Why do you need to carry emergency kit when traveling in Japan?

In Japan, earthquakes can occur anytime anywhere. A lot of people still remember the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku where thousands of lives were lost and entire towns were devastated. The national government estimates that there is a 70% chance of a magnitude 7-class earthquake hitting directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area within 30 years. For those of you who have experienced large earthquakes in the past would know how scary it is to feel tremors of magnitude 7-class earthquake. The earthquakes always occur unexpectedly so it is critical for us to be prepared for it. While in Japan, I would highly recommend that you carry an emergency kit with you.

What to carry with you?

Things that I always carry with me are:

• Band-aid
• Contact lenses
• Portable toilet bags
• Sanitary masks
• Cotton swabs
• Whistle
• Wet wipes
• Candies
• Mini flashlight
• Gauze/Tapes

In addition, you may want to carry a portable radio and a battery charger for your phone. Don’t worry – all of these are not that heavy to carry. Even if you are just traveling in Japan, it is better to be prepared so that you don’t need to worry about it. You can buy most items for your emergency kit at any 100-yen shops in Japan.