Weather Warnings in Japan — and How to React
Japan's official weather warnings, straight from the Japan Meteorological Agency and summarised by prefecture. Most trips are never touched by one — but when a typhoon or a heavy-snow front is moving through, this page tells you where, so you can plan around it rather than be surprised by it.
- Advisory
- Routine caution — thunderstorms, fog, dry air. Japan almost always has a few in effect, and they rarely affect travel plans.
- Warning
- Serious weather is expected — heavy rain, storms, heavy snow. Trains and flights can be disrupted; check ahead before travelling.
- Urgent warning
- Danger is imminent or already occurring — landslides, storm surge, extreme rainfall. Move to safety and follow local evacuation guidance.
- Emergency warning
- A disaster of extraordinary scale — a violent typhoon, record rainfall or snow — is under way or imminent, and safe evacuation may no longer be possible. Protect your life first: shelter in the safest place you can reach and follow local instructions.
Warnings
- Yamagata Heavy rain warning
Advisories
- HokkaidoThunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory, Dense fog advisory, Dry air advisory
- AomoriThunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory
- IwateThunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory
- MiyagiThunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory
- AkitaHeavy rain advisory, Thunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory, Landslide advisory
- YamagataThunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory
- FukushimaThunderstorm advisory
- TokyoGale advisory, High wave advisory
- NiigataHeavy rain advisory, Thunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory, High wave advisory, Landslide advisory
- ToyamaThunderstorm advisory
- IshikawaThunderstorm advisory
- FukuiThunderstorm advisory
- NaganoThunderstorm advisory
- GifuThunderstorm advisory
- ShizuokaGale advisory, High wave advisory
- ShigaThunderstorm advisory, Gale advisory
- KyotoThunderstorm advisory
- ShimaneGale advisory
- HiroshimaDry air advisory
- YamaguchiGale advisory, Dry air advisory
- KumamotoFrost advisory
- OitaGale advisory
Good to know
- Alerts in your pocket The official Safety tips app pushes these same JMA warnings — plus earthquake and tsunami alerts — to your phone in English.
- Live updates in English JNTO's official @JapanSafeTravel account on X (Twitter) posts real-time English updates on weather warnings, natural disasters and how transport is running while they unfold.
- Trains stand down early Ahead of a typhoon or heavy snow, operators announce planned suspensions (keikaku unkyū) a day or more in advance — services wind down before the weather peaks, so move early rather than racing the front.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost never. JMA warnings are issued per prefecture and usually pass within a day or two — even a direct typhoon hit typically means one indoor day and paused trains, not a lost trip. Emergency warnings are the exception: in those areas, follow evacuation guidance and let plans wait until it clears.
They are JMA's four escalation tiers. Advisories are routine caution — Japan almost always has a fog or thunderstorm advisory somewhere, and locals barely register them. Warnings mean real disruption is possible where you are: adjust the day's plans. Urgent warnings signal danger that is imminent or already happening, and are the point at which local authorities expect people to move to safety. Emergency warnings are the top tier, reserved for disasters of extraordinary scale — a violent typhoon, record rainfall — where the danger is already under way and safe evacuation may no longer be possible: protect your life first, shelter in the safest place you can reach, and follow local instructions.
Operators announce planned suspensions (keikaku unkyū) a day or more ahead, wind services down before the weather peaks, and restart quickly once it passes. Check your operator's English status page the evening before, and move early rather than racing the front — the system is built to resume fast.
The official Safety tips app pushes the same JMA warnings shown here — plus earthquake early warnings and tsunami alerts — in English, and JNTO's @JapanSafeTravel account posts live updates while events unfold. This page carries the full nationwide picture, refreshed through the day.