21% of Japanese "not preparing anything" after announcing 'Temporary Information on the Great Nankai Earthquake'

a restricted Japanese beach

Flags are fluttering on Hiratsuka Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, announcing the ban.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on the 19th that 21% of residents in the region did not engage in special disaster prevention activities in connection with the "Temporary Information on Nankai Sea Earthquake" (caution of giant earthquakes) announced by the Japanese government on the 8th.

According to the report, the Tokyo University Disaster Prevention Information Research Center surveyed 9,400 residents aged 20 to 69 years old (based on effective respondents) in areas where temporary information was announced from the 9th to the 11th.

The Japanese government announced temporary information on 707 municipal 町 in 29 prefectures (local governments) from Ibaraki Prefecture in northeastern Tokyo to Okinawa in the southwest of the archipelago after the 7.1 earthquake occurred off Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu on the 8th.


According to the survey, 83% of those living in the area "recognized" temporary information.


This seems to have improved awareness compared to a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office last year that about 70% of the target regions said they did not know about temporary information.

However, since the announcement of temporary information this time, few people have actually taken disaster prevention actions.

When asked what actions they took after learning temporary information, 20% of the respondents said, "Check the stock of water or food," followed by "Checking how to contact your family" (9%), and "Checking the furniture not to fall" (8%).

However, 21% said they "didn't do anything in particular."

The Japanese government lifted temporary information as of 5 p.m. on the 15th, a week after the announcement, saying no major earthquake-related abnormalities were observed.

The first temporary information released this time was 'giant earthquake caution' to check evacuation sites and routes, fix furniture, and prepare water and emergency food in advance to prepare for earthquakes.