Do this now
Follow these steps in order.
- 01
Use the examples to understand hazards—not to predict where the next earthquake will occur.
- 02
Separate earthquake magnitude from the shaking intensity and damage at each location.
- 03
Notice the secondary hazard in each event: fire, tsunami, landslide, liquefaction, outage or transport isolation.
- 04
Apply the lesson to the day's route by checking coast, slope, building and transport conditions.
What to know
1923 Great Kanto Earthquake — magnitude 7.9
The earthquake struck the Tokyo-Yokohama region on September 1, 1923. Severe shaking coincided with widespread urban fires, producing catastrophic loss. The lasting traveler lesson is that the danger after shaking can shift quickly to fire, smoke, damaged streets and crowd movement.
What to know
1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake — magnitude 7.3
The shallow earthquake struck on January 17, 1995, with severe effects in Kobe and surrounding areas. Building collapse, fire and major transport damage demonstrated how a compact urban region can be disrupted even when the earthquake is smaller in magnitude than an offshore megathrust event.
What to know
2011 Great East Japan Earthquake — magnitude 9.0
The March 11, 2011 earthquake was the largest recorded in Japan. The tsunami caused widespread destruction along the Pacific coast of Tohoku and the disaster included the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Its central safety lesson is immediate coastal evacuation after strong or long shaking.
What to know
2016 Kumamoto, 2018 Hokkaido and 2024 Noto
The 2016 Kumamoto sequence included two earthquakes that produced JMA intensity 7 and caused building collapse and landslides. The 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake showed the combined effect of landslides and a region-wide power disruption. The 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake produced intensity 7, tsunami, fire, landslides and access problems across a peninsula.
Together, these events show why a safe response depends on local geography and infrastructure. The same instruction is not sufficient for a coastal town, a mountain road, an underground station and a high-rise hotel.
If that does not work
Use the fallback.
- For historical facts, use JMA, Cabinet Office and Reconstruction Agency records rather than unsourced social-media summaries.
- For a current earthquake, leave the history page and open JMA's live earthquake and tsunami information.
- Do not interpret a past event near a destination as proof that the destination is currently unsafe.
Before you need it
Save this offline.
- Current action guide rather than the full historical timeline
- JMA intensity scale
- Coastal and slope status of the itinerary
- Official live-information links
Primary evidence
Official sources used
Open these pages again before travel. External links lead to the responsible Japanese authority or transport organization.
