your pet get familiar with them beforehand so they feel comfortable using them.

6. Recharge our Batteries & Flashlights

We ensure our batteries, phones, and flashlights are fully recharged to prepare for typhoons. This step helps us ensure we have dependable light and power sources so we’re ready for any unexpected outages or emergencies that might pop up during severe weather.

7. Listen and Be Ready to Evacuate

Even though we enjoy some safety from flooding since we’re situated higher up, we always listen for announcements in case we need to evacuate to the nearest safe location. 

Our town, like many others across Japan, is equipped with a handy PA system that reaches every home, keeping us updated and letting us know when it might be best to evacuate in certain areas.

While on the topic of evacuation, we know where our nearest evacuation place is, but if we were in an unfamiliar area, we make sure to identify where it is.

8. Check Emergency and Natural Disasters Apps

There are several multilingual apps that can update you in English, Japanese, and several other languages on the status of a typhoon and other natural disasters.

One option is the Safety Tips app from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), available on iOS and Android. This user-friendly app sends push notifications for important updates, like earthquake early warnings, tsunami alerts, and other weather-related information.

Another choice is J-ALERT from NHK World, which is also available on iOS and Android. This app provides early disaster alerts in various foreign languages. 

9. Prepare Activities in Case of a Power Outage

If the power goes out, having some fun activities lined up for those moments is great! I still remember our first typhoon when the lights were off for two days. We made the best of it by piecing together puzzles with the warm glow of a propane light. If you want to use your computer, consider recharging it and download movies and shows for later since you might not have access during the outage.

What do you all think? Do you have any other helpful typhoon preparation tricks up your sleeve? Let me know in the comments below. 🙂