This has definitely drawn people’s attention towards their own disaster preparedness,

As a newly arrived family looking to acquire some of the essentials needed during the next month we came across shortages that store staff explained were related to the alert. Most difficult to get hold of have been larger packs of certain female sanitary products.

I definitely feel more uneasy using elevators on this visit. I’m noticing more which might have an emergency stash of water in a box/stool. Not great to be caught in an elevator during a quake at the best of times, but with the heat I don’t fancy my chances of lasting long without any liquids.

I don’t know what name/number is being given to the Typhoon currently heading towards Tokyo, have put a few things in the freezer should we need to stay put on the 16th/17th August.