Risk, Safety, and Crisis Management
Risk identification
Japan's hazards include earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, heavy snow, volcanic activity and summer heat. Operational risks include supplier failure, transport disruption, illness and lost documents. Build a risk register scoring likelihood and impact, and assign owners.
Preparedness
Guest safety briefings, emergency contact cards, evacuation guidance, insurance requirements, and a communication tree. Know the emergency numbers (110 police, 119 fire/ambulance) and how to reach embassies. Monitor official alerts (JMA weather warnings) and have a decision authority for cancellations.
Crisis response
Prioritise life safety, then accounting for all guests, then communication, then recovery. Document decisions and timestamps. Repatriation and refund policy should be pre-agreed in contracts and terms.
Traps
Questions reward the response that accounts for people first and communicates proactively. Watch for plans that lack a named decision-maker, ignore supplier force majeure clauses, or assume mobile networks will work-have offline copies.
Worked example
Typhoon approaching: 48 hours out, review JMA forecasts and transport advisories; 24 hours out, decide and notify guests with alternatives; day of, confirm welfare and rebook. Rule of thumb: decide early enough that guests have options, and record why.