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disaster preparedness
15 years after Tohoku tsunami, Japan’s free disaster phone message number is important to remember
- Casey Baseel
Mar 12, 2026 - Tweet
Free-to-use system helps disaster victims connect with loved ones in times of crisis, and is worth remembering for anyone traveling or living in Japan.
- Japan
- (3.11 • disaster preparedness • disasters • earthquakes • Japan travel • Tohoku Earthquake • Tohoku earthquake and tsunami • Tohoku tsunami • tourism • travel • tsunami)
Do we say yay or nay to the additive-free rice balls that can last 100 days at room temperature?
- Krista Rogers
Jul 9, 2025
We try all five flavors of the “Hyakunigiri” Kyoto steak restaurant collaborative product to see if they’ll really rice up our lives.
- Japan
- (COK • disaster preparedness • emergency food • emergency rations • hyakunigiri • Hyakushokuya • Kyoto • onigiri • rice balls • SNJO • taste test)
We try eating nothing but emergency food rations for three progressively tougher days
- Krista Rogers
Sep 10, 2024
Learn how our writer fared after eating emergency rations, as well as her suggestions for anyone who’s making their own disaster food prep pack.
- Japan
- (COK • disaster • disaster preparedness • earthquake • emergency • experiment • food • Mariko Ohanabatake • simulation • SNJO)
Emergency drill “assailant” on Japanese train goes viral for being too good at the job 【Video】
- SoraNews24
Oct 27, 2022
Stand-ins look genuinely scared when this man gets into character.
- Japan
- (crime • disaster preparedness • Emergency Drill • emergency preparedness • Japan Rail • Japan Railway • Japanese trains • police • police arrest • sasumata • trains • twitter • video • viral • weird)
Rice balls that can last for 100 days at room temperature? Kyoto company makes high-protein onigiri
- Casey Baseel
Jul 14, 2022
Pretty much everyone is going to eat at least one onigiri in the next 100 days, right?
- Japan
- (camping • cool • disaster preparedness • food • onigiri • rice balls)
We test out the portable shower backpack Amazon recommended to us (which also only has two stars)
- Dale Roll
Apr 20, 2022
Why was this product recommended over others with better reviews? We try to find out.
- Japan
- (Amazon • Amazon Japan • Amazon ranking • camping • COK • disaster preparedness • Masanuki Sunakoma • portable • product reviews • SNJO)
Japanese company develops a door within a door, and it’s a great idea
- Master Blaster
Apr 2, 2022
When is a door not a door?
- Japan
- (disaster preparedness • doors • earthquakes • Natural disasters • safety • seismic door • Shin Nihon Entrance • Tasukaru Door)
Japanese minimalist retailer Muji launches new set of disaster preparedness kits
- Ingrid Tsai
Sep 6, 2021
Like all things Muji, minimalism and only having what’s necessary are key here.
- Japan
- (disaster preparedness • disasters • emergency kits • home • muji • Mujirushi • Mujirushi Ryohin)
Japanese government plans removal of around 2,485 miles’ worth of overhead power lines
- Katy Kelly
Jun 5, 2021
The move is intended to minimize damage during natural disasters, but is it too little too late?
- Japan
- (disaster preparedness • disasters • electricity • government • infrastructure • overhead power cables • power • society • utility poles)
Japanese company makes emergency natural disaster survival bag for dogs
- Shannon
Mar 19, 2021
Getting to safety on your own is one thing, but it’s a whole other ordeal for pets.
- Japan
- (2011 Tohoku Earthquake • disaster preparedness • Evacuation Life Bag • Pet Memorial Shop • pet safety • pets)
3.11 survivors share what items they really needed during the aftermath of the disaster
- Dale Roll
Mar 10, 2021
The secret, it seems, is preparing for mental health as well as physical safety.
- Japan
- (3.11 • 3/11 • disaster preparedness • emergency kits • Great East Japan Earthquake • Natural disasters • Suntory)
Modern Japanese kokeshi dolls are both beautiful interior items and useful emergency tools
- Dale Roll
Feb 16, 2021
Let these traditional Japanese dolls light the way in an emergency!
- Japan
- (disaster preparedness • earthquakes • emergency preparedness • emergency supplies • flashlight • kokeshi • Natural disasters • typhoons)
New Cup Noodle Rolling Stock automatically resupplies you with ramen for disaster preparedness
- Casey Baseel
Sep 3, 2020
Because you never know when disaster will strike, and if it does, you know you’ll want to eat ramen.
- Japan
- (cup noodles • disaster preparedness • disasters • instant noodles • Instant Ramen • Nissin • ramen)
Japanese Twitter calls out crazy bottled water claims, gets us thinking about what we’re drinking
- Katy Kelly
Nov 20, 2019
So you’re saying this water lasted how long? And it’s good until when?
Read More
- Japan
- (disaster preparedness • emergency kits • expiration date • funny • mineral water • water • Zaiho)
Japanese beef bowl chain Yoshinoya releases new canned, ready-to-eat rice bowls 【Taste Test】
- Oona McGee
Jun 15, 2019
We try the full selection of emergency pork, beef, chicken and mackerel rice bowls.
- Japan
- (beef bowls • disaster • disaster preparedness • donburi • fast food • food • gyudon • rice bowls • Yoshinoya)
Japan’s beef bowl king, Yoshinoya, releases new line of canned, ready-to-eat beef bowls
- Casey Baseel
Jun 3, 2019
Or maybe we should call them “beef cans?” Either way, these things will be literal life-savers.
- Japan
- (beef bowls • disaster • disaster preparedness • donburi • fast food • food • gyudon • rice bowls • Yoshinoya)
Seiji starts a new health regimen with Oronamin C, straight from a plastic bottle faucet
- Master Blaster
Jan 9, 2019
We’ve come to terms with Seiji’s new obsession.
- Japan
- (disaster preparedness • drinks • faucet • health • Oronamin C • plastic bottle • Seiji Nakazawa)
Seiji shares a very special tip to keep warm and have fun in the Japanese New Year
- Master Blaster
Jan 8, 2019
Our esteemed writer brings us a new twist on the classic sweetness of amazake.
- Japan
- (amazake • disaster preparedness • drinks • faucet • New Year's • plastic bottles • Seiji Nakazawa)
We make eco-friendly instant noodles from the water in Tokyo Bay
- Katy Kelly
Dec 10, 2018
You never know when you might need to make yakisoba with raw water, so why not learn how?
Read More
- Japan
- (Ahiru Neko • COK • cooking • crazy • disaster preparedness • funny.gross • instant noodles • SNOJ • water filter • weird • yakisoba)
Tottori airport serves crab soup from a faucet and… Dammit Seiji, put down that plastic bottle!
- Master Blaster
Dec 8, 2018
Seiji continues his mad quest to make this website FaucetNews24 with his endless makeshift plastic bottle taps.
- Japan
- (COK • crab • crazy • disaster preparedness • faucet • food • funny • plastic bottle • Seiji Nakazawa • SNOJ • soup • Tottori • weird • Yonago Airport)
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Recent Posts
- This Japanese chopping board sanitising bag might be the handy kitchen gadget we never knew we needed
- Tired of city life? Try out Japanese rural life for a few days on an active volcano in Kagoshima
- Bandai looking to introduce Japanese government ID checks for admission to card game events
- New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
- Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
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MOST POPULAR
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Today
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
Beautiful Totoro bonsai figure needs no watering, makes soothing rain showers whenever you want
End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store drinks with new Grilled Corn Chilled Soup Smoothie
Tired of city life? Try out Japanese rural life for a few days on an active volcano in Kagoshima
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Studio Ghibli unveils new finger puppets featuring anime characters from My Neighbour Totoro
Bandai looking to introduce Japanese government ID checks for admission to card game events
Weekly
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]- Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?- Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Studio Ghibli’s No Face twirls to sound of Spirited Away’s theme song in beautiful accessory box- Anime fan in Japan arrested for ordering and cancelling over 4.3 billion yen in anime merch
Pokémon comes to McDonald’s Japan for new Happy Meals toys, brings every generation’s starters
Monthly
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction- Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo- Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
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RECOMMENDED STORIES
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store drinks with new Grilled Corn Chilled Soup Smoothie
Tired of city life? Try out Japanese rural life for a few days on an active volcano in Kagoshima
Starbucks Japan teams up with Traveler’s Company for new stationery and goods collection
Studio Ghibli unveils new finger puppets featuring anime characters from My Neighbour Totoro
Bandai looking to introduce Japanese government ID checks for admission to card game events
Japanese convenience store Lawson now has stir-fried noodle-cooking robot chefs
Kochia calling: Right now is a great off-season season to visit this beautiful Japanese park
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Resident Evil’s terrifying Licker becomes a bag in Japan that wants to feed you
Nendroid Face Maker lets you custom design faces for Japan’s most popular anime figure line
Japan’s largest online flea market reminds users that selling used school swimsuits is prohibited
Potato chip-flavor fried chicken now on sale at convenience stores in Japan
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Sweet dreams are made of cheese at this all-you-can-eat cheese and doria restaurant
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