Tokyo typhoon preparation for a monthly apartment stay

Before a forecast typhoon affects Tokyo, check your apartment's address on the ward's hazard map and find its current evacuation information. A train cancellation tells you about travel; it doesn't tell you whether your room is safe from flooding.

Prepare while it is still safe to go out, following the developing forecast and local warnings. Allow extra time if anyone staying with you needs help to move.

Use the right source for each decision

The Japan Meteorological Agency's (JMA) English weather information provides forecasts and warnings. Your ward or city provides local evacuation information and tells you which facilities are open. Ask the company managing your apartment how to use any shutters, how you would get in or out if power failed, and who to contact about damage.

Check current evacuation notices as well as the saved map, since a listed shelter may not yet be open for this storm.

Tokyo's wind and flood guidance advises checking local hazard maps and planning appropriate action. Check the maps for river flooding and landslides at your address. Where shown, also check for surface flooding, where rainwater cannot drain away fast enough, and storm surge, where strong winds and low pressure raise the sea level. Save the map and the ward's information page so you can find them again without searching during heavy rain.

Read current warnings, not an old colour chart

JMA changed how it names weather warnings in 2026, adding alert-level numbers. For example, the former heavy-rain warning is now レベル３大雨警報, a level 3 heavy-rain warning. Use the current page and the wording of the actual alert rather than an old screenshot describing a different system.

The agency explains that weather information helps people decide when to leave and helps local authorities decide when to issue evacuation instructions. A warning and a municipal evacuation order are related, but they are not the same message. JMA advises checking disaster risks and river levels to decide whether to leave, even before your ward or city issues evacuation instructions. Its Kikikuru maps show where the risks of landslides and flooding are rising; check the area around your apartment and your planned route.

Don't wait for the most extreme alert before deciding what to do. If someone in your group needs longer to move, build that into the plan while conditions are safe.

Check whether staying upstairs is actually an option

Being upstairs may help in a flood, but you still need to check the risks for that building. Check how deep floodwater could reach and how long flooding could last at the building’s location, as shown on the hazard map. Read the ward’s advice on whether it is safe to remain inside. Ask management whether you could still enter and leave the building, and whether power and water would keep working if the lower floors flooded.

Consider how you would manage stairs, drinking water, medicines and communication if lifts or services were unavailable. Don't assume that a tall building automatically makes every floor or route safe.

Find out where your ward advises you to go for the kind of flooding or other danger expected at your address. The park you noted for an earthquake may not be the right destination for flooding. Check that the route avoids the hazards shown on the map, and confirm the ward's current opening information before setting out.

If you plan to stay with someone elsewhere, arrange that early and check their address too. Leave while the route is still safe rather than waiting for conditions to deteriorate.

Prepare the room while the weather is calm

Follow the apartment's instructions to check that windows and any shutters close properly. Report a latch that won't close or a shutter you can't operate. Ask management to deal with building defects; don't climb outside or improvise repairs.

Bring your loose balcony belongings indoors before strong winds arrive. Ask what to do with furniture or equipment that belongs to the apartment. Keep escape routes and balcony hatches clear, and don't tie a bicycle to a shared stair railing as a storm precaution.

Close windows and curtains as directed in Tokyo's disaster-preparation handbook. Don’t assume tape on the glass will protect the window. Ask before applying film, tape or boards to rented property.

Charge phones and power banks, and keep a torch within reach. Gather drinking water, food you can eat without cooking, necessary medicines and anything needed for children or pets. Check what you already have before buying; include a manual can opener if your chosen food needs one.

Change travel plans before the last possible train

Check each train or bus company’s website to see whether the services you need are running, including any connection to the airport. JR East and Tokyo Metro publish their own operating information. A route-planning app may still show the usual timetable when services are being changed or cancelled.

For a flight, check the airline's notice and your ticket's change conditions. Don't assume a warning automatically makes every fare refundable or that an operating airport means the train or bus to it is running.

Leave room to change the plan. If an announced suspension affects your route, don't build the day around catching the last possible service. Conditions and notices can change, and a long taxi journey isn't a guaranteed alternative.

Keep any cancellation or change confirmation with your booking. If you may need another night in the apartment, ask about availability and the charge before assuming you can remain past checkout.

Save the rental company's emergency contact

You don't need to wait for the rental company to confirm an official weather warning before following evacuation advice.

The rental company still has a role if the apartment is damaged. Sakura House's emergency procedure directs residents to a sister hotel company for after-hours assistance. Save your own building’s after-hours contact before the storm so you can report damage or ask about alternative accommodation.

Report damage and ask about repairs

Ask which number handles urgent damage, whether it is staffed overnight, and what to do if nobody answers. Send the full address and room number with a report, especially if the contact manages several buildings.

Report water entering the room, damaged windows or a door that won't secure, but don't go outside during dangerous conditions to investigate. Photograph damage only from a safe position. Contact emergency services if you're in immediate danger.

If the room cannot be used, ask when a repair is expected, where you can stay and which costs the company will cover. Save the reply before booking accommodation you expect it to pay for.

After the storm, check before resuming the day

Follow official updates before travelling or entering affected areas. A brighter sky doesn't show whether a route has reopened, a river has receded or the building's equipment has been checked.

Report leaks, broken glass and appliance faults to management. Keep clear of wet electrical equipment. Ask management when any affected electrical equipment is safe to use; don’t switch it on to test it.

Restock what you used and save any helpful building instructions with your earthquake preparation notes.