How prepared are Japanese cities for climate change related disasters?

Climate change is going to massively impact the way we live. Not only will it affect average temperatures worldwide, it will also affect everything from water levels to food quality. One of the biggest possible issues, however, is the possibility of more frequent and severe natural disasters and storms. Making cities more sustainable and protected against climate change is something all nations have to deal with, but how do Japanese cities in particular stack up?

Japan is no stranger to disasters, having experienced devastating earthquakes, typhoons and tsunamis. Thankfully, the country already has an impressive infrastructure for dealing with them. Building codes are quite strict, and many buildings can withstand earthquake damage far better than other places. There are, of course, exceptions, as older buildings not quite up to code have suffered more severe damage in past earthquakes. Some older buildings didn’t survive the Tohoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, for example.

However, even with these protections in place, natural disasters can still catch Japan off guard. Kansai International Airport had been renovated to deal with flooding well before Typhoon Jebi in 2018, but that didn’t stop the storm from causing far more severe flooding than expected. While the airport is on a man-made island and is more susceptible, it still shows how prepared Japan has to be for worsening weather as a result of global warming. The typhoon led to further planned renovations for the airport, which is estimated to take around three years.

More recently, Typhoon Hagibis hit the Tokyo area and caused record rainfall, flooded rivers and several deaths. There is some evidence that climate change affects the severity of tropical storms, and less frequent but more intense rainfall is one way that climate change is predicted to impact Japan. Tokyo was far more prepared for the storm than other metropolitan areas would be, but Japan may have to prepare itself even further for the new reality that climate change is bringing to us.

In my daily life in Japan, I have never felt particularly unsafe in any way, and that includes natural disasters. I have been lucky enough not to be in severely affected areas, and my impression is that the government has done a good job preparing people for the possibility and spreading awareness on what to do in emergencies. Then again, this also has created a sense of distance between myself and the possible dangers involved, and the fact that Japan is generally well prepared may lead people to a false sense of security.

Japan is already safer than other countries in this regard, but no defenses are perfect, and with climate change causing severe storms and rising water levels, it’s something that cities across the world will have to prepare for. Though we’re sadly seeing the effects of climate change now, overall I feel fortunate to be in a country as prepared for disasters as Japan is.