Japan's emergency stockpile: 3 days minimum, a week recommended
Japan's new Disaster Management Agency asked every household on 2 November 2026 to store at least 3 days, and ideally a week, of water, food and portable toilets. Plan on 3 litres of water per person per day. The government recommends 'rolling stock': buy a little more of what you normally eat, eat the oldest first, and replace it.
What this means for your household
Set your household size to see the days, water and food the Japan advice adds up to.
At least 3 days, ideally one week, of water, food and portable toilets.
Drinking water for 2 people. Official figure: 3 L per person per day.
Person-days of food to cover (2 × 7). Pick food that needs no fridge and little or no cooking.
What the Japanese government asks you to store
Figures from the government's public relations office and the Ministry of Agriculture's home stockpile guide.
- Water: 3 L per person per day (21 L per person for a week)
- Food for at least 3 days and ideally a week, for everyone in the household
- Portable toilets: 5 to 6 uses × number of people × 7 days
- Cassette stove gas: about 6 cans per person per week
- Everyday foods you already eat, kept through rolling stock (ローリングストック)
- An emergency backpack ready to grab if you need to evacuate
How Japan warns you
- Earthquake Early Warnings arrive seconds before strong shaking. Move away from large furniture and appliances and take cover under a sturdy table. Near the epicentre, the warning may not arrive before the shaking starts.
- J-Alert relays earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings, weather warnings and national protection information to municipal disaster radio and, through the carriers, to mobile phones as emergency messages.
- L-Alert lets local governments pass disaster information to broadcasters and apps. Every prefecture uses it.
- If a Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake Attention is issued, the Cabinet Office asks people in affected areas to recheck their preparations daily, carry emergency supplies, and sleep with shoes beside the bed.
Japan-specific steps
- Store portable toilets. Tokyo's guide warns that flush toilets can stop working after a major earthquake because of power or water cuts, and that damaged drain pipes can leak sewage.
- Learn the Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171). Dial 171 and follow the prompts to record or play back a message. Mobile carriers run their own disaster message boards after an earthquake of intensity 6-lower or more.
- Check your evacuation shelter and route, and agree where your family will meet.
- Tokyo's preparedness guide also suggests an emergency cabinet with water, food and portable toilets in building lifts.
Go beyond the minimum: what we recommend
Official lists cover the basics. These are the gaps we see most often when an emergency lasts longer than expected.
- Rotate a long supply: eat the oldest first and replace it, so a week or more of food and water stays in date.
- Keep paper and digital copies of IDs, insurance and prescriptions, so you can prove who you are and get medicines.
- Write the expiry date on everything and check the kit every 6 months, so it doesn't quietly go out of date.
- Plan for phone power: a charged power bank, plus a solar panel or car charger for longer outages.
- Save offline maps of your area and agree a meeting point, in case the mobile network is down.
- An offline survival guide on your phone: HAVEN tracks your kit and expiry dates and works with no signal.Download HAVEN free
Numbers to write down
- 110 · Police
- 119 · Fire and ambulance
- 171 · Disaster message dial
Keep a paper copy: your phone may be flat when you need it.
Your kit, ready when the network isn't
HAVEN tracks your rolling stock by expiry date and works fully offline, with survival guides and an on-device AI that still answer when the network is down.
- Coverage in days for your household
- Expiry reminders
- Offline guides and AI
- Free to start, no account needed
How Japan compares
Japan: 3 to 7 days. Across the 25 governments we checked, most ask for 3 days, a growing group asks for a week, and Austria asks for the most, at 10 to 14 days. See every country's advice.
Japan preparedness FAQ
How many days of supplies does Japan recommend?
At least 3 days, and ideally one week. The Disaster Management Agency repeated this in its emergency request of 2 November 2026.
How much water should I store in Japan?
3 litres per person per day. For one week that is 21 litres per person, or 84 litres for a family of four.
How many portable toilets do I need?
The government's guide says to plan for 5 to 6 uses per person per day, for 7 days. For a family of four that is 140 to 168 portable toilets.
What is rolling stock (ローリングストック)?
Keeping a little more of the food you normally eat, eating the oldest first and buying replacements. Your home always holds a steady supply and nothing goes to waste.
Does the 2 November request mean a disaster is coming?
No. It asks people to prepare in advance and does not predict any specific event.
How do I use the 171 message dial?
Dial 171 and follow the voice prompts to record or play back a message. If you are in the affected area, enter your own number; if you are outside it, enter the number of the person you want to reach.
Official sources
- Emergency request for thorough disaster prevention (Disaster Management Agency, 2 Nov 2026)
- 今日からできる食品備蓄。ローリングストックの始め方 (政府広報オンライン)
- 【防災特集】災害に事前に備える (政府広報オンライン)
- 知って備える 家庭備蓄のイロハ (農林水産省)
- Emergency Warning System (Japan Meteorological Agency)
- Disaster Emergency Message Dial 171 (NTT East)
- Let's Get Prepared (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, PDF)
This page summarises official advice and is not a substitute for it. Always follow the instructions of your local emergency services. Last checked 2 November 2026.