Haunted by memories of deadly earthquakes, Japan has implemented some of the strictest earthquake regulations in the world.
A powerful earthquake devastated the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year’s Day 2024, resulting in 62 reported fatalities. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was recorded at a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale.
Located on the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific, where multiple tectonic plates converge, Japan is one of the countries most frequently affected by earthquakes. Over the past century, Japan has integrated earthquake risk awareness into its culture, becoming a reference point for disaster prevention.
A Highly Aware Community
Haunted by memories of catastrophic events, such as the Kobe earthquake in 1995 that claimed 6,500 lives, and the double disaster of earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the Japanese people have been aware of earthquake risks since childhood.
Students in Tokyo take cover under desks during an earthquake drill on September 1, 2023. (Photo: AFP).
Even the slightest tremor prompts the Japanese to turn off gas stoves and duck under tables. In their daily lives, they adopt simple reflexes, such as avoiding placing heavy objects on high shelves. In schools, many Japanese children keep safety helmets in their lockers. To avoid being trapped under rubble, some residents purchase survival kits to sustain themselves until help arrives.
Public authorities have similar coping measures. As of April 1, 2023, local authorities in Tokyo had stored 9.5 million ready-to-eat meals (rice, noodles, biscuits) in approximately 400 warehouses. “This culture of prevention is also marked by widespread information dissemination even during normal conditions,” states an article published in 2019 by the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri).
Researcher Jean-François Heimburger, author of the article, explains: “Local governments raise public awareness by publishing and distributing flyers promoting earthquake prevention measures. Subsequently, the media fulfill their legal obligation by widely disseminating useful information to protect the public from earthquakes.”
Annual Large-Scale Simulation Activities
Since 1960, September 1 has been designated as National Disaster Prevention Day in Japan, during which simulation and first aid training activities are conducted in schools, businesses, and government agencies. This date corresponds to the anniversary of the 1923 Kanto earthquake, a disaster that claimed over 100,000 lives and marked a turning point in seismic risk assessment in Japan.
According to NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Kanto earthquake disaster, last September’s drill was based on a scenario where a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck central Tokyo just after 7 a.m., causing strong aftershocks across the metropolitan area. The entire government cabinet was mobilized. In the morning, ministers convened to establish a “special emergency response team” and organize the “government’s response.” Prime Minister Kishida Fumio even delivered a statement during a simulated press conference to explain government actions and remind citizens of safety protocols.
An Effective Warning System
Japan also has a high-performance warning system called “J-Alert”, used for both natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions) and military threats.
J-Alert allows for the rapid dissemination of instructions to the public within seconds through television, radio, telephones, and street loudspeakers. Once activated, warnings automatically trigger the shutdown of nuclear power plants and high-speed trains.
Modern Architecture
The Kanto earthquake of 1923 marked the “birth of earthquake-resistant structures in Japan”, explains Yoshiaki Nakano, an expert from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED).
The first earthquake-resistant building codes in Japan were established in 1924. Subsequently defined by law in 1950, these codes are among the strictest in the world and have continued to evolve, drawing lessons from other major earthquakes that have occurred in Japan since then. For example, skyscrapers are equipped with anti-vibration mechanisms: rubber cushions placed under building foundations to isolate them from the ground, shock absorbers distributed between floors, or even pendulums weighing several hundred tons installed at the top.
