Assessing earthquake preparedness in a culturally diverse international students population: a case of Ehime university in Shikoku, Japan

Introduction International students in Japan face unique challenges in earthquake preparedness, despite the country’s globally recognized disaster management systems. This exploratory study presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first assessment of preparedness among this population using a unified, multidimensional framework. Method Five key dimensions were evaluated: education and awareness, practical preparedness, behavioral preparedness, perceived earthquake risk and emotional response, and confidence in managing earthquake situations. A structured online survey was completed by 113 students from 29 countries. The questionnaire was developed using validated instruments and informed by established theoretical models. Result Among all dimensions, education and awareness demonstrated the strongest association with overall preparedness (ρ = 0.818). It was also significantly correlated with behavioral preparedness (ρ = 0.574), practical preparedness (ρ = 0.559), and confidence in managing earthquake situations (ρ = 0.570). However, no significant relationship was found with perceived earthquake risk and emotional response (ρ = 0.111, p = 0.243). Notably, prior experience with earthquakes did not significantly influence students’ preparedness levels (U = 1416.5, p = 0.658). Qualitative feedback highlighted barriers, including a lack of localized information, language challenges, and emotional anxiety. Conclusion These findings emphasize the need for inclusive, action-oriented disaster education tailored to international student communities. This study contributes to Priority 1 of the Sendai Framework, which emphasizes understanding disaster risk, and provides a foundation for future cross-cultural disaster risk reduction research.