On October 22 Britain asked every household to be able to manage on its own for three days, and Japan will ask the same on November 2. What each government asked for, how it compares with FEMA's kit, and why three days is the minimum.
On Thursday, October 22, the British government launched a campaign called Be Ready, asking every household to be able to look after itself for three days if everyday services are disrupted. The government's checklist puts it this way: "Being ready for 3 days helps you manage while support reaches those most in need." The campaign's website names threats "from severe weather to cyber attacks," and the campaign will run for three years, Arab News reported.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced the campaign in a statement to Parliament, The National reported, and said it "brings the UK into line with many of our European peers," whose campaigns also center on three days. Arab News reported that the checklist is in line with guidance already issued in France, Ireland and the Netherlands. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC the government wanted people "to be alert but not alarmed."
Shoppers moved quickly anyway. The National reported that the online grocer Ocado ran out of several types of bottled water, beans and soup, and that the frozen-food chain Iceland saw a 40 percent jump in tinned food sales. The managing director of the electronics retailer Maplin said, "Torch sales nearly quadrupled and radio sales almost doubled in three days." Two named storms also hit Britain that weekend, and The National noted that sales of these goods usually rise during storms anyway.
Japan is next. Disaster Management Minister Goshi Hosono said on a Fuji TV online program that the government will make an urgent request to the public on November 2, the day Japan's new Disaster Management Agency opens. "I would like to say at least three days' worth, and a week's worth if possible," he said, in the Seoul Economic Daily's translation. "Please prepare enough food, toilet supplies and water at home so that you can manage even without public support from the government." The request will also go to government ministries and every prefecture.
The reason is the size of the disasters Japan plans for: a megaquake along the Nankai Trough, an earthquake directly beneath the capital, major quakes along the Japan and Kuril trenches, and an eruption of Mount Fuji. After a disaster on that scale, rescue and relief could be delayed, and damaged roads and communications could keep outside help from arriving, the Seoul Economic Daily reported. Japan's agriculture ministry warns that relief supplies may take more than three days to arrive, IBTimes UK reported.
Some posts online have linked the request to a coming war or a cyberattack. IBTimes UK called those claims speculation, not evidence of the government's reasons, and noted that the stated focus is natural disasters. Japan's existing guidance already recommends about three liters of water per person per day.
The British and American lists are close. Britain's checklist asks for bottled water for three days, at 3 liters per person per day for drinking, and says more would be needed for cooking and washing. FEMA's Ready.gov asks for one gallon per person per day, about 3.8 liters, for several days, and that gallon covers drinking and sanitation. For a family of four over three days, Britain's figure comes to 36 liters of drinking water, about 9.5 gallons. FEMA's comes to 12 gallons for drinking and sanitation together.
For food, Britain asks for three days of non-perishable food that needs no refrigeration or cooking, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts, and says it is best to buy food you would usually eat. Ready.gov asks for at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food.
The differences are in what goes on the main list. Britain's checklist includes cash in a mix of coins and notes, copies of IDs and documents, a written note of regular medication and doses, a charged power bank, blankets and sleeping bags, and baby and pet supplies. It recommends ready-to-feed baby formula, because you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula safely. Ready.gov lists most of those too, several of them under additional supplies, and its basic kit adds things Britain's leaves out: a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a manual can opener and local maps. Japan's request puts toilet supplies next to food and water; Ready.gov's equivalent is moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation. MyPlann's FEMA check measures every household against Ready.gov's kit, line by line.
Three days is the floor, not the goal. Japan's minister asked for a week if possible, and Ready.gov says you may need to survive on your own for several days. Britain's checklist describes three days as the time that lets you manage "while support reaches those most in need."
The same checklist has advice on building a supply without a rush to the shops: check your cupboards first, note what your household relies on, such as medical supplies, baby formula or pet food, pick up missing items during regular shopping trips to spread the cost, and set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates. Ready.gov says to replace expired items as needed and to re-think your needs every year.
Britain's empty shelves are the case for doing it that way. A supply built a little at a time is already in the house when the announcement, or the storm, arrives.
Getting through days without power, water or phone service is the Grid Down scenario. MyPlann counts how many days your household could last on what is actually in the house, and tells you what runs out first.
This issue reflects what was known on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Britain's water and food figures, the rest of its list and the advice on building a supply are from the government's Be Ready checklist, and the threats named from the Be Ready website. The announcement by Dan Jarvis is from The National's report of October 23; his remark about Europe, the shortages and the sales figures from The National's report of October 27. The three-year length, the comparison with France, Ireland and the Netherlands, and Wes Streeting's remarks are from Arab News. Hosono's comments, the date of Japan's request and the disasters it plans for are from the Seoul Economic Daily, reporting Fuji TV's FNN; the agriculture ministry's warning, Japan's water guidance and the note on online speculation from IBTimes UK. FEMA's kit list and advice are from Ready.gov.
MyPlann maps your real preparedness level against every scenario in this brief — and shows you exactly what to address first. Free during early access.
Free during early access. No spam, ever.