Sleeping in car during evacuation poses higher health risk than shelter, experts say

At the Tokyo Camping Car Show 2026, held on July 11–12 at Tokyo Big Sight, DIRECT CARS exhibited a special camper version of the Toyota HiAce developed with tuning house WALD. Only five units will be produced. Pricing and specifications have not been disclosed.

On August 29-30, 2026, the PLACE in Nikoniko event at Nikoniko Campground (Kasama, Ibaraki) will feature the new air-frame tent HANARE. Discounts up to 50%, giveaways, and gifts for overnight guests.

Following the Kumamoto earthquakes in Japan, power and water outages persist, and damage to shelters has led to a surge in victims living in vehicles. As of July 30, about 10,000 people were in 400 official shelters, but the actual number of displaced is higher, with many sleeping in cars or yards. Experts warn of isolation and health risks for those in vehicles, urging authorities to conduct on-site visits and expand aid distribution.

An experienced car sleeper recommends a fan, cooler, AC, and power station. A Japanese outlet tested budget heat gear from Muji and Nitori, finding pre-cooling essential.

Gasoline shortages are spreading in Kumamoto Prefecture after a magnitude-7 earthquake on July 28. In hard-hit areas, queues of up to 1 km formed at gas stations on July 30. Widespread power outages have forced residents to sleep in cars with air conditioning, driving up fuel demand. Temperatures are forecast to approach 40°C from July 31. ENEOS resumed shipments from its Yatsushiro depot on July 31, but some storage facilities remain closed. Power supply is expected to be restored by the evening of July 31, though local line damage may persist.

According to the Kumamoto Prefecture Disaster Response Headquarters, as of 6 a.m. on January 30, about 10,000 people from 4,000 households were staying in approximately 400 designated evacuation centers across 30 municipalities. However, these figures do not include those sleeping in vehicles or sheltering at home, and the actual number of affected people is believed to be higher. In heavily damaged areas such as Hikawa Town and Uki City, schools and disaster prevention centers that would normally serve as shelters were themselves damaged by the earthquake and power outages, delaying their opening.