The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo reminds U.S. citizens in Japan that typhoon season has begun and will last through November 2019, though most tropical cyclones typically develop through October. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA predicts a 70 percent chance of above-normal tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific during the 2019 typhoon season. In the past, U.S. citizens have been forced to delay travel (including return travel to the United States) due to infrastructure damage to airports and limited flight availability.
For information on typhoon warnings, please consult the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, the National Weather Service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) Tokyo – Typhoon Center.
The Japanese government’s “J-Alert” emergency broadcasting system can provide early warning emergency alerts. This government issued emergency information is available through mobile phone apps in English. See the Japan Tourism Organization’s Safety tips app that “pushes” information alerts to users about disasters in multiple languages, including English. The NHK World TV app also provides Japanese government emergency alerts via “Push Notification” service in English. Both of these apps push “J-Alerts” in English to your cell phone. Additional information on Emergency Preparedness for Americans in Japan is available here on U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s website.
If you live in or are traveling to storm-prone areas, prepare by organizing a kit in a waterproof container that includes a supply of bottled water, non-perishable food items, medications, and vital documents. Emergency shelters often provide only very basic resources and may have limited medical and food supplies.
During the course of Typhoon season, if the Embassy becomes aware of any typhoons or other storms that are expected to have a significant impact when they strike land, we may send out Alerts via e-mail and Twitter to notify the U.S. citizen traveling public.. During the 2018 season we sent out several such alerts.
For further information about security in Japan:
- For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please contact the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of either the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or one of the U.S. Consulates in Japan.
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Japan Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler-Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- You can also follow Tokyo American Citizen Services on Twitter @ACSTokyo and Facebook.