Japan:Half of homes yet to be assessed for seismic risk

More than half of Japan's housing has yet to undergo seismic assessments, a Cabinet Office survey suggests. The government has set a 2025 target for addressing all housing deemed vulnerable to Japan's frequent earthquakes.

According to the survey, 51.5% of the respondents said they had not received seismic diagnoses of their homes, reported Jiji Press.

In the survey on preparation for and responses to disasters, conducted between last November, 3,000 people aged 18 or over were interviewed. Of them, 61.3% provided valid responses.

Asked about preparations for major quakes, 46.1% — the largest group — said they had bought quake insurance to cover their homes and furnishings.

In addition, 45.7% said they set aside extra supplies of food, water and daily necessities, while 43.3% said they had prepared flashlights for potential blackouts.

On desirable behaviour during major disasters, 39.8% said it is important to be self-reliant, up 18.1 points from the previous survey in 2013.

The ratio of respondents who emphasised mutual help among neighbours rose by 13.9 points to 24.5%, while those expecting support from the central or local governments fell by 2.1 points to 6.2%.