Perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan with respect to cultural, information, disaster and social issues

A questionnaire survey was distributed via the Internet to 600 respondents. Preliminary results revealed that most Japanese people regularly washed their hands and had low resistance to wearing masks even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Internet news was the most common source of information. Half of the respondents said they would stay at home evacuation if a disaster occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the strategy promoted to reduce crowding in evacuation shelters. If a state of emergency must be reinstated, one-third of respondents said they could bear it for a few months and another one-third for a few weeks.

Automated summary

Preliminary results from a questionnaire survey of 600 respondents in Japan showed that most people had good hygiene habits and low resistance to wearing masks before the COVID-19 pandemic. Internet news was the primary source of information, and half of the respondents indicated they would stay at home during a disaster in the current pandemic situation. If a state of emergency needed to be reinstated, approximately one-third of respondents could bear it for a few months, while another one-third could bear it for a few weeks.