Earthquakes the Top Disaster Concern for Japanese

A survey conducted in Japan by JI Accident & Fire Insurance in early July, aimed at people aged in their twenties through their sixties, found that 60.3% of the 1,000 respondents had some level of concern about disasters.

The ratio of those in their thirties, forties, and fifties who were worried about disasters stood at around 64% to 65%, while the ratio of those aged in their twenties and sixties remained below 60%. Notably, 22.5% of people in their twenties stated they were “not concerned at all.”

When asked about what type of disaster they were worried about, an overwhelming 88.9% stated “earthquakes”, followed by “wind damage” and “flood damage.”

Respondents were also asked what they worried about losing in a disaster. The three most common answers, with similar percentages, were “my own life and health” at 66.0%, “life and health of family and friends” at 66.4%, and “house, belongings, car, and other property” at 63.8%.

Asked what kind of information they would like to receive in the future about disasters (with multiple answers possible), the top response for prior to a disaster was the “recommended amount to stockpile”, while for during a disaster, most people wanted to know “how to confirm someone’s whereabouts.”

During a disaster, the communication infrastructure can be severely damaged and JI Accident & Fire Insurance recommends people use the Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171) or the Disaster Emergency Message Board (Web171) services, while calling on them to keep direct contact with the disaster area to a minimum, as this makes it difficult for important calls to get through.

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)