Abstract
This study aimed to grasp the future direction of the relationship between businesses and consumers based on consumer behavior analysis after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster. Our analysis of the number of subscribers to earthquake insurance and the contents of legal advice and consumer consultations showed signs that "self-help" consumers became risk averse. Consumer behavior theory suggests the house purchasing behavior of consumers is likely to reflect their values and awareness. We confirmed that the values and awareness of consumers when purchasing housing in 2011 changed to an emphasis on energy conservation and family ties, as well as safety, even if costs increased. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we clarified that there were four psychological factors involved in the energy-saving behavior of consumers, such as a sense of crisis, efficacy, social norms, and ethics, and both ethics and social norms had direct influences on such behavior.
