Local governments and radio and television stations might broadcast disaster warnings and information using children's-level Japanese so that foreigners can understand.
"There is still a myth that English should be the means of communication. But in the event of a disaster, there is no time for translation," said Kazuyuki Sato, of Hirosaki University in Aomori Prefecture.
"Easy Japanese is more effective."
The announcements have been printed in a manual that will be distributed mainly to the disaster preparedness departments of prefectural governments and broadcasters.
The manual, written in Japanese for elementary school second- and third-graders, was compiled by a group led by a professor of sociolinguistics.
Tsunami warnings, for example, will be broadcast as: "Tsunami wa totemo takai nami desu. Umi no chikaku wa abunai desu." (Tsunamis are very high waves. It is dangerous near the sea).
And instead of "hinansho" (shelter), the term "nigeru basho" (place to flee to) will be used.
The manual was revised from the 1999 version.
The National Institute for Japanese Language, based in Tokyo, also cooperated in making the manual.