Japan's amended Basic Act on Disaster Management takes effect — "evacuation advisories" and "evacuation instructions" unified into evacuation instructions (alert level 4)
Source material is a Japanese government announcement (in Japanese); this page is a summary.
Under the amended Basic Act on Disaster Management that took effect on May 20, 2021, evacuation advisories and evacuation instructions were unified into evacuation instructions, so that the evacuation information issued at the same alert level (alert level 4) became a single item.
Key facts
| Date of promulgation / date of entry into force | Promulgated May 10, 2021 / took effect May 20, 2021 (令和3年法律第30号) |
|---|---|
| The core change | Evacuation advisories and evacuation instructions were unified into evacuation instructions, and evacuation information was reviewed comprehensively, including making the evacuation information issued at the same alert level (alert level 4) a single item |
| Background to the amendment | The 2019 East Japan Typhoon (Typhoon No. 19) and other events revealed the issue that the government's evacuation information — including the distinction between evacuation advisories and evacuation instructions — was hard to understand, and there was much damage arising from delayed evacuation and damage to older people and others |
| Findings of the resident survey | The point that people should evacuate at the evacuation advisory stage was not understood, and, because the difference between an evacuation advisory and an evacuation instruction was not understood, there were still many people in a state of so-called "waiting for the instruction", who did not evacuate until an evacuation instruction was issued |
| Individual evacuation plans | The preparation of individual evacuation plans — plans for carrying out evacuation support and the like for each person requiring support in evacuation behaviour, such as older people and people with disabilities who find it difficult to evacuate on their own — was made a duty of effort for municipalities |
| Other amended matters | The national government may set up a disaster management headquarters that carries out overall coordination with the relevant organisations and the like from the stage at which a disaster is feared (where it is set up, prefectural governors and others may apply the Disaster Relief Act in municipalities within the area under the headquarters' jurisdiction and provide evacuation shelters); provisions were developed on consultation between local public bodies regarding the accommodation of residents and others, and between local public bodies and transport operators regarding the transport of residents and others, in relation to wide-area evacuation; and the head of the emergency disaster management headquarters was changed to the Prime Minister, while for disasters on a scale not amounting to an emergency disaster a specified disaster management headquarters headed by the Minister of State for Special Missions (Disaster Management) of the Cabinet Office may be set up |
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The 「災害対策基本法等の一部を改正する法律」 (Act partially amending the Basic Act on Disaster Management and other acts, 令和3年法律第30号) was promulgated on May 10, 2021 and took effect on May 20. The 2019 East Japan Typhoon (Typhoon No. 19) and other events revealed the issue that the government's evacuation information — including the distinction between an evacuation advisory (避難勧告) and an evacuation instruction (避難指示) — was hard to understand, and a survey of residents found that the point that people should evacuate at the evacuation advisory stage was not understood, and that there were still many people in a state of so-called "waiting for the instruction", who did not evacuate until an evacuation instruction was issued. On this basis, evacuation information was reviewed comprehensively: evacuation advisories and evacuation instructions were unified into evacuation instructions, so that the evacuation information issued at the same alert level (alert level 4, 警戒レベル4) became a single item. The same amendment also included making the preparation of individual evacuation plans a duty of effort for municipalities, allowing the national government to set up a disaster management headquarters at the stage where a disaster is feared, developing provisions on consultation regarding wide-area evacuation, and changing the head of the emergency disaster management headquarters to the Prime Minister.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
Summaries reflect national-level programs. Municipal (city/ward/town) programs may differ — confirm with the official desk before applying.
FAQ
Will "evacuation advisories" no longer be issued?
They will no longer be issued. Under the amendment, evacuation advisories and evacuation instructions were unified into evacuation instructions, and the evacuation information issued at the same alert level (alert level 4) became a single item.
What has changed if I have an older person or a family member with a disability?
The preparation of individual evacuation plans — for carrying out evacuation support and the like for each person requiring support in evacuation behaviour, such as older people and people with disabilities who find it difficult to evacuate on their own — became a duty of effort for municipalities. The intention is to promote nationwide the preparation that had been proceeding in some municipalities.