A majority of those who took up volunteer activities following the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 have since quit because they feel there are too many restrictions and a lack of information, a survey released Thursday by the Economic Planning Agency showed.

Of the 245 people who said they started volunteer activities after the quake, 77.1 percent have since stopped. The survey showed that half of the respondents became interested in volunteer activities because of the earthquake.

The agency surveyed 5,000 people between 15 and 69, of whom 3,972 responded. The survey follows up on an annual lifestyle white paper released by the EPA in early November.

Volunteer work is becoming increasingly important as Japanese society undergoes changes in the lifetime employment system and traditional corporate culture, according to the EPA.

The white paper said measures should be taken to encourage volunteer activities by individuals and support nonprofit organizations engaging in such work.

The survey showed 64.2 percent of those who had engaged in volunteer work said they had enjoyed meeting people while 62.5 percent said they had enjoyed the work itself.

Meanwhile, 28.7 percent said they considered volunteer activities an important part of their lives, while 22.9 percent felt such work was well-received in society.