Being prepared
Before winter, check home and work.
Power cuts, heavy snow, fires, staying in touch in a disaster, online scams and account takeovers, and the year-end break at work. Tick off the 17 items as you go. Each one links to a column checked against official sources (written for Japan).
Winter preparedness in numbers
3Ldrinking water per person per day41°Cor cooler for a bath, and no more than 10 minutes in it10yearsis when a smoke alarm should be replaced2maxpower banks in the cabin (from 24 April 2026)171the disaster message line you can leave a voice message on20°Cis the suggested heating setting for an air conditioner6in 10of the heat lost while heating escapes through windows and other openings (approx.)
Winter preparedness quiz11 true-or-false questions. How many can you get?
At home
- More: How many days of supplies at home and at work? Rolling stock and people with special needs
- More: How many days of supplies at home and at work? Rolling stock and people with special needs
- More: How many days of supplies at home and at work? Rolling stock and people with special needs
- More: Preparing for winter blackouts and heavy snow: heating, carbon monoxide, cars and phone batteries
- More: Two winter risks at home: bathing accidents and house fires, and how families can prepare
- More: Two winter risks at home: bathing accidents and house fires, and how families can prepare
- More: Saving electricity at home in winter: air-conditioner settings, filters, windows, kotatsu and standby power
- More: Choosing and using home heaters: whole room or close to the body, ventilation and running costs
- More: Preventing power bank fires: buying, charging, disposing and the airline rules
Staying in touch
- More: Checking on family after a disaster: 171, web171 and the 00000JAPAN Wi-Fi
- More: Checking on family after a disaster: 171, web171 and the 00000JAPAN Wi-Fi
- More: Official sources to check in a disaster: hazard maps, Kikikuru, evacuation info and outages
- More: Getting by in a power or water outage: bag cooking, toilets, carrying water and keeping warm
- More: Your phone stayed silent in the earthquake alert drill. That is normal: settings to check for the real thing
- More: When J-ALERT issues a ballistic missile warning: what to do outdoors, indoors and in a car
Online
At work
This list is a starting point for a check, not a complete plan. What you need depends on where you live, who you live with and where you work, so check the guidance from your local authority and other official bodies too.
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