Approx. 55% of Home Buyers Unaware of 'Seismic Grade', Survey Finds

How Much is Seismic Performance Prioritized When Purchasing a Home?

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. With major earthquakes occurring in various regions in recent years, many people likely feel anxious about the safety of their homes. A house is one of the biggest purchases in a person's life. Therefore, the degree to which seismic performance is emphasized seems to be a crucial point.

To explore this, we conducted a joint survey with Soken Kensetsu targeting 300 men and women nationwide who answered in a preliminary screening that they 'have experience purchasing or building a home.' The survey focused on 'earthquake countermeasures when purchasing a home.'

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'Survey on Earthquake Countermeasures When Purchasing a Home' Overview Survey Method: Internet survey Survey Period: May 8 - May 13, 2026 Target Audience: Men and women nationwide who have experience purchasing/building a home Valid Responses: 300 samples Questions: Q1: To what extent did you emphasize 'seismic performance' when purchasing/building your home? Q2: Please tell us the reason. (Open-ended) Q3: Did you know the term 'seismic grade' (耐震等級)? Q4: To what extent did you receive explanations from the housing company? Q5: Have you ever felt anxious about your home's seismic performance after watching news about major earthquakes? Q6: What kind of anxiety did you feel? (Multiple answers allowed) Q7: Please tell us specifically about any anxieties or actual feelings you have regarding earthquake countermeasures for your home. (Open-ended) * Note: As a rule, percentages are rounded to the nearest first decimal place, so the total may not exactly equal 100%.

62.0% Answered They 'Emphasized Seismic Performance' When Buying/Building

First, we asked those with experience purchasing or building a home to what extent they emphasized 'seismic performance.' The results showed that 24.3% 'emphasized it very much' and 37.7% 'emphasized it somewhat,' meaning a combined 62.0% prioritized seismic resistance. On the other hand, 27.3% answered 'did not emphasize it much' and 10.7% 'did not emphasize it at all,' indicating that nearly 40% did not place a high priority on it at the time of purchase.

We asked for the reasons behind their choices in an open-ended format. Here are some of the responses:

Those who answered 'Emphasized it very much' or 'Emphasized it somewhat': - 'I thought it was a must since we are an earthquake-prone country.' (Male, 20s) - 'Because I live in an area where the Nankai Earthquake is expected to occur.' (Female, 30s) - 'Because I experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake.' (Female, 40s) - 'I was interested enough to learn the difference between seismic resistance and base isolation, consulted with my family, and decided it's best to minimize damage to the house.' (Male, 50s) - 'I feel it's important because a house is not something you can easily replace. I have also experienced major earthquakes several times.' (Male, 50s) - 'Because the Nankai Trough earthquake is anticipated.' (Male, 60s)

Those who answered 'Did not emphasize it much' or 'Did not emphasize it at all': - 'When I bought it, there weren't many earthquakes, so it didn't really click with me.' (Female, 40s) - 'Because I don't particularly care.' (Male, 30s) - 'I bought a used home, so it was difficult to include that as a condition.' (Male, 50s) - 'Price was the priority.' (Female, 40s) - 'Because of a lack of budget.' (Female, 50s)

Among those who emphasized it, many answers were based on specific disasters or regional characteristics, such as the 'Nankai Trough earthquake' or 'experience of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.' It seems that those who have actually experienced major earthquakes tend to place higher importance on a home's seismic performance. Conversely, some older buyers noted that 'it wasn't given as much attention back then,' suggesting that awareness of seismic performance has changed over time.

55.3% Answered They 'Did Not Know' the Term 'Seismic Grade'

Next, we asked if respondents knew the term 'seismic grade,' a representative index showing housing performance. A seismic grade is a rating that indicates how much of an earthquake a house can withstand, evaluated on a scale from 1 to 3.

As a result, only 44.7% answered that they 'knew' it, while the majority, 55.3%, answered that they 'did not know' the term. The fact that more than half of the people who have actually purchased or built a home did not know the term 'seismic grade' might be a somewhat surprising result. Being a technical term, it suggests that the concept has not yet fully permeated the general public.