1. Why Falling Furniture Causes 3 to 5 in 10 Earthquake Injuries
A handbook from the Tokyo Fire Department notes that in recent earthquake surveys, about 3 to 5 out of 10 injured people were hurt by indoor furniture tipping over or falling [4]. This does not mean 3 to 5 out of 10 of all people were injured. It means that among those who were injured, this was the cause for 3 to 5 out of 10 of them.
The same handbook mentions the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake in September 2018. During a large-scale blackout at night, people moved through dark rooms, tripped, and were injured [4]. The handbook states that safety measures for power outages inside the home are also important.
Both furniture moving during shaking and not seeing your feet in the dark are problems inside the house. Before buying emergency food, it may be worth reviewing where furniture is placed in rooms where you spend a lot of time or sleep.
Safety Note: The claim that home safety comes first is based on the Tokyo Fire Department handbook. The same document mentions that during the 2018 Hokkaido earthquake, injuries occurred when people fell while moving in dark rooms during a blackout. It lists indoor safety measures for power outages [4]. Even if your home is safe, life continues when utilities stop.
2. Rolling Stock: Using Everyday Food as Your Emergency Food
Think about your kitchen shelves. You do not need to buy special emergency food. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recommends a method called "rolling stock." This means eating items with the nearest expiration dates first and buying replacements, so you always keep a set amount of food at home [1]. The city of Funabashi and Tokyo also recommend this same idea [2].
Instead of "storing and forgetting," you "eat and rotate." With this approach, you may be less likely to throw away expired food. Even if no disaster happens, having a little extra of the food you usually eat is itself a form of preparation.
Some reports mention that children felt reassured having familiar snacks available [8]. However, people with food allergies need separate preparations for foods they can eat.
So, how many days of everyday food do you need, and how much?
3. How Many Days of Food and Water Does Your Family Need?
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries states that household food reserves should be at least 3 days per person, but 1 week is preferable [1]. The city of Funabashi also calls for a minimum of 3 days and preferably 7 days [2].
There is a big difference between 3 days and 1 week. The Ministry’s food stock guide notes that in the past, restoring lifelines often took more than a week [3]. This does not mean utilities will always stop for a week. It means you should prepare for that possibility.
For water, the guideline is 3 liters per person per day. This amount includes water for drinking and cooking [1].
Let’s calculate. For 2 adults for 1 week, that is 3 liters x 2 people x 7 days = 42 liters. The Ministry’s example uses 6-packs of 2-liter bottles. Four boxes equal 2 x 6 x 4 = 48 liters [1]. This is slightly more than 42 liters and fits the guideline well.
Water and food are found inside the home. What about outside the home?
Safety Note: The example is for 2 adults for 1 week, using four boxes of 2-liter bottles, totaling 48 liters of water [1]. This example assumes 2 adults. The amount needed changes depending on children's ages, health conditions, or pets.
4. Checking Your Area's Risks on Hazard Maps
Even with the same earthquake or heavy rain, what happens depends on the location. Is it near a river, at the foot of a mountain, or near the sea? A clue to this is the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s "Hazard Map Portal Site" [5].
This site has two types of maps. One is the "Overlay Hazard Map," which lets you see risks like floods, landslides, high tides, and tsunamis, along with road safety information, layered on top of a map. The other is the "My Town Hazard Map," which leads to hazard maps created by municipalities based on laws [5].
Try searching for your home or school on the map and reading what is written there. This makes the content of "preparation" clearer. If your area has a flood risk, where do you go if water comes? If you are on high ground, preparing to stay home may be the priority. Maps help you decide the order of your preparations.
You have gathered supplies and checked the map. The last thing to consider is: "How do we contact each other if we are in different places?"
5. Contacting Family After a Quake with the Voice Message Board "171"
After a large earthquake, phones may be hard to use. If family members are in different places, how do you share your safety?
The system for this is the Disaster Message Dial "171." You call 171 and follow voice instructions to record or play back voice messages. It is like a voice message board. No prior contract is needed [6]. The times when it becomes available are decided by NTT and announced on TV and radio [6].
A feature of this dial is that you can practice. There are trial use days, but the dates change, so check the latest notice from NTT East Japan before using it [7].
For times when family members are apart, decide in advance: "Call 171" and whose phone number to leave a message for. This will make contacting each other easier when needed.
6. One Thing to Do Tonight: Check Your Home for Things That Could Fall
Try this: Look around your home. Walk around your bedroom with your family. Check for things that might fall over, things that might drop onto someone sleeping, or things that might block an escape route if they fall. Just look. Do not move heavy furniture yourself.
Next shopping trip: Ask your family to buy a little extra of something you usually eat. Eat the older one first. This is the first step of rolling stock.
Official information: You can see diagrams and examples in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ special feature on household reserves [1], the Tokyo Fire Department handbook [4], and the Hazard Map Portal Site [5].
Safety Note: Securing or moving furniture should be done by adults, without forcing it.