2013 Volume 34 Pages 165-178
This paper aims to clarify the following questions based on data obtained from paper questionnaire surveys: 1) How has perception of risk changed as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake? 2) What kinds of relationship are there between trust in agencies involved with risk management and risk perception? This study compares results from Japan, China, and the U.S.
When discussing risk perception and risk communication, trust is considered a critical concept. In this research study, trust in risk management agencies by people is considered on the basis of the following three elements: trust in risk information presented by management agencies, trust in the agencies’ ability to deal with risk, and the posture of the agencies toward risk management. The author seeks to understand trust involved in both natural disasters (earthquakes) and man-made disasters (nuclear incidents).
The primary results are as follows. After the earthquake, the possibility that an earthquake would occur and its unknowability were perceived to be significantly high. With regards to atomic power plants, the possibility that an incident would occur, the severity of the consequences, the incident’s unknowability, and its uncontrollability were perceived to be significantly high. Also, with regards to data after the earthquake, significant relationships could be seen between risk perception and trust, especially trust in information presented by the national government on nuclear incidents, trust in its management ability, and trust in its posture.
