Announcing our nationwide disaster preparedness program in Japan

Key Takeaways

• Developed in consultation with local NGOs, Airbnb will activate emergency housing within 24 hours of a disaster across all 47 prefectures.
• Building on years of response experience through its support of Airbnb.org, the independent nonprofit founded by Airbnb, this initiative is Airbnb’s first preemptive disaster program globally, to deliver faster, more coordinated support when disaster strikes.

Airbnb, in coordination with Airbnb.org and several local not-for-profit organizations, has announced a proactive disaster preparedness initiative to provide emergency housing across all 47 prefectures in the event of major natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. 

Drawing on its extensive network of hosts and with the crisis response expertise of Airbnb.org – a nonprofit that provides emergency housing in times of crisis – Airbnb aims to activate temporary housing within 24 hours anywhere in the country through this initiative.

This marks Airbnb’s first globally preemptive disaster preparedness program, building years of experience to enable faster, more coordinated support when disaster strikes. It also builds on Airbnb.org’s previous disaster response efforts in Japan, including support for Ishikawa Prefecture and local nonprofit RCF to house evacuees after the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

As part of the proactive framework, Airbnb.org has established local response programs with nonprofit partners across Japan, including Peace Boat Disaster Relief Center, Japan Platform, and Peace Winds Japan. These partnerships will support emergency housing logistics not only for survivors, but also for medical and emergency personnel, ensuring that emergency housing can be deployed quickly and effectively nationwide.

“In moments of crisis, access to emergency housing can provide a lifeline — creating a foundation for recovery. Time and again, we’ve seen that early, coordinated response makes a meaningful difference. We are grateful for our local NPO partners to help strengthen disaster response efforts in local communities and support displaced individuals, and honored to be able to play a role in this important preparatory work,” said Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky. 

“Earlier today, we paid a courtesy visit to Minister Manabu Sakai, the Minister of State for Disaster Management, and briefed him on this initiative. Minister Sakai expressed his support and welcomed our efforts,” added Chesky. 

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb that connects people to emergency housing in times of crisis. Airbnb.org uses the Airbnb platform to connect people who need a place to stay with Airbnb hosts willing to share theirs. 100% of all donations go directly to providing emergency housing in times of crisis, making all Airbnb.org stays completely free. Since its founding in 2020, Airbnb.org has provided 1.6 million nights of free, temporary housing to more than 250,000 people globally.

Most recently, the organization has supported communities displaced by wildfires in South Korea and Los Angeles; Cyclone Alfred in Australia; floods in Brazil; and the earthquake impacting Thailand.

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays, experiences, and services that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.’s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org’s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.