70% in Japan want to shelter at home after disasters, survey finds

Seven out of 10 people in Japan would prefer to shelter at home after a major disaster if their homes are considered to be safe, according to a recent survey by market research firm Macromill.

The survey also showed that only about 15% of respondents had a detailed understanding of the preparations needed to shelter at home, with regional differences in levels of understanding evident.

The survey, conducted annually since 2024, was carried out online from Sept. 4 to 15, with valid responses obtained from 200,000 people across Japan.

Asked how they would seek shelter if their homes were not at risk of collapse or flooding following a disaster, 72.5% said they would prefer to remain at home. This was far higher than the 11.9% who said they would go to a designated evacuation center even if their homes were safe.

Another 4.8% said they would stay with relatives or acquaintances or at a hotel, while 1.8% said they would shelter in their cars.

Central and local governments recommend sheltering at home if homes are safe to ease overcrowding at evacuation centers and reduce stress among evacuees.

To shelter at home, adequate supplies of food, water and portable toilets, as well as alternative means of securing essential utilities, are indispensable.

Only 14.7% of respondents said they had a detailed understanding of the necessary preparations, while 50.1% said they had heard about the preparations and 35.2% said they knew nothing about them.

Prefectures affected by major disasters in the past had higher proportions of respondents who said they had a detailed understanding of the necessary preparations. Kumamoto Prefecture ranked highest at 26.5%, followed by Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures at 23.3% and 20.0%, respectively.

Wakayama had the lowest share among the country’s 47 prefectures, at 8.9%, followed by Tokushima Prefecture at 9.0%, and Okinawa Prefecture at 9.3%.

“People’s understanding of the specific preparations needed remains insufficient,” a Macromill official said. “Practical public awareness campaigns are needed.”