Tsunami Information for Japan — Warnings and What to Do
Tsunami statements from the Japan Meteorological Agency, issued within minutes of any earthquake that could disturb the sea. Most quakes produce none; when one does, this page says how serious it got, where, and whether it is still in effect.
Tsunami warnings, advisories and forecasts issued in the last seven days, anywhere on Japan's coast.
No tsunami warnings, advisories or forecasts in the past seven days.
What each statement means
- Tsunami forecast Slight sea-level change of up to 0.2 metres possible — no damage expected and nothing to do. Issued so a moving tide surprises nobody.
- Tsunami advisory Waves up to about 1 metre. Get out of the water and off the beach — even a small tsunami runs with currents strong enough to sweep people off breakwaters and river mouths.
- Tsunami warning Waves up to about 3 metres. Evacuate the coast immediately for high ground or the upper floors of a tall, sturdy building, and stay there until the warning is lifted.
- Major tsunami warning Waves over 3 metres — the tier issued for the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. Evacuate as far up and as far inland as you can, immediately.
Response actions
If a tsunami warning or advisory is issued while you're on the coast.
- When the alarm sounds Phones in the affected area blare the same distinctive alarm as an earthquake warning — foreign phones on roaming included — and coastal towns add sirens and loudspeakers. Treat it as your cue to move, not to check the news first.
- Head up, not out Go straight to high ground or a signposted tsunami evacuation building — green signs in coastal towns mark routes and elevation. Height beats distance, and walking beats driving into the queue everyone else is in.
- Trust the natural warnings Long or violent shaking near the coast, a sudden roar from the sea, or the water pulling back off the beach are all reasons to move immediately — don't wait for an official announcement to catch up.
- Stay until it's lifted A tsunami is a series of waves that can arrive for hours, and the first is often not the biggest. Stay on high ground until JMA lifts the warning, however calm the sea looks.
- Keep informed Follow instructions from staff and locals — the drill is well practised — and keep the official Safety tips app or NHK World open for updates in English.
Good to know
- Follow the official feed For live English updates — what was issued, where, and when it's lifted — check JNTO's @JapanSafeTravel account on X (Twitter).
- Most earthquakes produce no tsunami Japan records over a thousand felt quakes a year; tsunami advisories arrive only a handful of times, and warnings are rarer still. An empty page above is the normal state of affairs.
- Warnings come fast JMA issues its first tsunami statement within about three minutes of a significant quake, then refines heights and arrival times as data comes in. For a quake close to shore even that is too slow — which is why strong shaking on the coast is itself the signal to move.
- Coastal towns are prepared Sea walls, elevation markers on lampposts, signposted evacuation routes and buildings, and regular drills — Japan's coast is the best-prepared in the world. When in doubt, follow the locals.
- Hotels know the drill Seaside hotels post evacuation maps by the lift and mark assembly points. Thirty seconds reading the map at check-in is the whole preparation a visitor needs.
- Inland travel is unaffected A tsunami is strictly a coastal event — Kyoto, Nara, Takayama and every other inland itinerary carry on as normal, whatever this page shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your phone sounds a loud dedicated alarm in the affected area — Japan pushes alerts to all handsets, roaming foreign phones included — while coastal towns add sirens and loudspeaker announcements and NHK switches to live coverage in seconds. If you're on the coast and feel long or strong shaking, move to high ground without waiting for any of it.
Expected wave height. An advisory means waves up to about 1 metre: get out of the water and off the beach. A warning means up to 3 metres: evacuate the coast for high ground. A major tsunami warning means over 3 metres: evacuate as far up and inland as possible. A tsunami forecast, the mildest tier, means slight sea-level change with no damage expected.
It depends where the quake was. From a nearby offshore quake the first wave can arrive in minutes — the shaking itself is your warning. From a distant quake across the Pacific there are hours, and authorities announce arrival times well in advance. Either way, move first and read the details from high ground.
Yes. Japan pairs the world's densest tsunami observation network with sea walls, signposted evacuation routes and buildings, and drilled communities. The risk is real but rare, and the system around it is exactly why millions live and holiday on these coasts — know your hotel's evacuation route and you've done what locals do.