Your workplace sent a notice headed 避難訓練 or 自衛消防訓練. It means an organized drill, but you still need to know when it starts, where to assemble, whether you must participate, and who to follow. Read the notice before the day and save the emergency contact and route for your own floor.
Words in a Japanese workplace drill notice
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 避難訓練 | hinan kunren | Evacuation drill. |
| 防災訓練・自衛消防訓練 | bōsai kunren / jiei shōbō kunren | Disaster preparedness / workplace fire response drill; the planned activities vary. |
| 実施日時・所要時間 | jisshi nichiji / shoyō jikan | Date and time / expected duration. |
| 参加対象・全員参加 | sanka taishō / zen’in sanka | Who is included / everyone participates. |
| 集合場所・避難場所 | shūgō basho / hinan basho | Assembly point / evacuation location; check the building’s specific instructions. |
| 避難経路・非常口 | hinan keiro / hijōguchi | Evacuation route / emergency exit. |
| 館内放送・警報 | kannai hōsō / keihō | Building announcement / alarm. |
| 消火訓練・通報訓練 | shōka kunren / tsūhō kunren | Fire extinguisher practice / reporting drill. |
| 安否確認・点呼 | anpi kakunin / tenko | Safety confirmation / roll call. |
| 訓練終了・業務再開 | kunren shūryō / gyōmu saikai | Drill finished / return to normal work. |
Before the drill: a practical checklist
- Check the notice’s scope. Does it apply to your floor, department, shift or whole building? A building-wide drill may have a different organizer from your employer.
- Find the start signal and route. The notice may say an announcement starts the drill, or that you first meet at a designated point. Identify the route shown for your floor and the person leading your group; do not invent a route from a generic map.
- Check participation and work arrangements. If you are working remotely, on a customer call or away on that day, ask whether you have a separate action. If the notice says 全員参加, tell the organizer in advance about an access or mobility need so they can explain the site’s procedure.
- Know how you are counted. Ask whether there is 点呼, a sign-in sheet or an 安否確認 message after reaching the assembly point.
- Save the latest version. Weather, building operations or scheduling may change the drill. Follow the organizer’s updated instructions.
The Tokyo Fire Department’s workplace drill guide describes evacuation and guidance, initial firefighting and reporting as possible parts of a fire drill, with earthquake and first-aid exercises also possible. Your notice tells you which of these your workplace is actually doing.
Short questions you can use
Confirm your assembly point:
避難訓練について確認させてください。私たちの部署の集合場所はどちらでしょうか。
Could I check where our department should assemble for the evacuation drill?
Ask about a remote day:
訓練当日は在宅勤務の予定です。安否確認など、私が対応すべきことはありますか。
I am scheduled to work from home on the drill day. Is there a safety check or other action I should complete?
Ask for an accessible plan:
階段での移動が難しいため、訓練時の避難方法について事前に相談したいです。担当の方をご案内いただけますか。
Using stairs is difficult for me. Could you connect me with the person who can discuss the evacuation procedure in advance?
Do not wait until an alarm sounds to ask about assistance. The Tokyo Fire Department has separate guidance on evacuation planning for people with difficulty walking in high-rise buildings; the actual procedure depends on the building and its safety team.
During the drill and in a real emergency
For the scheduled drill, listen to the announcement, follow the designated guide and route, join the roll call, and wait for an instruction that the drill is over. The Tokyo Fire Department’s evacuation guidance shows how building and local teams coordinate in a fire response.
If you see smoke, fire or another real danger, do not assume it is part of the exercise just because a drill was planned. Alert the workplace’s emergency contact, follow the site’s real emergency instructions, and use emergency services as appropriate. Building routes and hazards can change; a drill notice is not a substitute for live instructions from safety staff or firefighters.
For a new employee, the first-day email guide helps identify the correct building and contact person. If the drill includes an online training notice, check its separate completion deadline.
