世論 What Japan Thinks

DIMSDRIVE Research are the latest company to publish the results of their survey into The Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

Demographics

Between the 25th and 28th of March 2011 9,948 members of the DIMSDRIVE Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 56.4% of the sample were male, 0.6% in their teens, 6.5% in their twenties, 23.5% in their thirties, 33.7% in their forties, 21.4% in their fifties, and 14.3% aged sixty or older.

There are a number of questions related to power cuts; however, since the survey was conducted TEPCO has announced that they have got the power supply situation under control, and there will be no more scheduled power cuts, although we just have to wait and see what the summer will hold for us.

Although I’m far away from the affected area, getting hold of water was the biggest problem. Almost all the bottled water was sold out, barring the fizzy stuff like Perrier. I don’t eat pot noodles and only the very occasional boil-in-the-bag curry, but these also disappeared off the shelves in a flash. Currently the biggest problem is that many yoghurt factories have been knocked out, but fortunately our nearest supermarket has a brand from the local area, a really rich and creamy one that will be replacing our previous more expensive mass-produced brand.

Research results

Q1: Since the earthquake on the 11th of March, what are you, have you had a problem with? (Sample size=9,948, multiple answer)

Difficult to get hold of water, foodstuff (to SQ1)	24.4%
Difficult, impossible to get hold of torches, batteries, radios	22.2%
Difficult, impossible to get hold of petrol, kerosene (to SQ2)	19.9%
Worries, stress about earthquakes, aftershocks	19.8%
Scheduled power cuts	17.3%
Worries, stress about radiation	16.1%
Difficult to get hold of toilet paper, nappies, other daily items (to SQ1)	15.1%
Shops I want to go to are shut, reduced operating hours, etc	11.8%
Problems getting to work, school due to bus, train delays, cancellations	11.8%
Deliveries delayed, stopped	10.3%
Can’t use heaters, other electricity as I’d want to	4.9%
Employer, customers on holiday	3.8%
Worried about public order, crime	2.8%
Can’t use lifts	2.4%
Been the victim of rumours	1.4%
Water, gas, electricity not yet reconnected	1.3%
Cannot reliably use water, gas, electricity	1.2%
Don’t have any money	1.1%
Workplace damaged, destroyed, etc	1.1%
Hospitals shut, overcrowded	1.0%
Home damaged, destroyed, etc	1.0%
Roads damaged	0.7%
Cannot stay in my home	0.3%
Other	2.5%
Nothing in particular	44.5%

Tohoku area (N=149)

Rank		Percentage
1	Difficult, impossible to get hold of petrol, kerosene	85.2%
2	Difficult to get hold of water, foodstuff	50.3%
3	Deliveries delayed, stopped	48.3%
4	Difficult, impossible to get hold of torches, batteries, radios	43.0%
5	Worries, stress about earthquakes, aftershocks	34.2%
6	Difficult to get hold of toilet paper, nappies, other daily items	30.9%
7	Shops I want to go to are shut, reduced operating hours, etc	26.8%
8	Water, gas, electricity not yet reconnected	22.1%
9	Can’t use heaters, other electricity as I’d want to	16.1%
10	Workplace damaged, destroyed, etc	13.4%

Kanto area (N=4,630)

Rank		Percentage
1	Difficult to get hold of water, foodstuff	42.4%
2	Difficult, impossible to get hold of petrol, kerosene	36.7%
3	Worries, stress about earthquakes, aftershocks	35.7%
4	Scheduled power cuts	35.1%
5	Difficult, impossible to get hold of torches, batteries, radios	34.2%
6	Worries, stress about radiation	27.4%
7	Difficult to get hold of toilet paper, nappies, other daily items	26.7%
8	Problems getting to work, school due to bus, train delays, cancellations	24.4%
9	Shops I want to go to are shut, reduced operating hours, etc	23.5%
10	Deliveries delayed, stopped	11.9%

QSQ1: How did you get hold of water, foodstuffs, daily items? (Sample size=2,837, multiple answer)

Searched for a shop selling them	46.3%
Bought alternative items	19.5%
Bought via internet	15.6%
Got them sent from an area not affected, overseas	14.0%
Queued up for a long time	12.8%
Queued up before the shop opened	12.8%
Got some from people who had spare stock	3.2%
Made my own alternative item	3.0%
Got emergency rations	0.5%
Got them some other way	3.2%
Still haven’t been able to get them	20.7%

QSQ2: How did you get hold of petrol, kerosene? (Sample size=1,978, multiple answer)

Searched for a petrol station selling it	36.9%
Queued up for a long time	34.9%
Queued up before the petrol station opened	7.9%
Got it some other way	8.5%
Still haven’t been able to get it	29.1%

Q2: What are you doing to save petrol, avoid using it, etc? (Sample size=7,497, car owners, multiple answer)

Going out less	43.5%
Don’t use car for short trips	39.0%
Trying to walk everywhere	28.2%
Using a bicycle instead	24.3%
Using public transport instead	18.9%
Turning off the engine when idling at traffic lights, etc	6.8%
Other	2.5%
Not cutting down, cannot cut down on petrol usage	19.7%

Q3: What are you doing to save electricity since the earthquake? (Sample size=9,948, multiple answer)

	All country N=9,948	Power cut prefecture N=4,914
Taking care to turn off unused lights	74.8%	83.0%
Use heaters less, set heater to lower temperature, don’t use	56.7%	69.0%
Pull out plug from unused electrical items	36.1%	43.7%
Watch less television, don’t leave it on as background noise	33.3%	36.7%
Switch off items at the mains switch	21.5%	25.7%
Try to get the family to gather in a single room	21.4%	27.0%
Use less, stop using tumbler drier, other clothes drying devices	13.3%	16.7%
Use mobile phone voice, email less	11.1%	10.4%
Use computer less, stop using	11.0%	15.1%
Set refrigerator to higher temperature	9.2%	12.2%
Use microwave oven less, stop using	8.9%	12.9%
Switch to LED light bulbs	7.8%	7.3%
Reduce the number of light bulbs, fluorescent tubes used	7.6%	9.4%
Turn off main breaker when going out	1.5%	2.2%
Other	2.3%	2.4%
Not saving electricity	11.1%	4.3%

Q4: How do you feel about electricity-saving shopping streets cutting back on neon, lights, background music, heating, etc? (Sample size=4,914, residents in prefectures that contain scheduled power cut areas)

Feels very inconvenient, unnatural	4.2%
Feels a little inconvenient, unnatural	12.8%
Does feels inconvenient, unnatural, but annot complaint	47.8%
Doesn’t feel inconvenient, unnatural at all	28.6%
Not gone downtown, so don’t know	6.6%

Q5: Is your home within a scheduled power cut area? (Sample size=4,914, residents in prefectures that contain scheduled power cut areas)

In an area and had power cuts (to SQs)	41.7%
In an area but not had power cuts (to SQs)	25.6%
Not in a scheduled area	32.7%

Residents of Miyagi and Gunma seemed to have had the most people experiencing power cuts, with over 80% from both prefectures reporting them.

Q5SQ1: How have the scheduled power cuts affected you and your family’s home schedule? (Sample size=3,309, multiple answer)

Eat dinner earlier, later	30.9%
Do housework earlier, later	30.6%
Bath times have changed	26.8%
Go to bed earlier, later	24.4%
Go shopping earlier, later	19.7%
Return home earlier, later; time changes depending on the day	16.6%
Go to work earlier, later; time changes depending on the day	14.9%
Spend less time on each task	13.2%
Other	3.1%
No particular change	29.5%

Q5SQ2: What problems are the scheduled power cuts causing you? (Sample size=3,309, multiple answer)

Don’t know if there’s going to be a power cut or not until the last minute	44.0%
Shops are shut	38.8%
House is cold, cannot use heater	34.5%
Trains, buses are cancelled, timetables are altered	31.6%
Nothing to do during power cut, too much waster time	24.7%
Cannot work during power cuts	22.2%
Own, family stress builds up	22.2%
Worry about food, food spoilt in refrigerator	21.1%
Home is dangerous when dark	18.4%
Can’t drive because there are no traffic lights	17.1%
Cannot keep to schedule for housework, work	16.3%
Cannot, is dangerous to walk outside because it’s dark	15.1%
Cannot use lifts, escalators during power cuts	12.8%
Cannot use water, gas during power cuts	12.6%
Cannot respond promptly during power cuts	11.6%
Cannot use toilet during power cuts	11.3%
Cannot buy frozen foods	10.6%
Power cut times are inconvenient for commuting	10.0%
Home and work power cut times are differnt	7.5%

Q6: Should central Tokyo and other areas outside the directly-affected area be included in the scheduled power cuts? (Sample size=4,914, residents in prefectures that contain scheduled power cut areas)

Should have scheduled power cuts just like the surrounding areas	33.5%
As they are within the affected area, there should be some degree of scheduled power cuts	40.2%
Areas outside the current power cut areas should remain so	13.1%
Don’t know	13.2%

Almost half who had experienced power cuts said Tokyo should too, versus just 18% outside the scheduled areas. Miyaki and Gunma prefectures were most keen on power cuts for central Tokyo.