Japan's emergency supplies list
The Prime Minister's Office of Japan asks every home to stock at least 3 days of water and food, counting 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, and says a week is desirable for a large-scale disaster. Its disaster preparedness page was read on 11 Nov 2026.
Three days, and a week for a big one
The page asks for 「最低3日分の水・食料の備蓄」 (a stock of at least 3 days of water and food). A note under the list adds 「大規模災害発生時には、『1週間分』の備蓄が望ましいとされています」 (for a large-scale disaster, a 1-week stock is considered desirable).
It also asks you to stock everyday food you already eat, rather than buying special disaster food.
Drinking water for your household
3 litres a person a day, for 3 days and for a week.
| People | 3 days | 1 week |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 litres | 21 litres |
| 2 | 18 litres | 42 litres |
| 3 | 27 litres | 63 litres |
| 4 | 36 litres | 84 litres |
| 5 | 45 litres | 105 litres |
| 6 | 54 litres | 126 litres |
Worked out from the page's 3 litres per person per day. The water calculator adds pets and hot weather.
What to stock at home
The page's list, plus the home section of the Cabinet Office checklist:
- Drinking water for 3 days, about 3 litres per person per day.
- Emergency food for 3 days: rice (such as alpha rice), tins, dried fish and hardtack (kanpan).
- Toilet paper, tissues, and portable or simple toilets.
- Matches, candles and a portable cassette gas stove.
- Everyday goods: cling film, rubbish bags, a plastic water tank.
- Food and water for the whole family: at least 3 days, a week if you can.
Keep it turning over
The checklist puts it as a habit: buy extra of what keeps for a long time, and replace it as you use it. Then the stock is always there. Japan calls this rolling stock (rōringu sutokku).
The grab-bag checklist
Pack a rucksack (hijō-yō mochidashi bukuro) you can take the moment you leave. The Cabinet Office checklist, group by group:
01The bag itself
- Water.
- Food for at least 3 days: rice (such as alpha rice), pouch meals, biscuits, chocolate, hardtack.
- A disaster helmet or padded hood (bōsai zukin).
- Clothes, underwear and rainwear.
- Slip-on canvas shoes with no laces.
- A torch and a portable radio. Hand-crank models are handy.
- Spare batteries and a phone charger.
- Matches and candles.
- First-aid items: plasters, bandages, antiseptic, your regular medicines.
- Disposable heat packs, a blanket and a portable toilet.
- Work gloves, toiletries, toothbrush and toothpaste, a towel, a pen and notebook.
Source: Cabinet Office checklist (PDF)
02Hygiene and infection
- Masks.
- Hand sanitiser.
- Soap or hand wash.
- Wet wipes.
- A thermometer.
Source: Cabinet Office checklist (PDF)
03Valuables to take with you
- Bankbook and cash.
- Passport and driving licence.
- Hospital patient cards.
- My Number card.
Source: Cabinet Office checklist (PDF)
04For children
- Formula (allergy formula included) or liquid milk, and disposable bottles.
- Baby food and portable cutlery.
- Nappies, wipes and a portable bottom washer.
- A neck light, a baby carrier and children's shoes.
Source: Cabinet Office checklist (PDF)
05For women
- Sanitary products, panty liners and sanitary shorts.
- Rubbish bags you can't see through.
- A personal alarm or whistle.
Source: Cabinet Office checklist (PDF)
06For older people
- Adult pants and absorbent pads.
- A walking stick and hearing aid.
- Soft care food, dentures and denture cleaner.
- Intimate wash.
- Regular medicines and a copy of the medicine notebook (okusuri techō).
Source: Cabinet Office checklist (PDF)
171: the disaster message line
Mobile lines can jam after a disaster. Dial 171 (no area code) to record a message; family who know your number can play it back. It works from landlines, payphones, some IP phones and mobiles. Practise on the trial days:
| Trial period | Dates |
|---|---|
| Every month | 1st and 15th |
| New Year | 1 to 3 January |
| Disaster Prevention and Volunteer Week | 15 to 21 January |
| Disaster Prevention Week | 30 August to 5 September |
Phone carriers also run a text message board (saigai-yō dengonban), linked from the top of their sites during a disaster. Source: Prime Minister's Office.
Fix the furniture first
The page opens with furniture, because in past major earthquakes many people were killed or hurt under it. Plan as if it will fall:
- Fix furniture to the wall.
- Keep bedrooms and children's rooms as free of furniture as you can. Where there is some, pick low pieces and place them so they can't block the door if they fall.
- Keep a torch, slippers and a whistle within reach.
Questions people ask
How many days of supplies does Japan recommend?
At least 3 days of water and food. For a large-scale disaster, a week is considered desirable.
How much water per person in Japan?
3 litres a day as a guide. A family of four needs 36 litres for 3 days and 84 litres for a week, plus water for the toilet.
What goes in a Japanese grab bag?
Water, 3 days of food, a helmet or padded hood, a torch and radio, first-aid items, valuables and the rest of the Cabinet Office checklist above.
Do I need special disaster food?
The page says to stock everyday food you already eat and replace it as you use it.
How do families check on each other?
Agree on a method and a meeting place in advance, and learn the 171 message line on its trial days.
Three days first, then the week
Tick the first 72 hours off in our free 72-hour checklist, then build toward the week. The Fallback72 book, on paper for when the power is out, has a waitlist.
Read next
Sources
- 首相官邸: 災害への備え 事前にできること Prime Minister's Office: 3 days, 1 week, 3 litres per person per day, 171, furniture. Read 11 Nov 2026.
- 内閣府: 災害の「備え」チェックリスト (PDF) Cabinet Office checklist for the grab bag and the home stock.
- Shinjuku City: Emergency Telephone Numbers 110 and 119.