Karinoya Learning Room

Daily Life Lessons · Disasters

Disaster Apps and How to Read Warnings

Goal of this lesson

Understand the five-step "alert levels" and weather warnings issued with level numbers, receive information through apps and other means, and decide for yourself when to evacuate.

Explanation

Evacuation information is communicated using a five-step "alert level" (警戒レベル) system. The evacuation information issued by municipalities is Level 3 "Evacuation of Older People, etc." (高齢者等避難), Level 4 "Evacuation Order" (避難指示), and Level 5 "Emergency Safety Measures" (緊急安全確保).

Since May 2026, Japan Meteorological Agency (気象庁) warnings for heavy rain and similar hazards have also been issued with a level number, such as "Level 3 Heavy Rain Warning" (レベル3大雨警報) and "Level 4 Heavy Rain Danger Warning" (レベル4大雨危険警報). It is important that everyone leaves dangerous areas by Level 4. Level 5 means the risk to life is extremely high and it may no longer be possible to evacuate safely, so do not wait for it.

On the JMA's "Kikikuru" (キキクル) service, you can check the risk of disasters caused by heavy rain by color on a map. For information in other languages, the free app "Safety tips," supervised by the Japan Tourism Agency, sends alerts such as Earthquake Early Warnings (緊急地震速報) and tsunami warnings in multiple languages.

Read in Easy Japanese (yasashii nihongo)

避難（ひなん）の 情報には 「レベル」が あります。

・レベル3：お年寄りや 障がいの ある人は 逃げます。 ・レベル4：避難指示（ひなんしじ）。危ない 場所に いる人は、みんな 逃げます。 ・レベル5：とても 危ない。もう 逃げられない ことも あります。

レベル5を 待たないで、レベル4までに 逃げます。

雨の 警報（けいほう）にも 「レベル4」などの 数字が つきます。

「Safety tips」という アプリは、いろいろな ことばで 地震（じしん）や 津波（つなみ）の 情報を 教えます。無料（むりょう）です。

Check quiz

Q1

What alert level is an "Evacuation Order" (避難指示)?

  1. Level 2
  2. Level 3
  3. Level 4
  4. Level 5
AnswerC. Level 4

At Level 4 "Evacuation Order," everyone in a dangerous area evacuates.

Q2

By when must everyone evacuate from dangerous areas?

  1. By Level 4
  2. After Level 5 is issued
  3. After the rain stops
  4. The next morning
AnswerA. By Level 4

Level 5 means the risk to life is extremely high. Evacuate by Level 4.

Q3

Who starts evacuating at Level 3 "Evacuation of Older People, etc."?

  1. Everyone stays home
  2. People who need more time to evacuate, such as older people and people with disabilities
  3. Only tourists
  4. Only children
AnswerB. People who need more time to evacuate, such as older people and people with disabilities

People who need more time to evacuate, and the people who help them, start evacuating.

Q4

What can you find out on the JMA's "Kikikuru"?

  1. Train times
  2. Store opening hours
  3. Exchange rates
  4. The risk of disasters caused by heavy rain
AnswerD. The risk of disasters caused by heavy rain

You can check the level of risk by color on a map. Purple corresponds to Level 4.

Q5

What kind of app is "Safety tips"?

  1. A multilingual disaster information app supervised by the Japan Tourism Agency
  2. A paid game
  3. A banking app
  4. A train booking app
AnswerA. A multilingual disaster information app supervised by the Japan Tourism Agency

It is free and sends alerts such as Earthquake Early Warnings and tsunami warnings in multiple languages.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What should I do if Level 5 is issued?

A. Level 5 is a situation in which a disaster is already happening or about to happen and the risk to life is extremely high. If going outside is dangerous, move to an upper floor of your home or a room away from cliffs and slopes to make yourself as safe as possible. It is important to evacuate without waiting for Level 5.

Q. How do I read the colors on Kikikuru?

A. Kikikuru shows the level of risk with colors. Red corresponds to Level 3, and purple corresponds to Level 4. If the place where you are turns purple, that is a sign to evacuate from the dangerous area. If you register for a notification service, you can find out early when the risk is rising.

Q. What languages does Safety tips support?

A. It is a free app supervised by the Japan Tourism Agency and supports 15 languages including Japanese (14 foreign languages, such as English, Chinese, and Korean). Both foreign residents and travelers can use it. Supported languages may change, so please check in the app.

Practice: answer the questions on this page

This practice tool asks questions in random order (it works when JavaScript is enabled). You can still read all the questions and explanations above without it.

Systems and procedures may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live and on the time of year. Please check the latest information from your local government or the relevant organizations.
Content checked on: 2026-09-28

This page is a translation of the Japanese original. If the translation and the original differ, the Japanese version takes precedence. View the Japanese original