Photo/Illutration Swimming was banned at Shirarahama beach in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, while the Nankai Trough megaquake advisory was in place. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Respondents to an Asahi Shimbun survey were almost evenly split on whether the first-ever advisory about a Nankai Trough megaquake raised awareness about disaster prevention.

Fifty-one percent of respondents said they became more aware about disaster prevention after the Japan Meteorological Agency issued the weeklong advisory on Aug. 8, according to the nationwide telephone survey conducted on Aug. 24-25.

Comparatively, 47 percent said they did not significantly increase their disaster prevention awareness.

The JMA said the probability of a megaquake along the Nankai Trough in the Pacific Ocean increased after a powerful earthquake struck off Miyazaki Prefecture on Aug. 8.

The trough stretches from the Kyushu to Tokai regions. 

The JMA also urged residents in 707 pre-designated municipalities across 29 prefectures from Ibaraki to Okinawa to check their earthquake preparedness and remain ready to evacuate immediately for seven days.

The advisory apparently had a stronger impact on women than men.

Fifty-seven percent of female respondents said it made them more aware about disaster prevention, compared with 46 percent of men who chose the same answer.

Fifty-three percent of men and 41 percent of women said it did not significantly change their disaster prevention awareness. 

Younger people appear to have been considerably affected by the advisory.

Sixty-four percent of respondents in their 30s, the highest percentage among all age brackets, said they became more aware about disaster prevention.

The figure was 62 percent among respondents between ages 18 and 29.

In contrast, 41 percent of respondents in their 70s or older, the lowest percentage among all age brackets, said they upped their disaster prevention awareness.

The figures were around 50 percent among respondents in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

There were no significant differences about changes in the awareness of disaster prevention between the 11 prefectures that were entirely covered by the advisory and the other 36 prefectures.

Fifty-four percent of respondents in those 11 prefectures said they became more aware about disaster prevention, slightly higher than the 51 percent in the other prefectures.

The survey also asked respondents how prepared they are for a disaster.

Forty-one percent said they are not as prepared while 19 percent said they have done little to prepare.

By comparison, 33 percent said they are prepared to a certain extent and 5 percent said they are extremely prepared.

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