A major earthquake directly beneath the capital could strike at any time.
“You turn the tap, and no water comes out.”
That day could be tomorrow.
If it’s a capital-region quake, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area is at risk. If it’s a Nankai Trough earthquake, the Kansai, Chubu, and Shikoku regions could also be affected. There is a real risk of widespread, simultaneous water outages.
In this series, based on the latest data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks and my own experiences of disaster response and support,
we’ll explore practical preparations for

Series Lineup (5-Part Plan)
- How Earthquake-Ready is Tokyo’s Water Infrastructure?
A clear explanation based on official documents - The Unforeseeable Still Happens — Water Outage Priorities and Support Systems
Why things might not go as planned, and how water supply vehicles are dispatched - The Complete Guide to Emergency Water Stations: How to Find, Queue, and Carry
How to locate and use the emergency water stations near your home - Getting by on 20 Liters/Day — Real-Life Water Conservation Tips
How to manage bathing, toilets, and cooking with minimal water - Making Water for Daily Use When There’s No Supply
Emergency methods for securing water from what’s around you
Once all articles are published, we’ll link each title above to its respective page. We recommend bookmarking this overview for easy access later.