Empirical Study on Stop-Offs en Route Home in the Aftermath of an Earthquake Disaster in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

Analyses Based on an Online Questionnaire Survey about the Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, paralysis of the railway system stranded as many as 5 million people in the Greater Tokyo Area. This study questioned 978 individuals who were in the central area of Tokyo and away from home during the time of the earthquake, via an online questionnaire survey. Questions consisted of each person's actions from the time of the earthquake to when they reached their home, with stop-off points en route being a primary concern. We investigated the service needs and the effects of facilities. First, logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with receiving certain services. Next, to examine the situation and psychological state, we analyzed the responses to open-ended questions by using text mining.