The History and Significance of Japanese Earthquake Countermeasures

Japan is well known for its earthquakes; the damage that they cause sometimes makes international headlines, one example being the disaster that occurred on March 11, 2011. Through my research, I found that although Japan has always been plagued by earthquakes, the Japanese government only started to seriously create and enforce building regulations in the past 50 years. Also, there is a clear pattern ofrevisions and new building codes being added soon after highly destructive earthqualces strike. Since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake no new regulations have been enforced, but researchers are undoubtedly striving to discover new and better earthqualce countermeasure technology. This paper discusses an overall view of the anti-earthquake technologies that Japan already has and how they work, regulations that are in place, differences between small buildings and skyscrapers, as well as new technology and the future of anti­ earthquake measures. It also compares and contrasts Japan with other cotmtries that experience regular earthquakes, such as Chile and Mexico, while showcasing the technology and procedures that are unique to Japan. Although my research focuses on earthquakes, the main topic is people. Anti­ earthqualce technology is created to save people and is essential in Japan, a country which already has a population crisis and a growing number of elders who may struggle in the event of a natural disaster. With international help, Japan and other earthqualce-riddled countries can use technology to become safe countries where no one is fazed - much less afraid of - natural disasters such as earthquakes