🌀 Typhoon 25: Disaster Relief Act Applied

❓ What was decided?

On September 21, 2026, Japan's Cabinet Office (Disaster Management) announced that the Disaster Relief Act had been applied to 15 cities, 8 towns and 1 village in Chiba Prefecture and to Oshima Town in Tokyo because of the disaster caused by Typhoon No. 25. The effective date is September 20 for Chiba (publicly notified September 21) and September 21 for Oshima Town. The legal basis is Article 1, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the Enforcement Order of the Act, which covers cases where many people have suffered, or are at risk of suffering, harm to life or body. This item lets relief start before damage figures are finalised, so it is often used for wind and flood disasters with wide evacuation orders. Once the Act applies, the national government and the prefecture bear the cost of relief, and municipalities operate the front desks for shelters, emergency temporary housing, food and drinking water, medical care and emergency home repairs. Unlike ordinary municipal responses, the funding backing allows relief to be scaled up. In Chiba, 21 cities and 4 towns were already covered by the Act for the heavy rain from August 13, 2026; because those municipalities still need continuous relief, they remain covered under this typhoon disaster as well.

👥 Who is affected?

• ●15 cities in Chiba (effective Sep 20): Choshi, Kisarazu, Noda, Narita, Asahi, Katsuura, Nagareyama, Kamogawa, Kimitsu, Futtsu, Sodegaura, Minamiboso, Sosa, Katori, Isumi
• ●8 towns and 1 village in Chiba (effective Sep 20): Sakae, Kozaki, Yokoshibahikari, Mutsuzawa, Chonan, Otaki, Onjuku, Kyonan, and Chosei Village
• ●Anyone living in or staying in Oshima Town, Tokyo (effective Sep 21)
• ●The 21 cities and 4 towns in Chiba already covered for the August 13, 2026 heavy rain (Chiba City, Ichikawa, Funabashi, Tateyama, Matsudo and others) — coverage continues
• ●Foreign residents, trainees, students and travellers in the covered municipalities — relief does not differ by nationality or status of residence

🌏 Impact on foreign residents and visitors

Relief under the Disaster Relief Act is based on where you are, not on nationality, status of residence or resident registration. Travellers who were staying in Narita, Minamiboso, Oshima or other covered areas can use shelters and receive emergency food and drinking water just like residents. The practical counter is your city, town or village office: shelter locations, water supply points and how to apply for emergency home repairs are announced on municipal websites and social media. Many municipalities publish notices in plain Japanese or several languages, so searching the municipality name together with "避難所" (shelter) is the fastest route. Note that the content and period of relief differ by municipality. This time the effective dates differ by one day between Chiba and Oshima Town, and relief continues in the 21 cities and 4 towns covered earlier for the August 13 heavy rain. Check which municipality you are in and under which disaster you are covered. Because damage certificates and repair subsidies are applied for later, photograph the damage early and keep the records.