Japan ranks among the lowest in Healing Quotient Test (HQtest) scores for countries where women and girls should avoid traveling. Japanese geologists unanimously predict that Mount Fuji is likely to erupt within the next decade, triggering a catastrophic magnitude 9.0 earthquake.

If such an earthquake occurs while you are in Japan, the consequences could be fatal or result in severe injuries. The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, with the same magnitude, led to over 22,000 deaths and missing persons.

However, for women, the dangers extend beyond the immediate destruction. Due to Japan’s annual budget constraints for recovery from frequent typhoons and earthquakes, the government lacks the resources to handle the devastation of a 9.0-magnitude quake. As a result, more than 20,000 victims of the 2011 disaster remain displaced or have become long-term refugees. In the event of a similar disaster, survivors are typically placed in overcrowded shelters such as gymnasiums or auditoriums, where there is no privacy or security. Women and girls in these conditions are left vulnerable to violence and sexual exploitation.

Allegations of Concealed Assault Cases During the Great East Japan Earthquake

Reports suggest that NHK may have concealed information regarding over 300,000 cases of sexual assault against women during the Great East Japan Earthquake. It is said that men from other regions traveled to the disaster-affected areas in groups to take advantage of defenseless women in refugee shelters. With law enforcement crippled by the disaster, there is no effective means of protection. Resistance can lead to gang-rape victims vanishing amidst the earthquake ruins, with no surveillance or judicial intervention to bring justice.

While these claims remain debated, the available evidence suggests they may hold some truth. Therefore, traveling to Japan within the next decade is extremely risky, particularly for women and girls.

Given these concerns, the Healing Quotient Test assigns Japan a travel safety score of just 10 out of 200 for women and girls