Access to toilets is the most urgent requirement for people during disasters such as earthquakes [1].
This immediate need is critical because a lack of sanitation leads to hygiene crises and a loss of human dignity. Without functional facilities, the ability to protect lives and maintain public health in evacuation centers is severely compromised [3].
According to Atsushi Kato, representative director of the Japan Toilet Research Institute, approximately 50% of evacuees seek to use a toilet within three hours of a disaster occurring [2]. This window represents a critical threshold for those displaced by events like the Noto Peninsula or Kumamoto earthquakes [4].
Despite the urgency, the infrastructure for emergency sanitation remains underdeveloped. Approximately 80% of local governments in Japan do not have a formal toilet plan for disaster scenarios [3]. This gap in planning leaves millions of residents vulnerable to sanitary failures during the initial hours of a crisis.
Kato said individual preparedness is necessary to bridge the gap left by municipal failures. He suggested that households maintain a stockpile of portable toilets, recommending a supply of 35 units per person to ensure basic needs are met while waiting for government aid [1].
In addition to portable toilets, the use of baby wipes is recommended as a practical tool for maintaining hygiene when water is unavailable [1]. These measures are intended to prevent the health complications that arise when people are forced to delay excretion or use unsafe alternatives [3].
These warnings follow a period of increased seismic activity, with multiple earthquakes measuring a lower five on the Japanese intensity scale occurring since April 2024 [1].
“Approximately 50% of evacuees seek to use a toilet within three hours of a disaster occurring”
The disparity between immediate biological needs and municipal preparedness creates a significant public health vulnerability in Japan. While disaster management often prioritizes food and shelter, the data suggests that sanitation is the primary catalyst for distress and disease in the first few hours of displacement. This shift in focus emphasizes a move toward individual self-reliance and a demand for systemic policy changes in local government planning.
