J-Alert – Japan EAS – Emergency Alert System

Do you know that scary earthquake alert sound? Remember that annoying warning while watching some Anime or Japanese TV show? In this article, we will talk about the famous Emergency Alert System of Japan known as EAS (Emergency Alert System) or J-Alert.

In Japanese, it is also called Zenkoku Shunji Keihō Shisutemu/J Ararto [全国時報システム], which means something like Nationwide Informative Bulletin Alert. What is the purpose of J-Alert? When and how does it appear?

Below we will leave the nostalgic and scary music for you to listen to. The video also presents some interesting information about the Japan EAS, such as the Alert levels:

What is the Purpose of J-Alert or Japan EAS?

All countries have their EAS, which literally means Emergency Alert System, but in Japan, due to the growing number of natural disasters, the system has become more efficient.

While in 1945 we had a Japan EAS through loudspeakers spread throughout the region, in February 2007, Japan launched J-Alert with the aim of alerting the public more quickly to emergency threats.

The purpose of Japan EAS or J-Alert is to alert about earthquakes, severe weather, volcanoes, missiles, and other dangers. The system was developed to assist in evacuation.

How Does J-Alert Work?

J-Alert is a satellite-based system that allows authorities to quickly transmit alerts to local media and citizens directly through a loudspeaker system across the country, television, radio, email, and cellular broadcasts.

J-ALERT works basically like this:

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) receives information about an emergency situation such as a tsunami or missile attack.

The FDMA offices in eastern Japan and/or western Japan transmit emergency information to the J-ALERT receiving equipment via satellite and backup landline circuits.

The J-ALERT transmitters receive information and broadcast it nationwide in the form of:

• Announcements from loudspeakers mounted on towers and buildings
• Alerts on TVs and radios
• Push alerts on mobile phones

All warnings, except severe weather warnings, are broadcast in five languages: Japanese, English, Mandarin, Korean, and Portuguese.

For What Emergencies are Japan Alerts Used?

The J-ALERT system sends alerts in the following ways:

Transmission	Type of Alert
Always Automatic	Missile Launch, Terrorist Attack, Military Attack, Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanic Eruption, Meteorological Emergency, etc.
Automatic Depending on Location	Regional Details about Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanic Eruption, Tornado, Flood, etc.
Normally Not Done	Specific River Flood Levels, Weather Warnings, Volcano Warnings, etc.

List of Emergencies in Japan

Below we have a list of possible emergencies that may receive some type of alert:

• Special emergency threats
• Quick updates on hypocenter, magnitude, and precautions of a possible tsunami
• Emergency volcanic eruption warning and possibility of eruption
• Volcanic eruption warning and possibility of eruption
• Earthquake forecast warning for Tōkai earthquakes
• Tsunami warning
• Tsunami warning
• Weather warning
• Early Earthquake Warning
• Emergency warnings for heavy rain, heavy snow, gale, snowstorm, waves, and storm
• Warnings for heavy rain, heavy snow, gale, snowstorm, waves, and storm
• Volcanic eruption
• Major tsunami warning
• Consultative information on earthquake forecasts for Tōkai earthquakes
• Consultative information for tornado
• Ballistic missile information
• Earthquake forecast information for Tōkai earthquakes
• Aerial attack information
• Information on guerrilla and special forces attacks
• Information on severe heavy rain
• Information on hypocenter, magnitude, intensities of various areas, and presence of tsunami
• Information on landslide risk
• Information on large-scale terrorism
• Other information for civil and national defense
• Volcanic crater forecast
• Flood forecast
• Severe weather.
• Earthquake
• Tsunami

Why is the Japan EAS Alert Sound So Bad?

Probably because of the old equipment from when the emergency transmission system was implemented. They never updated it, so it sounds worse compared to modern equipment.

Another reason is probably to maintain the standard. If we analyze the old alerts before J-Alert, the sound was different, but it was horrendous. See below a video with all the alert sounds of Japan:

Meaning of Japan’s Emergency Alerts

If you are a foreigner in Japan and for some reason did not receive the J-Alert message in your language, the list of words below can help you identify the type of alert and how evacuation should be carried out.

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
注意報	chūihō	Advisories
警報	keiho	Warnings
特別警報	tokubetsu keihō	Emergency Warnings
気象情報	kishō jōhō	Bulletins – provide information to complement warnings and recommendations
風雪注意報	fūsetsu chūihō	Gale and Snow Warning
強風注意報	kyōfū chūihō	Gale Warning
大雨注意報	ōame chūihō	Heavy Rain Warning
大雪注意報	ōyuki chūihō	Heavy Snow Warning
濃霧注意報	nōmu chūihō	Dense Fog Warning
雷注意報	kaminari chūihō	Thunderstorm Warning
乾燥注意報	kansō chūihō	Dry Air Warning
なだれ注意報	nadare chūihō	Avalanche Warning
着氷	chakuhyō	Ice/Snow Accumulation Warning
霜注意報	shimo chūihō	Frost Warning
低温注意報	teion chūihō	Low Temperature Warning
融雪注意報	yūsetsu chūihō	Snow Melt Warning
高潮注意報	takashio chūihō	Storm Surge Warning
波浪注意報	harō chūihō	High Waves Warning
洪水注意報	kōzui chūihō	Flood Warning
暴風警報	bōfū keihō	Storm Warning
暴風雪警報	bōfūsetsu keihō	Snowstorm Warning
大雨警報	ōame keihō	Heavy Rain Alert
大雪警報	ōyuki keihō	Heavy Snow Warning
高潮警報	takashio keihō	Storm Wave Warning
波浪警報	harō keiho	High Waves Warning
洪水警報	kōzui keihō	Flood Warning
海上風警報	kaijōfū keihō	Near Gale Warning
海上強風警報	kaijō kyōfū keihō	Gale Warning
海上暴風警報	kaijō bōfū keihō	Storm Warning
海上台風警報	kaijō taifū keihō	Typhoon Warning
海上濃霧警報	kaijō nōmu keihō	Dense Fog Warning
海上着氷警報	kaijō chakuhyō keiho	Ice Warning
海上うねり警報	kaijō uneri keihō	Sea Swell Warning
地震情報	jishin jōhō	Earthquake Information
震度速報	shindo sokuho	Seismic Intensity Information
震源に関する情報	shingen ni kan suru jōhō	Earthquake Information
震源震度に関する情報	shingen / shindo ni kan suru jōhō	Earthquake and Seismic Intensity Information
各地の震度に関する情報	kakuchi no shindo ni kan suru jōho	Seismic Intensity Information in Each Location
遠地地震に関する情報	enchi jishin ni kan suru jōho	Distant Earthquake Information
緊急地震速報	kinkyū jishin sokuho	Early Earthquake Alert
津波情報	tsunami jōhō	Tsunami Information
津波予報	tsunami yohō	Tsunami Forecast
津波注意報	tsunami chūihō	Tsunami Advisory
津波警報	tsunami keiho	Tsunami Warning
火山情報	kazan jōhō	Volcano Information
噴火予報	funka yohō	Volcanic Forecast
噴火警報	funka keiho	Volcanic Warning
洪水予報	kōzui yohō	Flood Forecast
台風情報	taifū jōhō	Typhoon Information
風速	fūsoku	Wind Speed – Usually expressed in meters/second
余震	yoshin	Aftershocks – These earthquakes occur after the main earthquake and vary in size and frequency. They can continue for several days and even occur many months after an earthquake.
洪水	kōzui	Floods
浸水	shinsui	Flooding
崖くずれ	gake-kuzure	Landslide – Earth and sand on steep slopes collapse and fall due to heavy rains or earthquakes.
土砂くずれ	dosha-kuzure	Debris Flow – A mass of mud and other earth material falls on a slope or other incline.
警戒	keikai	Vigilance / Alert / Caution – To be careful
通行止め	tsūkō-dome	Road Closure / No Passage
避難	hinan	Evacuation – To escape to a safer place during a disaster.
避難所	hinan-jo	Shelter / Refuge / Evacuation Center – Places where those who have lost their homes due to a disaster can stay temporarily.
避難場所	hinan-basho	Evacuation Area – Places to temporarily evacuate during a disaster.
避難勧告	hinan-kankoku	Evacuation Advisory – A recommendation to evacuate as announced by the mayor. This occurs in situations where the possibility of harm to people is high.
避難指示	hinan-shiji	Evacuation Instruction – This is given when the danger is imminent and is stronger than hinan-kankoku.
被災者	hisaisha	Disaster Victim
安否確認	anpi-kakunin	Safety Confirmation
行方不明	yukue-fumei	The whereabouts of a person are unknown
非常食	hijō-shoku	Emergency Rations (food)
停電	teiden	Blackout / Power Outage
断水	dansui	Water Outage