When a typhoon approaches, the first thing residents check is “what happens to school and work tomorrow?” Okinawa has a well-established practice built around the Storm Warning, and knowing it makes planning your family’s day much easier.
School — the Storm Warning is the benchmark
The Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education publishes “Temporary Public School Closure Information When a Storm (Special) Warning Is Issued” on a dedicated page, covering everything from kindergarten through high school.
In other words, whether a Storm Warning is in effect is the first thing that decides everything else. The Meteorological Observatory issues warnings by region — the main island, Miyako, Yaeyama, and so on — so check whether one is in effect for your own area (you can reach this from the weather information section of the Emergency Links page).
If the warning comes in the middle of the school day
If a Storm Warning is issued during class, schools handle it as a temporary closure, once the children’s safety has been secured. What becomes an issue here is how children get home.
Okinawa is a car-dependent society, and it’s not unusual for a household to assume a parent will pick children up. Sending children home alone in a storm is dangerous, so schools sometimes operate a system where the school hands children over directly to a parent, or has them wait at school until the warning is lifted.
Procedures differ by school and by municipality, so check your school’s notices before the season starts. Okinawa City is one example where the municipal board of education publishes its own commute-safety criteria. Points especially worth confirming:
- If a warning is issued mid-day, is it hand-off to a parent, or wait at school?
- Who is registered as the person authorized to pick the child up (does it include grandparents, neighbors, etc.)?
- What happens if a parent can’t come because of work?
- How you’ll be contacted (email alert, an app, or a phone tree)
A power outage can make a phone tree hard to rely on. Share more than one method with your family.
Once the warning is lifted
Whether to return to school after the warning is lifted is a decision made by each municipal board of education and each school. “Lifted” does not automatically mean “go to school now.” Wait for word from the school.
Also note that strong wind and rain can continue right after a warning is lifted. Watch for flying debris, fallen trees, and flooded roads.
Prefectural and municipal offices — they can close too
This isn’t widely known, but government offices stop functioning too.
Okinawa Prefecture maintains a dedicated page, “Suspension of Operations and Temporary Closure of Government Buildings Due to a Typhoon’s Approach”, stating: “If a typhoon’s approach leads to the closure of government buildings and the suspension of Okinawa Prefecture’s operations, the latest information will be posted on this page.” Information is issued by region — main island, Miyako, Yaeyama, and so on.
In other words, if you’d planned to handle a government procedure on a typhoon day, it’s best to assume it won’t happen. For anything with a deadline, consider whether it can be moved earlier once a typhoon forecast appears.
If you also want to check bus and monorail service status at the same time, the Okinawa General Bureau’s Disaster (Typhoon, etc.) Related Information conveniently gathers it all in one place.
Work — the question isn’t “can I go,” it’s “should I go”
Unlike school, there’s no single uniform standard for private employers. It’s a case-by-case decision at each workplace. Still, there are things worth saying from a disaster-preparedness standpoint.
Traveling in a storm is the most dangerous thing you can do. Flying debris, fallen trees, flooding, poor visibility. As covered in the car article, strong wind and rain is a situation where driving itself should be avoided.
- Decide whether to go to work before the wind picks up. The longer you delay the decision, the more dangerous the timing of your commute
- Confirm your workplace’s typhoon policy during ordinary times (does a Storm Warning mean staying home, working remotely, and who makes that call?)
- Decide in advance what to do if a warning is issued while you’re commuting home
In Okinawa, in addition to public transit, the Yui Rail monorail also stops in strong wind. The mainland Japan assumption of “the trains are running, so I can get there” does not apply here.
Things to decide as a family
A typhoon gives you time between the forecast and its arrival, which makes it a disaster you can plan for in advance.
- Who picks up the children if a Storm Warning is issued (have a backup person too)
- A meeting place, and a way to confirm everyone’s safe, if you can’t reach each other
- Errands you can move earlier (shopping, medical appointments, government paperwork) — and by when
- If you have elderly family members or family members who need extra support, decide who handles that
Shopping timing is covered in When to Go Shopping, and What to Buy, and power and water outage preparedness in the power outage and water outage articles.
What this article does not cover
Actual announcements of school closures or the suspension of government operations are not covered by this site. Always check official up-to-date information, your child’s school, and your employer’s instructions. How schools respond differs by municipality and by school — check with the school or your municipal board of education for details.