Three days of calm: household stockpile calculator
Japan’s government recommends supplies for at least three days — ideally a week. After a major earthquake, aid can take days to arrive and shops empty quickly.
Your household
What you need
3 L per person per day for drinking and cooking — about 9 two-liter bottles.
3 meals per person per day. Choose food you can eat without cooking.
About 5 uses per person per day. Toilets may not flush after a quake.
Everyone should also have
- Flashlight or headlamp, with spare batteries
- Mobile battery and charging cables
- Portable radio
- First-aid kit and personal medication
- Cash in small change — card payments may not work
- Copies of ID and insurance documents
- Cassette stove with spare gas canisters
- Plastic wrap, garbage bags, work gloves, wet wipes
Rolling stock: the easy way to keep it fresh
You don’t need a separate emergency pantry. Buy a little more of what you normally eat — canned food, retort pouches, instant noodles, bottled water — use the oldest first and replace what you use. Your stockpile stays fresh and is food your family actually likes.
Sources
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries — Food Stockpiling Guide in Preparation for Disasters (2019)
- Cabinet Office — Guidelines on securing and managing toilets at evacuation shelters
- Ministry of the Environment — Disaster Preparedness Guideline for Humans and Pets (2018)
General guidance only. In an emergency, follow instructions from JMA, your local government and emergency services.