Japan to survey emergency shelters as it prepares for possible missile strikes

Japan plans to examine its emergency shelter network more closely next fiscal year, including whether facilities could protect people from missile strikes, nuclear attacks and other threats.

The Cabinet Secretariat has requested about 220 million yen for related expenses in the preliminary fiscal 2027 budget. Of that amount, 120 million yen would fund surveys and research involving local governments and other entities under a new investment category linked to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s crisis-management policy.

Japan had designated 61,142 emergency shelters nationwide as of April 2025. Although the total capacity could accommodate the country’s population, the facilities are unevenly distributed among municipalities. The government’s basic policy, adopted in March, sets a goal of securing enough shelter capacity for every resident at the municipal level by 2030.

Most shelters are public buildings, including schools and government offices. Only 4,233 are underground facilities, which offer greater protection from damage, and those shelters cover about 5% of the population. The government plans to make greater use of subway stations, private shopping arcades and parking lots as temporary shelters.

The shortage is particularly pronounced in rural areas, while cities face the added challenge of larger daytime populations brought by workers, students and tourists. Japan will study standards used in countries including Israel and Switzerland, where only underground facilities qualify as emergency shelters, and will research evacuation facilities capable of withstanding nuclear attacks.