In an earthquake, the biggest indoor danger is not the building itself but the furniture inside it. Tall shelves, wardrobes, and cabinets tip over, block exits, and cause a large share of injuries. The good news for renters is that most of the effective measures need no screws and leave no marks, so you can protect yourself without risking your deposit or asking the landlord for anything.
Renter-safe methods (no screws, no permission needed)
These are the workhorses. Used together, they dramatically reduce the chance of a heavy item toppling.
Tension rods (突っ張り棒). Spring-loaded poles wedge between the top of a wardrobe or bookshelf and the ceiling. Install two per unit, positioned toward the back corners (near the wall), not the front. They work best when the ceiling above is solid; if you feel the panel flex, place a board across the top of the furniture first to spread the load. Retighten them every few months, since they loosen over time.
Anti-tip gel mats (耐震マット). Clear sticky pads that go under the four corners of TVs, microwaves, monitors, and small appliances. They grip the surface and absorb shaking so items do not slide or walk off. They peel away cleanly and are the single easiest upgrade you can make in ten minutes.
Stopper strips under the front (ふんばる君 type). Thin wedges placed under the front edge of a tall shelf tilt it very slightly back toward the wall, so gravity helps keep it in place instead of pulling it forward. Pair these with tension rods for a belt-and-suspenders setup; the combination tests far better than either alone.
Securing the TV and microwave. Flat TVs are top-heavy and easy to knock over. Use a gel mat under the base plus a stick-on strap or wire looped to the stand. For the microwave, a gel mat under each foot stops it sliding off the rack or counter during a jolt.
Glass film. Shatter-resistant film applied to cabinet fronts, glass doors, and windows holds broken shards together so you are not walking through glass in the dark. It is a peel-and-stick job and comes off later.
Clear the tops of tall furniture. The cheapest measure of all: nothing heavy or breakable stored above head height. Move stored boxes, speakers, and glass items to low shelves. Keep the space in front of exits and futons clear of anything that could fall into it.
Methods that need landlord permission
L-brackets and screwed anchors. Metal L-brackets screwed into the wall stud and the furniture are the strongest fixing, but they leave holes. In a Japanese rental these count as damage against your restoration obligation (原状回復), so get written permission first. Many landlords will agree if you offer to patch the holes on move-out; some newer buildings even come with pre-set anchor points. If in doubt, stick to the no-screw methods above, which are genuinely effective on their own.
What to buy
A starter kit for one apartment is inexpensive: two or three tension rods, a sheet of gel mats you cut to size, a pack of front stopper strips, one roll of glass film, and a couple of appliance straps. Look for products rated to a shaking test (震度7 class) and buy the load rating that matches your heaviest furniture.
Install everything before you need it and re-check the tension rods each season. A twenty-minute pass through the apartment now is what stands between you and a wardrobe across the bedroom doorway later.
Related prep
Anchoring is one layer. If you are in a tower block, read our guide to high-rise apartment prep, where long shaking and stuck elevators change the calculation. Pair physical safety with power resilience by planning for a winter blackout, and if you want backup power for phones and a small heater, size it with our power station calculator.