The Japanese on the wall after a disaster: 39 words, decoded
断水, 炊き出し, 運転見合わせ — the words on walls and screens, decoded.
All offline. The Japanese is set large so you can also point at it.
On the screen: alerts
地震jishin
Earthquake — the first word on every alert and news screen
津波tsunami
Tsunami — after a strong or long quake near the coast, get away from the sea
緊急地震速報kinkyū jishin sokuhō
Earthquake Early Warning — strong shaking is seconds away: protect your head now
警報／注意報keihō / chūihō
Warning / Advisory — 警報 is the serious one, 注意報 means stay alert; both follow 津波, 大雨 and so on
津波警報tsunami keihō
Tsunami Warning — go to high ground now, away from the coast
大津波警報ōtsunami keihō
Major Tsunami Warning — the highest level: leave the coast for high ground at once
震度shindo
Seismic intensity — how hard it shook where you are, 0 to 7; 5強 (5 Upper) and above is serious
避難指示hinan shiji
Evacuation order — leave now for the designated evacuation area
余震yoshin
Aftershock — more shaking can follow for days
In the street: getting to safety
避難hinan
Evacuate — the word in front of shelters, routes and orders
避難所hinanjo
Evacuation shelter — a school or community center where you can stay
緊急避難場所kinkyū hinan basho
Emergency evacuation area — open ground to flee to first
津波避難ビルtsunami hinan biru
Tsunami evacuation building — a tall building you may enter to escape a tsunami
海抜◯mkaibatsu
Elevation above sea level — on coastal signs; the higher, the safer from a tsunami
高台takadai
High ground — where to go when a tsunami threatens
非常口hijōguchi
Emergency exit
避難経路hinan keiro
Evacuation route — the way out, on maps and floor signs
立入禁止tachiiri kinshi
Keep out
危険kiken
Danger
緊急kinkyū
Emergency — whatever carries this word is urgent
Trains, power and water
運転見合わせunten miawase
Train service suspended
遅延chien
Delayed — trains are running late
振替輸送furikae yusō
Transfer service — your ticket is accepted on other lines while this one is stopped
終日運休shūjitsu unkyū
No service all day
運転再開unten saikai
Service resumed
点検中tenken-chū
Under inspection — elevators and escalators stop after a quake until checked
停電teiden
Power outage
断水dansui
Water supply is cut off
給水所kyūsuijo
Water distribution point — bring a container
復旧fukkyū
Being restored — service is coming back
Inside a shelter
受付uketsuke
Reception — register here first
炊き出しtakidashi
Free cooked meals being served
支援物資shien busshi
Relief supplies — food, blankets, daily goods
使用禁止shiyō kinshi
Do not use
土足禁止dosoku kinshi
Take your shoes off here
仮設トイレkasetsu toire
Temporary toilets
At the shop
臨時休業rinji kyūgyō
Temporarily closed
現金のみgenkin nomi
Cash only — card and phone payments are down
お一人様◯点までohitori-sama ◯-ten made
Limit ◯ per person — purchase limits on water, food and batteries
Carry this with you
One question a day on earthquake safety in Japan, with show-and-point emergency cards and an offline guide. Five languages, all free.
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