Coming from Jamaica, which sits in the path of many hurricanes that pass through the Atlantic, I grew up with emergency food stores in my home. When I moved to Japan, I thought it was interesting that many pantry staples could also double as emergency food in a pinch, and there were countless options available at regular supermarkets and even drug stores.
Recent years have brought talk about the “Big One” — the oft-mentioned and long-delayed rupturing of the Nankai fault that lines the waters south of the Kanto region and the Tokyo metropolis. Specifically, the northern segment of the fault, known as the Sagami trough, stretches up into Sagami Bay — in 1923, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake (on Japan’s shindo scale, it measured a 7, the strongest rating) leveled much of Tokyo and ultimately left more than 100,000 dead.
Considering our location, then, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, I bought a waterproof backpack and created an emergency kit. I have been fine-tuning it ever since. As the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake approaches, I find myself wondering: How do you say “doomsday prepper” in Japanese?
In all seriousness, aside from the obvious dangers of a natural disaster, there’s another hidden threat in the days of limited power and bare grocery store shelves that follow: nutritional deficiencies.
There have been various studies written on post-disaster nutritional deficiencies, especially in shelters where food can be lacking in key nutrients. There are international standards for nutrition in disaster situations, and even the World Health Organization produced a book about the management of nutrition in major emergencies. Closer to home, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries issued a guide to stocking food for disasters, and the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition produced leaflets on maintaining health and nutrition following a disaster.
A key tenet of maintaining an emergency kit is rotating the food items within it to ensure freshness and longevity. I follow three basic rules when stocking my emergency rations. First, don’t buy anything you wouldn’t eat under normal circumstances. Despite what you think, you are not going to want to eat it during an emergency, either.
Second, try to stock a variety of flavors so that you have some diversity in each meal. As much as buying in bulk can save time or money, by the fourth meal of the exact same thing, you will absolutely hate it — and if you have kids, they may even refuse to eat.
Third, choose rations that are prepared in different ways (ready to eat, just add water, microwave and go, etc.) to account for lack of electricity, kitchen facilities and fresh water.
Some other issues to consider are the space and weight constraints of your emergency kit, your evacuation plan (can you bunker down at home or will you go to the nearest shelter?) and dietary requirements.
Here are some ideas to get you started on what foods to stock for your emergency kit — because the best time to get prepared was yesterday. The second-best time is now.
Mains
Whatever proteins you normally eat on a daily basis, there is most likely a canned version in existence.
I eat a lot of fish, which is rich in not just protein but also valuable vitamins and minerals while having a very long shelf life when properly packaged, like the saba (mackerel) available from Kaldi Coffee Farm. Canned meats such as spam or corned beef, while often salty and high in calories, can come in clutch in a post-disaster situation as they need no reheating (and are available at most supermarkets and even some convenience stores). You can find canned meats everywhere from supermarkets to convenience stores and oftentimes in liquor stores.
Beans are another great option as they not only provide protein but lots of fiber that your body needs to keep your digestive system healthy. They can be pricey, but if you frequent stores like Gyomu Super or Seijo Ishii, then you can get some good deals. Canned fruits and vegetables are also a good idea to have on hand as you can’t be sure of the environmental situation following a disaster — there are no guarantees when fresh produce will be available again.
Rice, noodles and more
Rice comes in many form factors and holds a long shelf life. But let’s say you don’t have access to a pot: Freeze-dried rice or rice porridge is a great option. Just add water — some, like the Onishi rice with mountain vegetables that I got from Amazon, don’t even need the water to heat up — and allow it to rehydrate.
Noodles and pasta are also a strong contender as they’re already dry and last a long time in storage. Another candidate is instant mashed potatoes, which are just dehydrated potato flakes, but their shelf life is shorter than rice or pasta.
Soups and stews
If you have access to a microwave post-disaster, or your emergency kit has a portable stove, soups and stews are a good option. They’re an effective vehicle for lots of protein and vegetables, and you can stretch the portions fairly easily by adding more water and canned vegetables. Most retort curry and stews come in sachet form that can be boiled in a pot of water or cooked in a microwave.
There are also some great freeze dried options on the market like Nissin’s Curry Meshi, which is sold everywhere from supermarkets to convenience stores — no pot necessary.
Snacks
While carbohydrates are a controversial food group within modern dietary discourse, your body still needs them. It’s also nice to have a sweet treat once in a while to boost morale in a post-disaster environment.
Many popular chocolate treats like Alfort also have long shelf lives, though you might want to be careful about them melting in the summer. Some cookies and biscuits, like Glico’s Bisco, are available in tins, so they keep even longer.
There’s no one right way to prepare for a disaster that leaves you without modern conveniences for an extended period — any mix of the above foods that fit your dietary needs and preferences will do. However, there is one wrong way, and that’s waiting until it’s too late to provide for you and your loved ones should Japan’s volatile geography turn the worst-case scenario into a real-life one.
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