Emergency Hierarchies

What happens if your first choice for emergency decision-maker is unreachable when you need them?

Your designated power of attorney might be traveling. Your emergency contact might be sick. Your closest friend might be dealing with their own crisis. Life is unpredictable, and the people you’re counting on might not be available exactly when you need them.

This is why you need backup plans for your backup plans.

Think about it like a chain of command: if person A can’t be reached, contact person B. If person B is unavailable, contact person C. Include contact information for each person and specific instructions about what each person is authorized to do.

If this sounds familiar, then you might be a member of your local kumiai in Japan – the group that shares responsibility for the common areas in the neighborhood.

Make sure each person on your list knows they’re on the list and knows who comes before and after them. Nobody should be surprised to get a call asking them to make important decisions on your behalf.

(For introverts like me who don’t like asking for help, this is a roadblock. There will be a separate post about this.)

Also think about different types of emergencies. The person who’s best for making short-term medical decisions might not be the best person for handling long-term financial management. The person who can drop everything to help in a crisis might not be the person you want managing your affairs for months.

Have different hierarchies for different situations, and make sure everyone understands their role. You might want to make different versions of the Emergency Access Guide to fit your hierarchies.

Of course you will ensure at least one person on each list is in Japan and can navigate Japanese systems. Having all your emergency contacts overseas doesn’t help if the emergency requires someone who can physically go to a Japanese bank or hospital.

Geography matters when you need someone to take action on your behalf.