Japan is renowned globally for its disaster preparedness, attributed to stringent seismic standards and a culture focused on readiness, developed from past disaster experiences.
A recent major earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck Japan’s West Coast, initiating a rigorous search for survivors. This quake, the most intense in recent memory, led to the evacuation of nearly 100,000 people due to a tsunami threat. Initial assessments show significant destruction of homes, with over 80 deaths reported.
Understanding and adapting to significant earthquakes often stems from prior disaster experiences. Keith Porter from Canada’s Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction points out that Japan’s seismic building standards were first implemented following the catastrophic 1923 earthquake. These early guidelines focused on fortifying new buildings in urban locales, specifically overseeing the construction of wooden and concrete structures.
